EEMA vs. PHYS
EEMA (iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF) is Asia Pacific Equities fund tracking the MSCI Emerging Markets Asia Index, while PHYS (Sprott Physical Gold Trust) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, EEMA returned 10.34%/yr vs 11.81%/yr for PHYS. At a 0.15 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
EEMA vs. PHYS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, EEMA achieves a 20.60% return, which is significantly higher than PHYS's -1.33% return. Over the past 10 years, EEMA has underperformed PHYS with an annualized return of 10.34%, while PHYS has yielded a comparatively higher 11.81% annualized return.
EEMA
- 1D
- 1.50%
- 1M
- -2.50%
- YTD
- 20.60%
- 6M
- 22.59%
- 1Y
- 44.51%
- 3Y*
- 21.63%
- 5Y*
- 6.17%
- 10Y*
- 10.34%
PHYS
- 1D
- 0.12%
- 1M
- -8.99%
- YTD
- -1.33%
- 6M
- 1.78%
- 1Y
- 28.88%
- 3Y*
- 28.65%
- 5Y*
- 16.73%
- 10Y*
- 11.81%
EEMA vs. PHYS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EEMA iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF | 20.60% | 33.27% | 10.23% | 6.57% | -21.49% | -4.22% | 25.17% | 18.60% | -15.76% | 43.41% |
PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust | -1.33% | 63.95% | 26.43% | 12.98% | -1.81% | -4.84% | 23.89% | 18.14% | -2.64% | 12.78% |
Correlation
The correlation between EEMA and PHYS is 0.31, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.31 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.31 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.28 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 9, 2012 | 0.15 |
The correlation between EEMA and PHYS shifts across timeframes, from 0.15 (all time) to 0.31 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
EEMA vs. PHYS — Risk / Return Rank
EEMA
PHYS
EEMA vs. PHYS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF (EEMA) and Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS). 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.
| EEMA | PHYS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.04 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.32 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.39 | 1.22 | +0.17 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.13 | 1.42 | +1.71 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.60 | 3.57 | +8.03 |
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
| EEMA | PHYS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.09 | 1.05 | +1.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.30 | 0.91 | -0.61 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.50 | 0.73 | -0.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.35 | 0.43 | -0.09 |
Drawdowns
EEMA vs. PHYS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum EEMA drawdown since its inception was -44.18%, smaller than the maximum PHYS drawdown of -48.16%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EEMA and PHYS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| EEMA | PHYS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -44.18% | -48.16% | +3.98% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.30% | -20.50% | +6.20% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -20.23% | -20.50% | +0.27% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -40.46% | -21.80% | -18.66% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -44.18% | -23.75% | -20.43% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.72% | -20.40% | +13.68% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.97% | -21.00% | +7.03% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.85% | 8.10% | -4.25% |
Volatility
EEMA vs. PHYS - Volatility Comparison
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF (EEMA) has a higher volatility of 10.42% compared to Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) at 5.85%. This indicates that EEMA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PHYS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| EEMA | PHYS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.42% | 5.85% | +4.57% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 18.69% | 24.18% | -5.49% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 21.44% | 27.71% | -6.27% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.60% | 18.39% | +2.21% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 20.97% | 16.33% | +4.64% |
Dividends
EEMA vs. PHYS - Dividend Comparison
EEMA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.22%, while PHYS has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EEMA iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF | 1.22% | 1.48% | 1.74% | 2.02% | 1.78% | 2.19% | 1.15% | 1.86% | 2.17% | 1.74% | 1.74% | 2.44% |
PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
EEMA and PHYS have a correlation of 0.31, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
EEMA has higher volatility (10.42%) compared to PHYS (5.85%). In terms of maximum drawdown, EEMA dropped -44.18% vs PHYS's -48.16%.
EEMA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.09 vs 1.05), 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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