BF-A vs. SPY

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

BF-A (Brown-Forman Corporation) is a stock, while SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) is S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 10 years, BF-A returned -1.65%/yr vs 15.07%/yr for SPY. Their 0.39 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.

Performance

BF-A vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-A) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BF-A achieves a 13.03% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's 10.13% return. Over the past 10 years, BF-A has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of -1.65%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.07% annualized return.

BF-A

• 1D: 0.03%
• 1M: 9.19%
• 6M: 6.86%
• YTD: 13.03%
• 1Y: 5.72%
• 3Y*: -24.21%
• 5Y*: -13.37%
• 10Y*: -1.65%
• ALL TIME*: 10.87%

SPY

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: 0.30%
• 6M: 8.53%
• YTD: 10.13%
• 1Y: 21.49%
• 3Y*: 19.32%
• 5Y*: 12.76%
• 10Y*: 15.07%
• ALL TIME*: 10.79%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
BF-A Brown-Forman Corporation	$4.36M	$3.67M	$4.80M
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	$37.27B	$35.99B	$39.23B

BF-A vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BF-A Brown-Forman Corporation	13.03%	-28.07%	-35.56%	-8.20%	-1.88%	-5.36%	18.31%	34.00%	-9.34%	47.37%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	10.13%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	28.73%	18.33%	31.22%	-4.57%	21.71%

Correlation

The correlation between BF-A and SPY is 0.01, meaning there was essentially no consistent relationship between their historical price movements. Each responded to its own set of market drivers.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.01
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.18
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.32
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.38
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 29, 1993	0.39

Over the past year, the correlation between BF-A and SPY has dropped to 0.01 - well below their long-term average of 0.39, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

BF-A vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

BF-A

BF-A Risk / Return Rank: 49
BF-A Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
BF-A Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
BF-A Omega Ratio Rank: 45
BF-A Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
BF-A Martin Ratio Rank: 51

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 67
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 65
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 76

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

BF-A vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-A) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	BF-A	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.15	1.52	-1.37
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.47	2.11	-1.64
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.27	-0.21
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.23	2.20	-1.98
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.49	9.40	-8.91

BF-A vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BF-A Sharpe Ratio is 0.15, which is lower than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 1.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BF-A and SPY, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

BF-A vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BF-A drawdown since its inception was -70.24%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BF-A and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	BF-A	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-70.24%	-55.19%	-15.05%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.17%	-8.88%	-15.29%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-65.60%	-18.76%	-46.84%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-67.09%	-24.50%	-42.59%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-68.32%	-33.72%	-34.60%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-59.76%	-1.40%	-58.36%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.93%	-9.01%	-5.92%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.23%	2.08%	+9.15%

Volatility

BF-A vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-A) has a higher volatility of 11.12% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 3.58%. This indicates that BF-A's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BF-A	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.12%	3.58%	+7.54%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	30.86%	10.14%	+20.72%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	37.08%	12.89%	+24.19%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.71%	17.18%	+12.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.41%	17.95%	+10.46%

Dividends

BF-A vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

BF-A's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.15%, more than SPY's 1.01% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BF-A Brown-Forman Corporation	3.15%	3.46%	2.33%	1.40%	1.17%	2.55%	0.96%	1.07%	3.11%	1.11%	1.50%	1.17%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	1.01%	1.07%	1.21%	1.40%	1.65%	1.20%	1.52%	1.75%	2.04%	1.80%	2.03%	2.06%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BF-A and SPY in my portfolio?

BF-A and SPY have a correlation of 0.01, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BF-A or SPY?

BF-A has higher volatility (11.12%) compared to SPY (3.58%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BF-A dropped -70.24% vs SPY's -55.19%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.52 vs 0.15), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.