IYT vs. UNP

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT) and Union Pacific Corporation (UNP).

IYT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Transportation Average Index. It was launched on Oct 10, 2003.

Performance

IYT vs. UNP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT) and Union Pacific Corporation (UNP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IYT vs. UNP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IYT iShares Transportation Average ETF	1.39%	11.48%	4.10%	24.62%	-21.74%	26.41%	14.20%	20.11%	-12.87%	18.89%
UNP Union Pacific Corporation	5.65%	3.86%	-5.10%	21.61%	-15.93%	23.31%	17.64%	33.70%	5.26%	32.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IYT achieves a 1.39% return, which is significantly lower than UNP's 5.65% return. Over the past 10 years, IYT has underperformed UNP with an annualized return of 9.12%, while UNP has yielded a comparatively higher 14.42% annualized return.

IYT

• 1D: 0.90%
• 1M: -7.82%
• YTD: 1.39%
• 6M: 6.28%
• 1Y: 19.03%
• 3Y*: 11.04%
• 5Y*: 4.22%
• 10Y*: 9.12%

UNP

• 1D: 0.21%
• 1M: -8.93%
• YTD: 5.65%
• 6M: 4.72%
• 1Y: 4.93%
• 3Y*: 8.97%
• 5Y*: 4.32%
• 10Y*: 14.42%

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

Return for Risk

IYT vs. UNP — Risk / Return Rank

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

IYT

IYT Risk / Return Rank: 41
IYT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
IYT Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
IYT Omega Ratio Rank: 39
IYT Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
IYT Martin Ratio Rank: 43

UNP

UNP Risk / Return Rank: 46
UNP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
UNP Sortino Ratio Rank: 40
UNP Omega Ratio Rank: 40
UNP Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
UNP Martin Ratio Rank: 51

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.

IYT vs. UNP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT) and Union Pacific Corporation (UNP). 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.

	IYT	UNP	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.73	0.22	+0.52
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.22	0.47	+0.75
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.16	1.06	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.26	0.42	+0.84
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.24	0.90	+3.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IYT vs. UNP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IYT Sharpe Ratio is 0.73, which is higher than the UNP Sharpe Ratio of 0.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IYT and UNP, 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

	IYT	UNP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.73	0.22	+0.52
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.19	0.19	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.57	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.40	0.42	-0.02

Correlation

The correlation between IYT and UNP is 0.76, 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

IYT vs. UNP - Dividend Comparison

IYT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.06%, less than UNP's 2.25% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IYT iShares Transportation Average ETF	1.06%	1.00%	1.08%	1.26%	1.40%	0.77%	0.93%	1.29%	1.35%	0.92%	0.96%	1.28%
UNP Union Pacific Corporation	2.25%	2.35%	2.32%	2.12%	2.45%	1.70%	1.86%	2.05%	2.21%	1.85%	2.17%	2.81%

Drawdowns

IYT vs. UNP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IYT drawdown since its inception was -60.39%, smaller than the maximum UNP drawdown of -67.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IYT and UNP.

Drawdown Indicators

	IYT	UNP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-60.39%	-67.49%	+7.10%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.01%	-12.66%	-2.35%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.15%	-31.83%	+2.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.28%	-38.72%	-2.56%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.32%	-8.93%	+0.61%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.37%	-17.13%	+7.76%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.45%	5.90%	-1.45%

Volatility

IYT vs. UNP - Volatility Comparison

iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT) has a higher volatility of 7.84% compared to Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) at 5.72%. This indicates that IYT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UNP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IYT	UNP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.84%	5.72%	+2.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.66%	14.16%	+0.50%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.03%	22.75%	+3.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.07%	22.30%	-0.23%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.04%	25.18%	-2.14%