ECNS vs. ASHS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF (ECNS) and Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF (ASHS).

ECNS and ASHS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ECNS is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI China Small Cap Index. It was launched on Sep 28, 2010. ASHS is a passively managed fund by Deutsche Bank that tracks the performance of the CSI 500 Index. It was launched on May 21, 2014. Both ECNS and ASHS 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

ECNS vs. ASHS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF (ECNS) and Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF (ASHS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ECNS vs. ASHS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ECNS iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF	-0.77%	36.49%	5.64%	-23.05%	-24.58%	2.11%	25.42%	7.84%	-18.27%	27.55%
ASHS Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF	4.66%	39.48%	2.68%	-10.03%	-24.78%	17.66%	28.22%	24.53%	-35.91%	7.90%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ECNS achieves a -0.77% return, which is significantly lower than ASHS's 4.66% return. Over the past 10 years, ECNS has outperformed ASHS with an annualized return of 2.22%, while ASHS has yielded a comparatively lower 2.07% annualized return.

ECNS

• 1D: 1.31%
• 1M: -9.47%
• YTD: -0.77%
• 6M: -14.00%
• 1Y: 24.71%
• 3Y*: 4.60%
• 5Y*: -5.59%
• 10Y*: 2.22%

ASHS

• 1D: 0.31%
• 1M: -11.46%
• YTD: 4.66%
• 6M: 7.27%
• 1Y: 40.76%
• 3Y*: 7.63%
• 5Y*: 3.78%
• 10Y*: 2.07%

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

ECNS vs. ASHS - Expense Ratio Comparison

ECNS has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is lower than ASHS's 0.65% expense ratio.

ASHS

Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF

ECNS

iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF

Return for Risk

ECNS vs. ASHS — Risk / Return Rank

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

ECNS

ECNS Risk / Return Rank: 52
ECNS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
ECNS Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
ECNS Omega Ratio Rank: 58
ECNS Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
ECNS Martin Ratio Rank: 35

ASHS

ASHS Risk / Return Rank: 85
ASHS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
ASHS Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
ASHS Omega Ratio Rank: 83
ASHS Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
ASHS Martin Ratio Rank: 87

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.

ECNS vs. ASHS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF (ECNS) and Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF (ASHS). 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.

	ECNS	ASHS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.99	1.70	-0.72
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.38	2.16	-0.78
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.32	-0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.39	2.85	-1.46
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.09	10.16	-7.07
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ECNS vs. ASHS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ECNS Sharpe Ratio is 0.99, which is lower than the ASHS Sharpe Ratio of 1.70. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ECNS and ASHS, 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

	ECNS	ASHS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.99	1.70	-0.72
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.19	0.15	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.09	0.08	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.03	0.17	-0.13

Correlation

The correlation between ECNS and ASHS is 0.63, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

ECNS vs. ASHS - Dividend Comparison

ECNS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.25%, while ASHS has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ECNS iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF	6.25%	6.20%	5.98%	4.89%	3.54%	4.87%	3.59%	3.23%	6.16%	3.18%	4.29%	3.58%
ASHS Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.69%	0.65%	1.90%	0.76%	0.43%	0.57%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	8.34%

Drawdowns

ECNS vs. ASHS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ECNS drawdown since its inception was -63.43%, smaller than the maximum ASHS drawdown of -69.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ECNS and ASHS.

Drawdown Indicators

	ECNS	ASHS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.43%	-69.90%	+6.47%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.93%	-14.03%	-2.90%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-59.61%	-47.81%	-11.80%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-63.43%	-47.81%	-15.62%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-36.12%	-39.59%	+3.47%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-29.32%	-48.78%	+19.46%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.58%	3.93%	+3.65%

Volatility

ECNS vs. ASHS - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF (ECNS) is 7.46%, while Xtrackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap ETF (ASHS) has a volatility of 8.57%. This indicates that ECNS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ASHS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ECNS	ASHS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.46%	8.57%	-1.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.18%	16.21%	-1.03%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	25.22%	24.04%	+1.18%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.43%	26.08%	+3.35%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.05%	25.64%	+0.41%