DAC vs. NAT

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

DAC (Danaos Corporation) and NAT (Nordic American Tankers Limited) are both stocks. Both operate in the Marine Shipping industry within the Industrials sector. Over the past 10 years, DAC returned 12.43%/yr vs -2.67%/yr for NAT. At a 0.28 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

DAC vs. NAT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Danaos Corporation (DAC) and Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DAC achieves a 38.84% return, which is significantly lower than NAT's 57.07% return. Over the past 10 years, DAC has outperformed NAT with an annualized return of 12.43%, while NAT has yielded a comparatively lower -2.67% annualized return.

DAC

• 1D: 0.17%
• 1M: 8.28%
• YTD: 38.84%
• 6M: 35.39%
• 1Y: 55.90%
• 3Y*: 33.31%
• 5Y*: 20.14%
• 10Y*: 12.43%

NAT

• 1D: -0.57%
• 1M: -9.03%
• YTD: 57.07%
• 6M: 52.53%
• 1Y: 118.64%
• 3Y*: 26.17%
• 5Y*: 17.80%
• 10Y*: -2.67%

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

DAC vs. NAT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DAC Danaos Corporation	38.84%	22.24%	12.41%	47.51%	-26.57%	256.10%	133.44%	-12.57%	-48.28%	-45.28%
NAT Nordic American Tankers Limited	57.07%	54.57%	-33.63%	55.83%	87.90%	-41.48%	-32.82%	156.48%	-13.56%	-68.39%

Correlation

The correlation between DAC and NAT is 0.48, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.48
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.44
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 17, 2006	0.28

Over the past year, DAC and NAT have become more correlated (0.48) than their long-term average of 0.28, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap DAC : $2.35B NAT : $1.11B
EPS DAC : $28.34 NAT : $0.26
PE Ratio DAC : 4.54 NAT : 20.43
PS Ratio DAC : 2.27 NAT : 3.32
PB Ratio DAC : 0.60 NAT : 2.43
Total Revenue (TTM) DAC : $1.04B NAT : $334.09M
Gross Profit (TTM) DAC : $705.76M NAT : $97.31M
EBITDA (TTM) DAC : $739.01M NAT : $132.71M

Return for Risk

DAC vs. NAT — Risk / Return Rank

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

DAC

DAC Risk / Return Rank: 91
DAC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
DAC Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
DAC Omega Ratio Rank: 88
DAC Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
DAC Martin Ratio Rank: 92

NAT

NAT Risk / Return Rank: 94
NAT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
NAT Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
NAT Omega Ratio Rank: 91
NAT Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
NAT Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

DAC vs. NAT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Danaos Corporation (DAC) and Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT). 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.

	DAC	NAT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.62	3.30	-0.68
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.56	3.96	-0.40
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.42	1.47	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.46	6.70	-2.24
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.34	22.33	-7.99
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DAC vs. NAT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DAC Sharpe Ratio is 2.62, which is comparable to the NAT Sharpe Ratio of 3.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DAC and NAT, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DAC	NAT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.62	3.30	-0.68
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.58	0.35	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.19	-0.05	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.03	0.14	-0.17

Drawdowns

DAC vs. NAT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DAC drawdown since its inception was -99.42%, which is greater than NAT's maximum drawdown of -90.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DAC and NAT.

Drawdown Indicators

	DAC	NAT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.42%	-90.20%	-9.22%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.58%	-18.45%	+5.87%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-28.87%	-46.31%	+17.44%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-50.14%	-59.88%	+9.74%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-95.81%	-87.33%	-8.48%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-67.00%	-44.58%	-22.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-80.47%	-44.00%	-36.47%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.91%	5.53%	-1.62%

Volatility

DAC vs. NAT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Danaos Corporation (DAC) is 7.72%, while Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) has a volatility of 9.26%. This indicates that DAC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NAT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DAC	NAT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.72%	9.26%	-1.54%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.63%	27.63%	-11.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.44%	36.21%	-14.77%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	34.69%	51.06%	-16.37%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	65.07%	58.03%	+7.04%

Dividends

DAC vs. NAT - Dividend Comparison

DAC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.76%, less than NAT's 8.97% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DAC Danaos Corporation	2.76%	3.66%	4.06%	4.12%	5.70%	2.01%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
NAT Nordic American Tankers Limited	8.97%	10.47%	16.00%	11.67%	3.59%	3.55%	15.25%	2.03%	8.00%	21.54%	16.31%	8.88%

Financials

DAC vs. NAT - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Danaos Corporation and Nordic American Tankers Limited over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

DAC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Danaos Corporation reported a gross profit of 150.55M and revenue of 253.70M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 59.3%.

NAT - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nordic American Tankers Limited reported a gross profit of 47.64M and revenue of 106.46M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 44.8%.

DAC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Danaos Corporation reported an operating income of 125.20M and revenue of 253.70M, resulting in an operating margin of 49.4%.

NAT - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nordic American Tankers Limited reported an operating income of 38.36M and revenue of 106.46M, resulting in an operating margin of 36.0%.

DAC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Danaos Corporation reported a net income of 140.42M and revenue of 253.70M, resulting in a net margin of 55.4%.

NAT - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nordic American Tankers Limited reported a net income of 46.29M and revenue of 106.46M, resulting in a net margin of 43.5%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both DAC and NAT in my portfolio?

DAC and NAT have a correlation of 0.48, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, DAC or NAT?

NAT has higher volatility (9.26%) compared to DAC (7.72%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DAC dropped -99.42% vs NAT's -90.20%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NAT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.30 vs 2.62), 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.