CUT vs. IYM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF (CUT) and iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM).

CUT and IYM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. CUT is a passively managed fund by Invesco that tracks the performance of the Beacon Global Timber Index. It was launched on Nov 9, 2007. IYM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index. It was launched on Jun 20, 2000. Both CUT and IYM are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

CUT vs. IYM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF (CUT) and iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CUT vs. IYM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CUT Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF	-1.41%	-5.92%	1.82%	8.65%	-16.38%	12.29%	18.05%	23.35%	-21.70%	30.41%
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	14.57%	20.41%	-4.54%	12.83%	-9.15%	25.62%	17.87%	19.22%	-16.63%	24.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CUT achieves a -1.41% return, which is significantly lower than IYM's 14.57% return. Over the past 10 years, CUT has underperformed IYM with an annualized return of 4.66%, while IYM has yielded a comparatively higher 10.95% annualized return.

CUT

• 1D: 2.29%
• 1M: -9.49%
• YTD: -1.41%
• 6M: -0.62%
• 1Y: -4.47%
• 3Y*: 1.30%
• 5Y*: -2.30%
• 10Y*: 4.66%

IYM

• 1D: 2.70%
• 1M: -6.45%
• YTD: 14.57%
• 6M: 19.61%
• 1Y: 32.51%
• 3Y*: 11.71%
• 5Y*: 8.58%
• 10Y*: 10.95%

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

CUT vs. IYM - Expense Ratio Comparison

CUT has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than IYM's 0.42% expense ratio.

CUT

Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF

IYM

iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF

Return for Risk

CUT vs. IYM — Risk / Return Rank

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

CUT

CUT Risk / Return Rank: 7
CUT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
CUT Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
CUT Omega Ratio Rank: 7
CUT Calmar Ratio Rank: 7
CUT Martin Ratio Rank: 6

IYM

IYM Risk / Return Rank: 80
IYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
IYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
IYM Omega Ratio Rank: 76
IYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
IYM Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

CUT vs. IYM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF (CUT) and iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM). 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.

	CUT	IYM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.22	1.46	-1.68
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.19	2.05	-2.24
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.98	1.28	-0.30
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.27	2.29	-2.56
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.69	8.49	-9.17
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CUT vs. IYM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CUT Sharpe Ratio is -0.22, which is lower than the IYM Sharpe Ratio of 1.46. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CUT and IYM, 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

	CUT	IYM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.22	1.46	-1.68
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.13	0.42	-0.55
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.23	0.51	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.13	0.33	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between CUT and IYM is 0.77, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

CUT vs. IYM - Dividend Comparison

CUT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.50%, more than IYM's 1.32% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CUT Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF	2.50%	2.46%	3.05%	2.44%	2.58%	1.57%	1.65%	2.67%	3.43%	1.57%	2.08%	1.52%
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	1.32%	1.51%	1.65%	1.77%	2.14%	1.48%	1.39%	2.08%	1.68%	1.43%	1.47%	2.04%

Drawdowns

CUT vs. IYM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CUT drawdown since its inception was -70.03%, roughly equal to the maximum IYM drawdown of -67.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CUT and IYM.

Drawdown Indicators

	CUT	IYM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-70.03%	-67.78%	-2.25%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.98%	-14.54%	-2.44%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.21%	-29.94%	-1.27%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.76%	-42.76%	-3.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-19.60%	-6.96%	-12.64%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.20%	-11.51%	-3.69%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.68%	3.92%	+2.76%

Volatility

CUT vs. IYM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Invesco MSCI Global Timber ETF (CUT) is 6.60%, while iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) has a volatility of 7.53%. This indicates that CUT experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IYM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CUT	IYM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.60%	7.53%	-0.93%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.02%	14.86%	-1.84%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.97%	22.37%	-2.40%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.29%	20.32%	-2.03%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.19%	21.66%	-1.47%