NSC vs. SLV
NSC (Norfolk Southern Corporation) is a stock, while SLV (iShares Silver Trust) is Silver fund tracking the LBMA Silver Price. Over the past 10 years, NSC returned 16.30%/yr vs 15.63%/yr for SLV. At a 0.14 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
NSC vs. SLV - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, NSC achieves a 7.33% return, which is significantly higher than SLV's 3.97% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with NSC having a 16.30% annualized return and SLV not far behind at 15.63%.
NSC
- 1D
- 0.68%
- 1M
- -1.61%
- YTD
- 7.33%
- 6M
- 5.00%
- 1Y
- 26.47%
- 3Y*
- 15.23%
- 5Y*
- 4.09%
- 10Y*
- 16.30%
SLV
- 1D
- 1.16%
- 1M
- 1.62%
- YTD
- 3.97%
- 6M
- 29.40%
- 1Y
- 113.72%
- 3Y*
- 45.73%
- 5Y*
- 21.04%
- 10Y*
- 15.63%
NSC vs. SLV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSC Norfolk Southern Corporation | 7.33% | 25.65% | 1.55% | -1.63% | -15.59% | 27.26% | 24.76% | 32.39% | 5.22% | 36.85% |
SLV iShares Silver Trust | 3.97% | 144.66% | 20.89% | -1.09% | 2.37% | -12.45% | 47.30% | 14.88% | -9.19% | 5.82% |
Correlation
The correlation between NSC and SLV is 0.04, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.04 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.12 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.10 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 1, 2006 | 0.14 |
The correlation between NSC and SLV shifts across timeframes, from 0.04 (1 year) to 0.16 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
NSC vs. SLV — Risk / Return Rank
NSC
SLV
NSC vs. SLV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) and iShares Silver Trust (SLV). 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.
| NSC | SLV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.59 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.06 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.27 | 1.36 | -0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.13 | 2.69 | -0.56 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.44 | 5.76 | +0.68 |
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
| NSC | SLV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.35 | 1.94 | -0.59 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.16 | 0.58 | -0.42 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.59 | 0.49 | +0.10 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.42 | 0.25 | +0.17 |
Drawdowns
NSC vs. SLV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum NSC drawdown since its inception was -67.74%, smaller than the maximum SLV drawdown of -76.28%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NSC and SLV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| NSC | SLV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -67.74% | -76.28% | +8.54% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -12.47% | -42.45% | +29.98% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -25.11% | -42.45% | +17.34% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -35.64% | -42.45% | +6.81% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -44.42% | -42.81% | -1.61% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.68% | -36.57% | +30.89% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.14% | -44.67% | +29.53% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.12% | 19.81% | -15.69% |
Volatility
NSC vs. SLV - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) is 7.67%, while iShares Silver Trust (SLV) has a volatility of 16.34%. This indicates that NSC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SLV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| NSC | SLV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.67% | 16.34% | -8.67% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 15.87% | 58.31% | -42.44% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.65% | 58.90% | -39.25% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 25.05% | 36.15% | -11.10% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 27.53% | 31.83% | -4.30% |
Dividends
NSC vs. SLV - Dividend Comparison
NSC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.76%, while SLV has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSC Norfolk Southern Corporation | 1.76% | 1.87% | 2.30% | 2.28% | 2.01% | 1.40% | 1.58% | 1.85% | 2.03% | 1.68% | 2.18% | 2.79% |
SLV iShares Silver Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
NSC and SLV have a correlation of 0.04, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SLV has higher volatility (16.34%) compared to NSC (7.67%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NSC dropped -67.74% vs SLV's -76.28%.
SLV currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.94 vs 1.35), 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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