IYM vs. ^SP500TR

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

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

IYM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index. It was launched on Jun 20, 2000.

Performance

IYM vs. ^SP500TR - Performance Comparison

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

IYM vs. ^SP500TR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	16.42%	20.41%	-4.54%	12.83%	-9.15%	25.62%	17.87%	19.22%	-16.63%	24.83%
^SP500TR S&P 500 Total Return	-3.64%	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, IYM achieves a 16.42% return, which is significantly higher than ^SP500TR's -3.64% return. Over the past 10 years, IYM has underperformed ^SP500TR with an annualized return of 11.13%, while ^SP500TR has yielded a comparatively higher 14.17% annualized return.

IYM

• 1D: 1.61%
• 1M: -5.46%
• YTD: 16.42%
• 6M: 22.01%
• 1Y: 34.61%
• 3Y*: 12.30%
• 5Y*: 8.93%
• 10Y*: 11.13%

^SP500TR

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -4.34%
• YTD: -3.64%
• 6M: -1.43%
• 1Y: 18.20%
• 3Y*: 18.60%
• 5Y*: 11.96%
• 10Y*: 14.17%

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

Return for Risk

IYM vs. ^SP500TR — Risk / Return Rank

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

IYM

IYM Risk / Return Rank: 79
IYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
IYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
IYM Omega Ratio Rank: 75
IYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
IYM Martin Ratio Rank: 77

^SP500TR

^SP500TR Risk / Return Rank: 72
^SP500TR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
^SP500TR Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
^SP500TR Omega Ratio Rank: 74
^SP500TR Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
^SP500TR Martin Ratio Rank: 83

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.

IYM vs. ^SP500TR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) 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.

	IYM	^SP500TR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.55	1.00	+0.55
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.15	1.52	+0.63
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.23	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.38	1.54	+0.84
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.81	7.32	+1.49
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IYM vs. ^SP500TR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IYM Sharpe Ratio is 1.55, which is higher than the ^SP500TR Sharpe Ratio of 1.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IYM 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

	IYM	^SP500TR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.55	1.00	+0.55
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.44	0.71	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	0.79	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.62	-0.29

Correlation

The correlation between IYM and ^SP500TR is 0.74, 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

IYM vs. ^SP500TR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IYM drawdown since its inception was -67.78%, which is greater than ^SP500TR's maximum drawdown of -55.25%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IYM and ^SP500TR.

Drawdown Indicators

	IYM	^SP500TR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-67.78%	-55.25%	-12.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.54%	-12.12%	-2.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.94%	-24.49%	-5.45%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.76%	-33.79%	-8.97%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.46%	-5.55%	+0.09%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.51%	-8.20%	-3.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.93%	2.55%	+1.38%

Volatility

IYM vs. ^SP500TR - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) has a higher volatility of 7.07% compared to S&P 500 Total Return (^SP500TR) at 5.38%. This indicates that IYM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ^SP500TR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IYM	^SP500TR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.07%	5.38%	+1.69%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.93%	9.55%	+5.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.42%	18.32%	+4.10%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.33%	16.90%	+3.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.66%	18.05%	+3.61%