IAK vs. XLF
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF).
IAK and XLF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. XLF is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Financial Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both IAK and XLF 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
IAK vs. XLF - Performance Comparison
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IAK vs. XLF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAK iShares U.S. Insurance ETF | -4.32% | 9.50% | 28.25% | 11.28% | 11.33% | 26.84% | -2.86% | 25.94% | -11.48% | 14.18% |
XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund | -9.40% | 14.90% | 30.56% | 12.03% | -10.59% | 34.80% | -1.74% | 31.88% | -13.06% | 22.00% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IAK achieves a -4.32% return, which is significantly higher than XLF's -9.40% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with IAK having a 12.01% annualized return and XLF not far ahead at 12.44%.
IAK
- 1D
- 0.63%
- 1M
- -4.62%
- YTD
- -4.32%
- 6M
- -2.34%
- 1Y
- -4.39%
- 3Y*
- 16.73%
- 5Y*
- 13.54%
- 10Y*
- 12.01%
XLF
- 1D
- 2.09%
- 1M
- -3.51%
- YTD
- -9.40%
- 6M
- -7.56%
- 1Y
- 0.65%
- 3Y*
- 17.25%
- 5Y*
- 9.34%
- 10Y*
- 12.44%
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IAK vs. XLF - Expense Ratio Comparison
IAK has a 0.43% expense ratio, which is higher than XLF's 0.13% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
IAK vs. XLF — Risk / Return Rank
IAK
XLF
IAK vs. XLF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF). 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 | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.24 | 0.03 | -0.27 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.20 | 0.18 | -0.37 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.97 | 1.02 | -0.05 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.28 | 0.13 | -0.41 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.69 | 0.38 | -1.08 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| IAK | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.24 | 0.03 | -0.27 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.75 | 0.50 | +0.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.58 | 0.56 | +0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.26 | 0.20 | +0.06 |
Correlation
The correlation between IAK and XLF is 0.84, 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.
Dividends
IAK vs. XLF - Dividend Comparison
IAK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.75%, more than XLF's 1.60% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAK iShares U.S. Insurance ETF | 2.75% | 1.69% | 1.49% | 1.44% | 1.69% | 2.26% | 2.07% | 1.84% | 2.33% | 1.62% | 1.68% | 1.62% |
XLF Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund | 1.60% | 1.31% | 1.42% | 1.71% | 2.04% | 1.63% | 2.03% | 1.87% | 2.08% | 1.48% | 21.10% | 1.95% |
Drawdowns
IAK vs. XLF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAK drawdown since its inception was -77.38%, smaller than the maximum XLF drawdown of -82.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAK and XLF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAK | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -77.38% | -82.69% | +5.31% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.58% | -14.79% | +3.21% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -14.76% | -25.81% | +11.05% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -44.95% | -42.86% | -2.09% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.59% | -12.01% | +6.42% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -16.25% | -20.10% | +3.85% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.69% | 4.90% | -0.21% |
Volatility
IAK vs. XLF - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) is 4.07%, while Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) has a volatility of 4.75%. This indicates that IAK experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XLF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IAK | XLF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.07% | 4.75% | -0.68% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 10.50% | 11.45% | -0.95% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 18.72% | 19.29% | -0.57% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.07% | 18.69% | -0.62% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 20.89% | 22.19% | -1.30% |