IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

IUUS.L (iShares S&P 500 Utilities Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)) and SPMD.L (iShares Edge S&P 500 Minimum Volatility UCITS ETF USD (Dist)) are both S&P 500 funds from iShares - IUUS.L tracks the S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Utilities while SPMD.L tracks the S&P 500 Minimum Volatility Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, IUUS.L returned 8.43%/yr vs 8.91%/yr for SPMD.L. A 0.55 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. IUUS.L charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for SPMD.L.

Performance

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares S&P 500 Utilities Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IUUS.L) and iShares Edge S&P 500 Minimum Volatility UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (SPMD.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IUUS.L achieves a 1.37% return, which is significantly lower than SPMD.L's 4.17% return.

IUUS.L

• 1D: -2.15%
• 1M: -6.94%
• YTD: 1.37%
• 6M: -0.09%
• 1Y: 8.47%
• 3Y*: 12.58%
• 5Y*: 8.43%
• 10Y*: —

SPMD.L

• 1D: 0.15%
• 1M: 3.76%
• YTD: 4.17%
• 6M: 5.47%
• 1Y: 11.38%
• 3Y*: 13.82%
• 5Y*: 8.91%
• 10Y*: —

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

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
IUUS.L iShares S&P 500 Utilities Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	1.37%	15.80%	22.91%	-8.06%	2.07%	18.39%	-1.11%	24.68%	8.82%
SPMD.L iShares Edge S&P 500 Minimum Volatility UCITS ETF USD (Dist)	4.17%	11.56%	18.70%	9.87%	-10.96%	24.92%	7.60%	30.93%	-4.56%

Correlation

The correlation between IUUS.L and SPMD.L is 0.34, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.34
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.46
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 26, 2018	0.55

Over the past year, the correlation between IUUS.L and SPMD.L has dropped to 0.34 - well below their long-term average of 0.55, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	IUUS.L	SPMD.L
Utilities	100.0%	2.9%
Basic Materials	-	2.3%
Communication Services	-	6.5%
Consumer Cyclical	-	6.9%
Consumer Defensive	-	10.4%
Energy	-	5.2%
Financial Services	-	17.8%
Healthcare	-	13.3%
Industrials	-	5.7%
Real Estate	-	0.2%
Technology	-	29.0%

Return for Risk

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

IUUS.L

IUUS.L Risk / Return Rank: 19
IUUS.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
IUUS.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
IUUS.L Omega Ratio Rank: 18
IUUS.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 21
IUUS.L Martin Ratio Rank: 19

SPMD.L

SPMD.L Risk / Return Rank: 40
SPMD.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 39
SPMD.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
SPMD.L Omega Ratio Rank: 38
SPMD.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
SPMD.L Martin Ratio Rank: 44

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.

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P 500 Utilities Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IUUS.L) and iShares Edge S&P 500 Minimum Volatility UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (SPMD.L). 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.

	IUUS.L	SPMD.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.59	1.36	-0.77
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.91	2.05	-1.14
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.24	-0.14
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.94	1.82	-0.88
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.01	7.13	-5.11
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IUUS.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.59, which is lower than the SPMD.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.36. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IUUS.L and SPMD.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IUUS.L	SPMD.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.59	1.36	-0.77
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49	0.71	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.71	-0.25

Drawdowns

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IUUS.L drawdown since its inception was -36.26%, which is greater than SPMD.L's maximum drawdown of -33.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IUUS.L and SPMD.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	IUUS.L	SPMD.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.26%	-33.34%	-2.92%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.96%	-6.23%	-2.73%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-18.30%	-12.11%	-6.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.26%	-18.68%	-7.58%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.96%	0.00%	-8.96%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.62%	-4.20%	-2.42%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.20%	1.59%	+2.61%

Volatility

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Volatility Comparison

iShares S&P 500 Utilities Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IUUS.L) has a higher volatility of 4.97% compared to iShares Edge S&P 500 Minimum Volatility UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (SPMD.L) at 2.06%. This indicates that IUUS.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPMD.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IUUS.L	SPMD.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.97%	2.06%	+2.91%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.62%	5.98%	+5.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.27%	8.35%	+5.92%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.05%	12.56%	+4.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.37%	14.63%	+3.74%

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

IUUS.L has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than SPMD.L's 0.20% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

IUUS.L vs. SPMD.L - Dividend Comparison

IUUS.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPMD.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.16%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
IUUS.L iShares S&P 500 Utilities Sector UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SPMD.L iShares Edge S&P 500 Minimum Volatility UCITS ETF USD (Dist)	1.16%	1.15%	1.28%	1.46%	1.35%	1.27%	1.54%	1.52%	1.13%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IUUS.L and SPMD.L in my portfolio?

IUUS.L and SPMD.L have a correlation of 0.34, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, IUUS.L or SPMD.L?

On fees, IUUS.L is cheaper at 0.15% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, IUUS.L or SPMD.L?

IUUS.L is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for SPMD.L.

What is the main difference between IUUS.L and SPMD.L?

IUUS.L tracks S&P 500 Capped 35/20 Utilities, while SPMD.L tracks S&P 500 Minimum Volatility Index. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for IUUS.L and 0.20% for SPMD.L.