FXB vs. EWU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust (FXB) and iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU).

FXB and EWU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FXB is a passively managed fund by Invesco that tracks the performance of the British Pound. It was launched on Jun 26, 2006. EWU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI United Kingdom Index. It was launched on Mar 12, 1996. Both FXB and EWU 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

FXB vs. EWU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust (FXB) and iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FXB vs. EWU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FXB Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust	-1.34%	10.37%	1.35%	8.58%	-10.45%	-1.54%	2.87%	3.87%	-5.75%	9.10%
EWU iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF	3.59%	34.95%	6.74%	12.40%	-4.39%	18.19%	-11.80%	21.29%	-14.30%	21.54%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FXB achieves a -1.34% return, which is significantly lower than EWU's 3.59% return. Over the past 10 years, FXB has underperformed EWU with an annualized return of 0.03%, while EWU has yielded a comparatively higher 8.05% annualized return.

FXB

• 1D: 0.37%
• 1M: -1.66%
• YTD: -1.34%
• 6M: -0.54%
• 1Y: 4.79%
• 3Y*: 5.27%
• 5Y*: 0.89%
• 10Y*: 0.03%

EWU

• 1D: 2.52%
• 1M: -6.41%
• YTD: 3.59%
• 6M: 10.65%
• 1Y: 26.48%
• 3Y*: 16.82%
• 5Y*: 11.88%
• 10Y*: 8.05%

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

FXB vs. EWU - Expense Ratio Comparison

FXB has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is lower than EWU's 0.50% expense ratio.

EWU

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF

FXB

Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust

Return for Risk

FXB vs. EWU — Risk / Return Rank

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

FXB

FXB Risk / Return Rank: 34
FXB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 36
FXB Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
FXB Omega Ratio Rank: 29
FXB Calmar Ratio Rank: 40
FXB Martin Ratio Rank: 28

EWU

EWU Risk / Return Rank: 83
EWU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
EWU Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
EWU Omega Ratio Rank: 83
EWU Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
EWU Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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.

FXB vs. EWU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust (FXB) and iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU). 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.

	FXB	EWU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.67	1.59	-0.92
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.01	2.11	-1.10
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	1.32	-0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.02	2.22	-1.20
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.31	9.82	-7.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FXB vs. EWU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FXB Sharpe Ratio is 0.67, which is lower than the EWU Sharpe Ratio of 1.59. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FXB and EWU, 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

	FXB	EWU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.67	1.59	-0.92
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.11	0.74	-0.63
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.00	0.43	-0.43
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.08	0.26	-0.35

Correlation

The correlation between FXB and EWU is 0.50, 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

FXB vs. EWU - Dividend Comparison

FXB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.36%, less than EWU's 3.60% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FXB Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust	2.36%	2.44%	3.25%	2.59%	0.29%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
EWU iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF	3.60%	3.73%	4.16%	4.14%	3.43%	4.35%	2.48%	4.13%	4.98%	3.91%	3.97%	4.11%

Drawdowns

FXB vs. EWU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FXB drawdown since its inception was -48.99%, smaller than the maximum EWU drawdown of -63.99%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FXB and EWU.

Drawdown Indicators

	FXB	EWU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-48.99%	-63.99%	+15.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.53%	-11.75%	+7.22%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.94%	-24.91%	-0.03%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.30%	-43.33%	+14.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-30.77%	-6.41%	-24.36%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-27.52%	-14.23%	-13.29%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.00%	2.66%	-0.66%

Volatility

FXB vs. EWU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Invesco CurrencyShares® British Pound Sterling Trust (FXB) is 2.46%, while iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) has a volatility of 7.05%. This indicates that FXB experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EWU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FXB	EWU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.46%	7.05%	-4.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.70%	10.72%	-6.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.20%	16.70%	-9.50%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.50%	16.25%	-7.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.33%	18.81%	-9.48%