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IYM vs. IYY
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

IYM vs. IYY

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

IYM (iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF) and IYY (iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IYM is a Materials fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index, while IYY is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IYM returned 10.11%/yr vs 14.60%/yr for IYY. Their 0.75 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. IYM charges 0.42%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for IYY.

Performance

IYM vs. IYY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) and iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF (IYY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IYM achieves a 14.73% return, which is significantly higher than IYY's 10.10% return. Over the past 10 years, IYM has underperformed IYY with an annualized return of 10.11%, while IYY has yielded a comparatively higher 14.60% annualized return.

IYM

1D
-1.96%
1M
-3.54%
6M
3.72%
YTD
14.73%
1Y
28.28%
3Y*
10.20%
5Y*
7.53%
10Y*
10.11%
ALL TIME*
8.27%

IYY

1D
0.66%
1M
0.01%
6M
8.60%
YTD
10.10%
1Y
20.96%
3Y*
18.93%
5Y*
11.85%
10Y*
14.60%
ALL TIME*
8.28%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

IYM

iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF
$17.03M$23.02M$39.39M

IYY

iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF
$6.16M$5.24M$4.18M

IYM vs. IYY - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
IYM
iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF		14.73%20.41%-4.54%12.83%-9.15%25.62%17.87%19.22%-16.63%24.83%
IYY
iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF		10.10%17.08%24.15%26.48%-19.57%26.38%20.10%30.78%-5.16%21.33%

Correlation

The correlation between IYM and IYY is 0.59, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.59

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.64

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.70

Correlation (10Y)
Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.

0.73

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 20, 2000

0.75

The correlation between IYM and IYY shifts across timeframes, from 0.59 (1 year) to 0.75 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

IYM vs. IYY - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
IYM
IYY

Basic Materials

84.7%
2.0%

Industrials

12.0%
8.7%

Consumer Cyclical

3.3%
8.8%

Communication Services

-

8.9%

Consumer Defensive

-

4.5%

Energy

-

3.5%

Financial Services

-

12.4%

Healthcare

-

9.2%

Real Estate

-

2.2%

Technology

-

36.9%

Utilities

-

2.7%

Basic Materials

IYM
84.7%
IYY
2.0%

Industrials

IYM
12.0%
IYY
8.7%

Consumer Cyclical

IYM
3.3%
IYY
8.8%

Communication Services

IYM

-

IYY
8.9%

Consumer Defensive

IYM

-

IYY
4.5%

Energy

IYM

-

IYY
3.5%

Financial Services

IYM

-

IYY
12.4%

Healthcare

IYM

-

IYY
9.2%

Real Estate

IYM

-

IYY
2.2%

Technology

IYM

-

IYY
36.9%

Utilities

IYM

-

IYY
2.7%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF

iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF

Often compared with IYM:
IYM vs. VAWIYM vs. MXIIYM vs. CSDIYM vs. VTIIYM vs. IVVIYM vs. SOXXIYM vs. XLB
Often compared with IYY:
IYY vs. DIAIYY vs. VOOIYY vs. VTIIYY vs. QQQIYY vs. CIND.LIYY vs. SCHBIYY vs. TQQQ

Return for Risk

IYM vs. IYY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
IYM
IYM Risk / Return Rank: 5555
Overall Rank
IYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5757
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 5555
Sortino Ratio Rank
IYM Omega Ratio Rank: 5252
Omega Ratio Rank
IYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 5656
Calmar Ratio Rank
IYM Martin Ratio Rank: 5757
Martin Ratio Rank
IYY
IYY Risk / Return Rank: 6464
Overall Rank
IYY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6363
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IYY Sortino Ratio Rank: 6161
Sortino Ratio Rank
IYY Omega Ratio Rank: 6161
Omega Ratio Rank
IYY Calmar Ratio Rank: 6161
Calmar Ratio Rank
IYY Martin Ratio Rank: 7373
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

IYM vs. IYY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

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

IYMIYYDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.36
1.46

-0.11

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.91
2.04

-0.14

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.23

1.26

-0.03

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.98

2.12

-0.15

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

6.68

9.03

-2.36

IYM vs. IYY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IYM Sharpe Ratio is 1.36, which is comparable to the IYY Sharpe Ratio of 1.46. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IYM and IYY, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

IYM vs. IYY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IYM drawdown since its inception was -67.78%, which is greater than IYY's maximum drawdown of -55.17%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IYM and IYY.

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Drawdown Indicators

IYMIYYDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-67.78%

-55.17%

-12.61%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-13.61%

-8.94%

-4.67%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-23.62%

-19.06%

-4.56%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-29.94%

-25.46%

-4.48%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-42.76%

-34.90%

-7.86%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-7.05%

-1.46%

-5.59%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-11.41%

-10.79%

-0.62%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

4.02%

2.10%

+1.92%

Volatility

IYM vs. IYY - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) has a higher volatility of 5.29% compared to iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF (IYY) at 3.44%. This indicates that IYM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IYY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

IYMIYYDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

5.29%

3.44%

+1.85%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

16.09%

10.20%

+5.89%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

19.88%

12.99%

+6.89%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

20.51%

17.23%

+3.28%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

21.72%

18.16%

+3.56%

IYM vs. IYY - Expense Ratio Comparison

IYM has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is higher than IYY's 0.20% expense ratio.

Dividends

IYM vs. IYY - Dividend Comparison

IYM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.33%, more than IYY's 0.88% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
IYM
iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF		1.33%1.51%1.65%1.77%2.14%1.48%1.39%2.08%1.68%1.43%1.47%2.04%
IYY
iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF		0.88%0.95%1.05%1.29%1.48%1.04%1.31%1.80%1.97%1.62%1.81%1.97%

Frequently Asked Questions

IYM and IYY have a correlation of 0.59, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

IYM has higher volatility (5.29%) compared to IYY (3.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IYM dropped -67.78% vs IYY's -55.17%.

On 10-year performance, IYY leads with 14.60% vs 10.11% for IYM. On fees, IYY is cheaper at 0.20% per year. On volatility, IYY has been the lower-risk option at 3.44%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, IYY has performed better with a 14.60% return vs 10.11%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

IYY is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.42% for IYM.

IYM has the higher dividend yield at 1.33%, compared with 0.88% for IYY.

IYM is categorized as Materials, while IYY is Large Cap Blend Equities. IYM tracks Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index, while IYY tracks Dow Jones U.S. Index. Their fees differ too: 0.42% for IYM and 0.20% for IYY.

IYY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.46 vs 1.36), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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