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EWI vs. SPY
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

EWI vs. SPY

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

EWI (iShares MSCI Italy ETF) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - EWI is a Europe Equities fund tracking the MSCI Italy Index, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, EWI returned 14.81%/yr vs 15.07%/yr for SPY. Their 0.59 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. EWI charges 0.49%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

EWI vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Italy ETF (EWI) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWI achieves a 15.62% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's 10.13% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with EWI having a 14.81% annualized return and SPY not far ahead at 15.07%.

EWI

1D
-0.10%
1M
1.60%
6M
12.41%
YTD
15.62%
1Y
33.05%
3Y*
27.26%
5Y*
17.91%
10Y*
14.81%
ALL TIME*
6.60%

SPY

1D
0.72%
1M
0.30%
6M
8.53%
YTD
10.13%
1Y
21.49%
3Y*
19.32%
5Y*
12.76%
10Y*
15.07%
ALL TIME*
10.79%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

EWI

iShares MSCI Italy ETF
$23.18M$26.44M$25.34M

SPY

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF
$37.27B$35.99B$39.23B

EWI vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
EWI
iShares MSCI Italy ETF		15.62%55.72%10.23%30.63%-14.16%14.38%1.69%26.98%-17.18%28.70%
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF		10.13%17.72%24.89%26.18%-18.18%28.73%18.33%31.22%-4.57%21.71%

Correlation

The correlation between EWI and SPY is 0.67, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.67

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.58

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.65

Correlation (10Y)
Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.

0.65

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 1, 1996

0.59

The correlation between EWI and SPY has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.58 to 0.67 - a consistent structural relationship.

EWI vs. SPY - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
EWI
SPY

Financial Services

50.1%
12.5%

Utilities

18.0%
2.6%

Industrials

10.4%
7.6%

Consumer Cyclical

9.0%
8.9%

Energy

6.6%
3.4%

Communication Services

2.7%
9.7%

Healthcare

1.3%
9.4%

Basic Materials

1.0%
1.9%

Consumer Defensive

0.9%
4.8%

Real Estate

-

2.0%

Technology

-

36.9%

Financial Services

EWI
50.1%
SPY
12.5%

Utilities

EWI
18.0%
SPY
2.6%

Industrials

EWI
10.4%
SPY
7.6%

Consumer Cyclical

EWI
9.0%
SPY
8.9%

Energy

EWI
6.6%
SPY
3.4%

Communication Services

EWI
2.7%
SPY
9.7%

Healthcare

EWI
1.3%
SPY
9.4%

Basic Materials

EWI
1.0%
SPY
1.9%

Consumer Defensive

EWI
0.9%
SPY
4.8%

Real Estate

EWI

-

SPY
2.0%

Technology

EWI

-

SPY
36.9%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares MSCI Italy ETF

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

Often compared with EWI:
EWI vs. EWPEWI vs. EWQEWI vs. VOOEWI vs. FEZEWI vs. QQQEEWI vs. EIRLEWI vs. EDEN
Often compared with SPY:
SPY vs. QQQSPY vs. VOOSPY vs. BRK-BSPY vs. RSPSPY vs. VTISPY vs. SCHDSPY vs. GLD

Return for Risk

EWI vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
EWI
EWI Risk / Return Rank: 7575
Overall Rank
EWI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7777
Sharpe Ratio Rank
EWI Sortino Ratio Rank: 7676
Sortino Ratio Rank
EWI Omega Ratio Rank: 7272
Omega Ratio Rank
EWI Calmar Ratio Rank: 7474
Calmar Ratio Rank
EWI Martin Ratio Rank: 7777
Martin Ratio Rank
SPY
SPY Risk / Return Rank: 6767
Overall Rank
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6767
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 6464
Sortino Ratio Rank
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 6565
Omega Ratio Rank
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 6464
Calmar Ratio Rank
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 7676
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

EWI vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Italy ETF (EWI) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

EWISPYDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.75
1.52

+0.23

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.45
2.11

+0.34

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.30

1.27

+0.03

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.57

2.20

+0.36

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

9.62

9.40

+0.22

EWI vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWI Sharpe Ratio is 1.75, which is comparable to the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 1.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWI and SPY, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

EWI vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWI drawdown since its inception was -70.38%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWI and SPY.

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Drawdown Indicators

EWISPYDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-70.38%

-55.19%

-15.19%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-12.48%

-8.88%

-3.60%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-16.80%

-18.76%

+1.96%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-35.25%

-24.50%

-10.75%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-43.00%

-33.72%

-9.28%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.10%

-1.40%

+1.30%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-28.79%

-9.01%

-19.78%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.32%

2.08%

+1.24%

Volatility

EWI vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI Italy ETF (EWI) has a higher volatility of 5.05% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 3.58%. This indicates that EWI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

EWISPYDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

5.05%

3.58%

+1.47%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

15.63%

10.14%

+5.49%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

18.38%

12.89%

+5.49%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

21.11%

17.18%

+3.93%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

22.51%

17.95%

+4.56%

EWI vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWI has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.

Dividends

EWI vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

EWI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.04%, more than SPY's 1.01% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
EWI
iShares MSCI Italy ETF		3.04%2.80%4.07%3.40%4.57%2.63%1.66%3.80%4.71%2.19%3.64%2.31%
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF		1.01%1.07%1.21%1.40%1.65%1.20%1.52%1.75%2.04%1.80%2.03%2.06%

Frequently Asked Questions

EWI and SPY have a correlation of 0.67, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

EWI has higher volatility (5.05%) compared to SPY (3.58%). In terms of maximum drawdown, EWI dropped -70.38% vs SPY's -55.19%.

On 10-year performance, SPY leads with 15.07% vs 14.81% for EWI. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SPY has been the lower-risk option at 3.58%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, SPY has performed better with a 15.07% return vs 14.81%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.49% for EWI.

EWI has the higher dividend yield at 3.04%, compared with 1.01% for SPY.

EWI is categorized as Europe Equities, while SPY is S&P 500. EWI tracks MSCI Italy Index, while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.49% for EWI and 0.09% for SPY.

EWI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.75 vs 1.52), 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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