GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX

Last updated Jul 18, 2026

GEAR.AX (Betashares Geared Australian Equities Complex ETF) and BBUS.AX (BetaShares US Equities Strong Bear Currency Hedged Complex ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GEAR.AX is a Global Equities fund actively managed by BetaShares, while BBUS.AX is a Inverse Equities fund tracking the S&P 500 Total Return Index. GEAR.AX is actively managed, while BBUS.AX is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, GEAR.AX returned 13.45%/yr vs 46.26%/yr for BBUS.AX. At a correlation of -0.69, they often move in opposite directions.

Performance

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a A$10,000 investment in Betashares Geared Australian Equities Complex ETF (GEAR.AX) and BetaShares US Equities Strong Bear Currency Hedged Complex ETF (BBUS.AX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GEAR.AX achieves a 0.21% return, which is significantly higher than BBUS.AX's -15.01% return.

GEAR.AX

• 1D: -1.07%
• 1M: -4.38%
• 6M: -2.86%
• YTD: 0.21%
• 1Y: 2.61%
• 3Y*: 13.45%
• 5Y*: 8.02%
• 10Y*: 10.16%

BBUS.AX

• 1D: 3.84%
• 1M: 3.48%
• 6M: -13.05%
• YTD: -15.01%
• 1Y: 593.29%
• 3Y*: 46.26%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
GEAR.AX Betashares Geared Australian Equities Complex ETF	0.21%	15.80%	13.80%	15.84%	-9.50%	0.45%
BBUS.AX BetaShares US Equities Strong Bear Currency Hedged Complex ETF	-15.01%	527.35%	-34.99%	-36.60%	44.31%	-18.21%

Correlation

The correlation between GEAR.AX and BBUS.AX is -0.58, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.58
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	-0.64
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 9, 2021	-0.69

The correlation between GEAR.AX and BBUS.AX shifts across timeframes, from -0.69 (all time) to -0.58 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX — Risk / Return Rank

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

GEAR.AX

GEAR.AX Risk / Return Rank: 12
GEAR.AX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 12
GEAR.AX Sortino Ratio Rank: 12
GEAR.AX Omega Ratio Rank: 12
GEAR.AX Calmar Ratio Rank: 12
GEAR.AX Martin Ratio Rank: 12

BBUS.AX

BBUS.AX Risk / Return Rank: 84
BBUS.AX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
BBUS.AX Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
BBUS.AX Omega Ratio Rank: 99
BBUS.AX Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
BBUS.AX Martin Ratio Rank: 97

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.

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Betashares Geared Australian Equities Complex ETF (GEAR.AX) and BetaShares US Equities Strong Bear Currency Hedged Complex ETF (BBUS.AX). 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.

	GEAR.AX	BBUS.AX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.10	0.62	-0.52
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.33	37.54	-37.21
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	5.25	-4.21
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.14	16.24	-16.09
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.30	32.22	-31.92

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GEAR.AX Sharpe Ratio is 0.10, which is lower than the BBUS.AX Sharpe Ratio of 0.62. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GEAR.AX and BBUS.AX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GEAR.AX drawdown since its inception was -66.50%, smaller than the maximum BBUS.AX drawdown of -77.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GEAR.AX and BBUS.AX.

Drawdown Indicators

	GEAR.AX	BBUS.AX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-66.50%	-77.93%	+11.43%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.82%	-33.50%	+15.68%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-30.91%	-70.97%	+40.06%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.27%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-66.50%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.38%	-29.37%	+19.99%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.21%	-36.11%	+23.90%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.42%	17.20%	-8.78%

Volatility

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Betashares Geared Australian Equities Complex ETF (GEAR.AX) is 5.05%, while BetaShares US Equities Strong Bear Currency Hedged Complex ETF (BBUS.AX) has a volatility of 7.21%. This indicates that GEAR.AX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BBUS.AX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GEAR.AX	BBUS.AX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.05%	7.21%	-2.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	21.25%	24.68%	-3.43%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	25.86%	881.65%	-855.79%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.71%	404.42%	-374.71%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.91%	404.42%	-371.51%

Dividends

GEAR.AX vs. BBUS.AX - Dividend Comparison

GEAR.AX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.58%, while BBUS.AX has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BBUS.AX BetaShares US Equities Strong Bear Currency Hedged Complex ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	10.40%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
GEAR.AX Betashares Geared Australian Equities Complex ETF	0.58%	1.39%	0.26%	0.92%	8.66%	3.72%	5.62%	6.55%	2.90%	1.64%	1.57%	1.74%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both GEAR.AX and BBUS.AX in my portfolio?

GEAR.AX and BBUS.AX have a correlation of -0.58, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

What is the main difference between GEAR.AX and BBUS.AX?

GEAR.AX is categorized as Global Equities, while BBUS.AX is Inverse Equities.