CNA vs. XLF
CNA (CNA Financial Corporation) is a stock, while XLF (State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF) is Financials Equities fund tracking the Financial Select Sector Index. Over the past 10 years, CNA returned 10.36%/yr vs 12.38%/yr for XLF. A 0.63 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.
Performance
CNA vs. XLF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with CNA having a -6.60% return and XLF slightly lower at -6.64%. Over the past 10 years, CNA has underperformed XLF with an annualized return of 10.36%, while XLF has yielded a comparatively higher 12.38% annualized return.
CNA
- 1D
- -0.78%
- 1M
- -4.17%
- YTD
- -6.60%
- 6M
- -3.09%
- 1Y
- -5.30%
- 3Y*
- 11.87%
- 5Y*
- 5.19%
- 10Y*
- 10.36%
XLF
- 1D
- -1.15%
- 1M
- -1.38%
- YTD
- -6.64%
- 6M
- -4.18%
- 1Y
- 1.13%
- 3Y*
- 17.64%
- 5Y*
- 7.61%
- 10Y*
- 12.38%
CNA vs. XLF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CNA CNA Financial Corporation | -6.60% | 6.96% | 23.96% | 7.14% | 3.82% | 19.07% | -5.42% | 9.47% | -11.12% | 36.94% |
XLF State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | -6.64% | 14.90% | 30.56% | 12.03% | -10.59% | 34.80% | -1.74% | 31.88% | -13.06% | 22.00% |
Correlation
The correlation between CNA and XLF is 0.41, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.41 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.49 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.61 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.64 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 23, 1998 | 0.63 |
Over the past year, the correlation between CNA and XLF has dropped to 0.41 - well below their long-term average of 0.63, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
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Return for Risk
CNA vs. XLF — Risk / Return Rank
CNA
XLF
CNA vs. XLF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for CNA Financial Corporation (CNA) and State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF). 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.
| CNA | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.36 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.45 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.97 | 1.02 | -0.06 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.37 | 0.08 | -0.44 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.85 | 0.20 | -1.05 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| CNA | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.28 | 0.08 | -0.36 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.24 | 0.41 | -0.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.42 | 0.56 | -0.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.15 | 0.20 | -0.05 |
Drawdowns
CNA vs. XLF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum CNA drawdown since its inception was -87.48%, which is greater than XLF's maximum drawdown of -82.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CNA and XLF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| CNA | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -87.48% | -82.69% | -4.79% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.55% | -14.79% | +0.24% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.55% | -15.54% | +0.99% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.67% | -25.81% | +0.14% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.91% | -42.86% | -3.05% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -14.53% | -9.34% | -5.19% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -25.55% | -20.03% | -5.52% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.49% | 5.66% | +0.83% |
Volatility
CNA vs. XLF - Volatility Comparison
CNA Financial Corporation (CNA) has a higher volatility of 5.56% compared to State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) at 3.29%. This indicates that CNA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| CNA | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.56% | 3.29% | +2.27% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.95% | 10.94% | +4.01% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.25% | 14.41% | +4.84% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.44% | 18.63% | +2.81% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 24.93% | 22.16% | +2.77% |
Dividends
CNA vs. XLF - Dividend Comparison
CNA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.26%, more than XLF's 1.56% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CNA CNA Financial Corporation | 9.26% | 8.04% | 7.77% | 6.81% | 8.51% | 5.15% | 8.93% | 7.59% | 7.47% | 5.84% | 7.23% | 8.53% |
XLF State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | 1.56% | 1.31% | 1.42% | 1.71% | 2.04% | 1.63% | 2.03% | 1.87% | 2.08% | 1.48% | 21.10% | 1.95% |
Frequently Asked Questions
CNA and XLF have a correlation of 0.41, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
CNA has higher volatility (5.56%) compared to XLF (3.29%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CNA dropped -87.48% vs XLF's -82.69%.
XLF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.08 vs -0.28), 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.
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