BA.L vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about BAE Systems plc (BA.L) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC).

Performance

BA.L vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in BAE Systems plc (BA.L) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BA.L vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BA.L BAE Systems plc	28.35%	52.12%	5.88%	33.31%	60.92%	17.57%	-9.28%	28.43%	-16.75%	0.30%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-2.82%	8.10%	25.46%	18.02%	-9.86%	28.09%	12.84%	23.98%	-0.68%	9.09%

Different Trading Currencies

BA.L is traded in GBp, while ^GSPC is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the ^GSPC values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BA.L achieves a 28.35% return, which is significantly higher than ^GSPC's -5.48% return. Over the past 10 years, BA.L has outperformed ^GSPC with an annualized return of 20.07%, while ^GSPC has yielded a comparatively lower 12.67% annualized return.

BA.L

• 1D: 3.19%
• 1M: 4.17%
• YTD: 28.35%
• 6M: 7.62%
• 1Y: 43.80%
• 3Y*: 33.90%
• 5Y*: 37.94%
• 10Y*: 20.07%

^GSPC

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: -5.88%
• YTD: -5.48%
• 6M: -3.44%
• 1Y: 10.54%
• 3Y*: 12.96%
• 5Y*: 10.56%
• 10Y*: 12.67%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

BA.L vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BA.L

BA.L Risk / Return Rank: 79
BA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
BA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
BA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 78
BA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
BA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 77

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 74
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 76
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
^GSPC Martin Ratio Rank: 85

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

BA.L vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BAE Systems plc (BA.L) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	BA.L	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.46	0.57	+0.89
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.03	0.92	+1.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.14	+0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.95	0.97	+0.98
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.85	3.77	+1.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BA.L vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BA.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.46, which is higher than the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 0.57. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BA.L and ^GSPC, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BA.L	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.46	0.57	+0.89
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.50	0.67	+0.83
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.81	0.70	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.34	0.54	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between BA.L and ^GSPC is 0.25, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Drawdowns

BA.L vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BA.L drawdown since its inception was -84.46%, which is greater than ^GSPC's maximum drawdown of -37.67%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BA.L and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	BA.L	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-84.46%	-56.78%	-27.68%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.30%	-12.14%	-9.16%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.30%	-25.43%	+4.13%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.80%	-33.92%	-3.88%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.62%	-6.45%	+0.83%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.40%	-10.75%	-10.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.54%	2.57%	+5.97%

Volatility

BA.L vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

BAE Systems plc (BA.L) has a higher volatility of 11.37% compared to S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at 3.51%. This indicates that BA.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ^GSPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BA.L	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.37%	3.51%	+7.86%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	22.01%	9.13%	+12.88%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	29.92%	18.58%	+11.34%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.32%	15.86%	+9.46%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.76%	18.15%	+6.61%