IAK vs. ^SP500TR

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) and S&P 500 Total Return (^SP500TR).

IAK is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Insurance Index. It was launched on May 5, 2006.

Performance

IAK vs. ^SP500TR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) and S&P 500 Total Return (^SP500TR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IAK vs. ^SP500TR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IAK iShares U.S. Insurance ETF	-4.20%	9.50%	28.25%	11.28%	11.33%	26.84%	-2.86%	25.94%	-11.48%	14.18%
^SP500TR S&P 500 Total Return	-3.53%	17.88%	25.02%	26.29%	-18.11%	28.71%	18.40%	31.49%	-4.38%	21.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IAK achieves a -4.20% return, which is significantly lower than ^SP500TR's -3.53% return. Over the past 10 years, IAK has underperformed ^SP500TR with an annualized return of 12.13%, while ^SP500TR has yielded a comparatively higher 14.22% annualized return.

IAK

• 1D: 0.67%
• 1M: -4.42%
• YTD: -4.20%
• 6M: -1.71%
• 1Y: -4.72%
• 3Y*: 16.56%
• 5Y*: 13.57%
• 10Y*: 12.13%

^SP500TR

• 1D: 0.12%
• 1M: -3.32%
• YTD: -3.53%
• 6M: -1.37%
• 1Y: 17.55%
• 3Y*: 18.50%
• 5Y*: 11.99%
• 10Y*: 14.22%

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

Return for Risk

IAK vs. ^SP500TR — Risk / Return Rank

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

IAK

IAK Risk / Return Rank: 6
IAK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
IAK Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
IAK Omega Ratio Rank: 7
IAK Calmar Ratio Rank: 6
IAK Martin Ratio Rank: 4

^SP500TR

^SP500TR Risk / Return Rank: 68
^SP500TR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
^SP500TR Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
^SP500TR Omega Ratio Rank: 71
^SP500TR Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
^SP500TR Martin Ratio Rank: 79

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.

IAK vs. ^SP500TR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) and S&P 500 Total Return (^SP500TR). 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.

	IAK	^SP500TR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.25	0.96	-1.22
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.22	1.48	-1.70
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.97	1.23	-0.25
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.40	1.51	-1.91
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.98	7.14	-8.11
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IAK vs. ^SP500TR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IAK Sharpe Ratio is -0.25, which is lower than the ^SP500TR Sharpe Ratio of 0.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IAK and ^SP500TR, 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

	IAK	^SP500TR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.25	0.96	-1.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.75	0.71	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	0.79	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	0.62	-0.36

Correlation

The correlation between IAK and ^SP500TR is 0.72, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Drawdowns

IAK vs. ^SP500TR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IAK drawdown since its inception was -77.38%, which is greater than ^SP500TR's maximum drawdown of -55.25%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAK and ^SP500TR.

Drawdown Indicators

	IAK	^SP500TR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-77.38%	-55.25%	-22.13%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.31%	-8.89%	-1.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-14.76%	-24.49%	+9.73%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.95%	-33.79%	-11.16%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.46%	-5.44%	-0.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-16.24%	-8.20%	-8.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.72%	2.57%	+2.15%

Volatility

IAK vs. ^SP500TR - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) is 4.14%, while S&P 500 Total Return (^SP500TR) has a volatility of 5.30%. This indicates that IAK experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ^SP500TR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IAK	^SP500TR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.14%	5.30%	-1.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.49%	9.55%	+0.94%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.69%	18.32%	+0.37%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.07%	16.90%	+1.17%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.88%	18.04%	+2.84%