EWK vs. EWUS

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI Belgium ETF (EWK) and iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS).

EWK and EWUS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EWK is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Belgium Investable Market Index. It was launched on Mar 12, 1996. EWUS is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI United Kingdom Small Cap Index. It was launched on Jan 25, 2012. Both EWK and EWUS 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

EWK vs. EWUS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Belgium ETF (EWK) and iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWK vs. EWUS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EWK iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	1.68%	35.38%	0.14%	7.47%	-13.98%	12.84%	0.04%	25.92%	-20.40%	23.70%
EWUS iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF	-3.67%	25.13%	3.55%	15.41%	-31.19%	12.55%	-2.58%	35.16%	-20.16%	32.17%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWK achieves a 1.68% return, which is significantly higher than EWUS's -3.67% return. Over the past 10 years, EWK has outperformed EWUS with an annualized return of 6.00%, while EWUS has yielded a comparatively lower 3.74% annualized return.

EWK

• 1D: 1.64%
• 1M: -5.03%
• YTD: 1.68%
• 6M: 5.18%
• 1Y: 28.29%
• 3Y*: 11.94%
• 5Y*: 6.33%
• 10Y*: 6.00%

EWUS

• 1D: 2.18%
• 1M: -7.86%
• YTD: -3.67%
• 6M: -0.55%
• 1Y: 20.33%
• 3Y*: 11.47%
• 5Y*: 0.35%
• 10Y*: 3.74%

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

EWK vs. EWUS - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWK has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is lower than EWUS's 0.59% expense ratio.

EWUS

iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF

EWK

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF

Return for Risk

EWK vs. EWUS — Risk / Return Rank

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

EWK

EWK Risk / Return Rank: 77
EWK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
EWK Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
EWK Omega Ratio Rank: 83
EWK Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
EWK Martin Ratio Rank: 67

EWUS

EWUS Risk / Return Rank: 53
EWUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
EWUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
EWUS Omega Ratio Rank: 53
EWUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
EWUS Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

EWK vs. EWUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Belgium ETF (EWK) and iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS). 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.

	EWK	EWUS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.77	1.09	+0.68
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.38	1.54	+0.84
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.21	+0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.79	1.33	+0.46
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.28	5.06	+2.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWK vs. EWUS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWK Sharpe Ratio is 1.77, which is higher than the EWUS Sharpe Ratio of 1.09. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWK and EWUS, 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

	EWK	EWUS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.77	1.09	+0.68
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.36	0.02	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.32	0.17	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	0.29	-0.04

Correlation

The correlation between EWK and EWUS is 0.65, 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

EWK vs. EWUS - Dividend Comparison

EWK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.71%, less than EWUS's 3.73% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWK iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	1.71%	1.73%	3.25%	2.09%	2.58%	3.64%	1.66%	2.77%	2.78%	2.91%	1.75%	2.06%
EWUS iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF	3.73%	3.59%	3.67%	2.88%	2.03%	3.54%	1.97%	2.59%	3.53%	2.61%	3.18%	2.85%

Drawdowns

EWK vs. EWUS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWK drawdown since its inception was -74.10%, which is greater than EWUS's maximum drawdown of -49.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWK and EWUS.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWK	EWUS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-74.10%	-49.33%	-24.77%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.47%	-15.21%	-0.26%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.22%	-48.14%	+12.92%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.80%	-49.33%	+6.53%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.08%	-10.46%	+0.38%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.63%	-13.17%	-8.46%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.80%	4.00%	-0.20%

Volatility

EWK vs. EWUS - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF (EWK) and iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small-Cap ETF (EWUS) have volatilities of 7.57% and 7.43%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWK	EWUS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.57%	7.43%	+0.14%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.86%	12.25%	-1.39%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.03%	18.66%	-2.63%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.67%	20.84%	-3.17%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.95%	22.45%	-3.50%