CSWC vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC).

Performance

CSWC vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CSWC vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CSWC Capital Southwest Corporation	2.75%	14.28%	2.14%	56.10%	-24.63%	57.40%	-1.56%	22.80%	29.52%	9.99%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-4.63%	16.39%	23.31%	24.23%	-19.44%	26.89%	16.26%	28.88%	-6.24%	19.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CSWC achieves a 2.75% return, which is significantly higher than ^GSPC's -4.63% return. Over the past 10 years, CSWC has outperformed ^GSPC with an annualized return of 16.43%, while ^GSPC has yielded a comparatively lower 12.16% annualized return.

CSWC

• 1D: 2.98%
• 1M: 2.34%
• YTD: 2.75%
• 6M: 7.32%
• 1Y: 11.41%
• 3Y*: 20.27%
• 5Y*: 11.43%
• 10Y*: 16.43%

^GSPC

• 1D: 2.91%
• 1M: -5.09%
• YTD: -4.63%
• 6M: -2.39%
• 1Y: 16.33%
• 3Y*: 16.69%
• 5Y*: 10.18%
• 10Y*: 12.16%

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

Return for Risk

CSWC vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

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

CSWC

CSWC Risk / Return Rank: 55
CSWC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
CSWC Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
CSWC Omega Ratio Rank: 52
CSWC Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
CSWC Martin Ratio Rank: 59

^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.

CSWC vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC) 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.

	CSWC	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.46	0.90	-0.43
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.80	1.39	-0.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.21	-0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.56	1.40	-0.84
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.73	6.61	-4.88
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CSWC vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CSWC Sharpe Ratio is 0.46, which is lower than the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 0.90. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CSWC 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

	CSWC	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.46	0.90	-0.43
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.50	0.61	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.60	0.68	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.27	0.46	-0.19

Correlation

The correlation between CSWC and ^GSPC is 0.29, 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

CSWC vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CSWC drawdown since its inception was -77.32%, which is greater than ^GSPC's maximum drawdown of -56.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CSWC and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	CSWC	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-77.32%	-56.78%	-20.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.83%	-12.14%	-7.69%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.66%	-25.43%	-8.23%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-61.15%	-33.92%	-27.23%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.85%	-6.45%	+1.60%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-26.13%	-10.75%	-15.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.47%	2.57%	+3.90%

Volatility

CSWC vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

Capital Southwest Corporation (CSWC) has a higher volatility of 5.89% compared to S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at 5.34%. This indicates that CSWC'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

	CSWC	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.89%	5.34%	+0.55%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.11%	9.54%	+5.57%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.80%	18.33%	+6.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.78%	16.91%	+5.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.33%	18.05%	+9.28%