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EWT vs. IAK
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

EWT vs. IAK

Last updated Aug 4, 2026
Documentation

EWT (iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF) and IAK (iShares U.S. Insurance ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - EWT is a Taiwan Equities fund tracking the MSCI Taiwan 25/50 Index, while IAK is a Financials Equities fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Insurance Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, EWT returned 17.92%/yr vs 13.18%/yr for IAK. Their 0.43 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. EWT charges 0.59%/yr vs 0.38%/yr for IAK.

Performance

EWT vs. IAK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (EWT) and iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWT achieves a 54.23% return, which is significantly higher than IAK's 10.11% return. Over the past 10 years, EWT has outperformed IAK with an annualized return of 17.92%, while IAK has yielded a comparatively lower 13.18% annualized return.

EWT

1D
1.48%
1M
-6.56%
6M
42.12%
YTD
54.23%
1Y
75.51%
3Y*
36.58%
5Y*
16.78%
10Y*
17.92%
ALL TIME*
7.06%

IAK

1D
0.03%
1M
-0.03%
6M
12.56%
YTD
10.11%
1Y
19.67%
3Y*
19.67%
5Y*
15.99%
10Y*
13.18%
ALL TIME*
7.39%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

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

EWT

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF
$570.84M$674.34M$671.50M

IAK

iShares U.S. Insurance ETF
$15.27M$20.59M$12.29M

EWT vs. IAK - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
EWT
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF		54.23%28.38%16.11%29.00%-28.90%26.18%31.50%33.36%-9.90%26.81%
IAK
iShares U.S. Insurance ETF		10.11%9.50%28.25%11.28%11.33%26.84%-2.86%25.94%-11.48%14.18%

Correlation

The correlation between EWT and IAK is -0.24, meaning they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. This relationship can weaken or reverse as market conditions change.

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

-0.24

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

-0.02

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

0.17

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

0.28

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since May 5, 2006

0.43

The correlation between EWT and IAK shifts across timeframes, from -0.24 (1 year) to 0.43 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

EWT vs. IAK - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
EWT
IAK

Technology

71.6%

-

Financial Services

14.6%
99.3%

Industrials

4.3%

-

Basic Materials

3.9%

-

Communication Services

1.8%

-

Healthcare

1.3%
0.7%

Consumer Defensive

1.1%

-

Consumer Cyclical

0.4%

-

Energy

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Utilities

-

-

Technology

EWT
71.6%
IAK

-

Financial Services

EWT
14.6%
IAK
99.3%

Industrials

EWT
4.3%
IAK

-

Basic Materials

EWT
3.9%
IAK

-

Communication Services

EWT
1.8%
IAK

-

Healthcare

EWT
1.3%
IAK
0.7%

Consumer Defensive

EWT
1.1%
IAK

-

Consumer Cyclical

EWT
0.4%
IAK

-

Energy

EWT

-

IAK

-

Real Estate

EWT

-

IAK

-

Utilities

EWT

-

IAK

-

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 Taiwan ETF

iShares U.S. Insurance ETF

Often compared with EWT:
EWT vs. EWYEWT vs. FLTWEWT vs. VTEWT vs. QQQEWT vs. EWSEWT vs. EWHEWT vs. EWX
Often compared with IAK:
IAK vs. KIEIAK vs. KBWPIAK vs. IHEIAK vs. DIVBIAK vs. INFLIAK vs. ^SP500TRIAK vs. VYM

Return for Risk

EWT vs. IAK — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
EWT
EWT Risk / Return Rank: 8989
Overall Rank
EWT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9292
Sharpe Ratio Rank
EWT Sortino Ratio Rank: 8686
Sortino Ratio Rank
EWT Omega Ratio Rank: 8888
Omega Ratio Rank
EWT Calmar Ratio Rank: 8989
Calmar Ratio Rank
EWT Martin Ratio Rank: 9191
Martin Ratio Rank
IAK
IAK Risk / Return Rank: 5454
Overall Rank
IAK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4949
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IAK Sortino Ratio Rank: 4949
Sortino Ratio Rank
IAK Omega Ratio Rank: 4747
Omega Ratio Rank
IAK Calmar Ratio Rank: 7272
Calmar Ratio Rank
IAK Martin Ratio Rank: 5252
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.

EWT vs. IAK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (EWT) and iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK). 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.

EWTIAKDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.46
1.24

+1.23

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.94
1.81

+1.13

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.40

1.22

+0.18

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.83

2.59

+1.23

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

15.47

6.29

+9.17

EWT vs. IAK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWT Sharpe Ratio is 2.46, which is higher than the IAK Sharpe Ratio of 1.24. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWT and IAK, 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

EWT vs. IAK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWT drawdown since its inception was -64.37%, smaller than the maximum IAK drawdown of -77.38%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWT and IAK.

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Drawdown Indicators

EWTIAKDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-64.37%

-77.38%

+13.01%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-19.83%

-7.62%

-12.21%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-25.66%

-11.58%

-14.08%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-38.88%

-14.76%

-24.12%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-38.88%

-44.95%

+6.07%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-12.15%

-3.20%

-8.95%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-19.09%

-16.01%

-3.08%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

4.90%

3.13%

+1.77%

Volatility

EWT vs. IAK - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (EWT) has a higher volatility of 13.53% compared to iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) at 6.56%. This indicates that EWT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

EWTIAKDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

13.53%

6.56%

+6.97%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

27.44%

12.42%

+15.02%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

30.86%

15.99%

+14.87%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

23.96%

18.13%

+5.83%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

22.20%

20.92%

+1.28%

EWT vs. IAK - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWT has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is higher than IAK's 0.38% expense ratio.

Dividends

EWT vs. IAK - Dividend Comparison

EWT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.87%, more than IAK's 2.42% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
EWT
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF		2.87%4.43%3.32%12.01%18.82%0.55%1.83%2.49%3.16%2.81%2.39%3.12%
IAK
iShares U.S. Insurance ETF		2.42%1.69%1.49%1.44%1.69%2.26%2.07%1.84%2.33%1.62%1.68%1.62%

Frequently Asked Questions

EWT and IAK have a correlation of -0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

EWT has higher volatility (13.53%) compared to IAK (6.56%). In terms of maximum drawdown, EWT dropped -64.37% vs IAK's -77.38%.

On 10-year performance, EWT leads with 17.92% vs 13.18% for IAK. On fees, IAK is cheaper at 0.38% per year. On volatility, IAK has been the lower-risk option at 6.56%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, EWT has performed better with a 17.92% return vs 13.18%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

IAK is cheaper with a 0.38% expense ratio, compared with 0.59% for EWT.

EWT has the higher dividend yield at 2.87%, compared with 2.42% for IAK.

EWT is categorized as Taiwan Equities, while IAK is Financials Equities. EWT tracks MSCI Taiwan 25/50 Index, while IAK tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Insurance Index. Their fees differ too: 0.59% for EWT and 0.38% for IAK.

EWT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.46 vs 1.24), 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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