PPLT vs. SLX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF (PPLT) and VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX).

PPLT and SLX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PPLT is a passively managed fund by Aberdeen that tracks the performance of the Platinum London PM Fix ($/ozt). It was launched on Jan 8, 2010. SLX is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the NYSE Arca Steel Index. It was launched on Oct 16, 2006. Both PPLT and SLX are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

PPLT vs. SLX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF (PPLT) and VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PPLT vs. SLX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PPLT Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF	-4.40%	124.48%	-8.90%	-8.18%	10.43%	-10.75%	10.78%	20.85%	-14.95%	2.38%
SLX VanEck Vectors Steel ETF	8.19%	47.45%	-17.94%	31.25%	14.28%	27.69%	20.57%	12.01%	-19.27%	24.59%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PPLT achieves a -4.40% return, which is significantly lower than SLX's 8.19% return. Over the past 10 years, PPLT has underperformed SLX with an annualized return of 6.81%, while SLX has yielded a comparatively higher 17.78% annualized return.

PPLT

• 1D: 3.49%
• 1M: -17.00%
• YTD: -4.40%
• 6M: 24.74%
• 1Y: 95.06%
• 3Y*: 24.69%
• 5Y*: 9.44%
• 10Y*: 6.81%

SLX

• 1D: 3.72%
• 1M: -9.17%
• YTD: 8.19%
• 6M: 28.67%
• 1Y: 51.64%
• 3Y*: 15.96%
• 5Y*: 15.05%
• 10Y*: 17.78%

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

PPLT vs. SLX - Expense Ratio Comparison

PPLT has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than SLX's 0.56% expense ratio.

PPLT

Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF

SLX

VanEck Vectors Steel ETF

Return for Risk

PPLT vs. SLX — Risk / Return Rank

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

PPLT

PPLT Risk / Return Rank: 87
PPLT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
PPLT Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
PPLT Omega Ratio Rank: 86
PPLT Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
PPLT Martin Ratio Rank: 82

SLX

SLX Risk / Return Rank: 89
SLX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
SLX Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
SLX Omega Ratio Rank: 86
SLX Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
SLX Martin Ratio Rank: 87

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.

PPLT vs. SLX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF (PPLT) and VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX). 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.

	PPLT	SLX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.95	1.90	+0.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.20	2.55	-0.34
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.34	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.85	3.10	-0.25
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.64	10.15	-1.52
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PPLT vs. SLX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PPLT Sharpe Ratio is 1.95, which is comparable to the SLX Sharpe Ratio of 1.90. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PPLT and SLX, 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

	PPLT	SLX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.95	1.90	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.30	0.54	-0.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.24	0.57	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.03	0.19	-0.17

Correlation

The correlation between PPLT and SLX is 0.35, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

PPLT vs. SLX - Dividend Comparison

PPLT has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SLX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.43%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PPLT Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SLX VanEck Vectors Steel ETF	1.43%	1.55%	3.56%	2.80%	4.97%	7.07%	1.87%	3.44%	6.26%	2.50%	1.06%	5.35%

Drawdowns

PPLT vs. SLX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PPLT drawdown since its inception was -70.73%, smaller than the maximum SLX drawdown of -82.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PPLT and SLX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PPLT	SLX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-70.73%	-82.14%	+11.41%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-34.41%	-16.35%	-18.06%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-34.74%	-33.62%	-1.12%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.14%	-61.64%	+10.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-29.34%	-10.39%	-18.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-40.08%	-39.05%	-1.03%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.36%	5.00%	+6.36%

Volatility

PPLT vs. SLX - Volatility Comparison

Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF (PPLT) has a higher volatility of 16.06% compared to VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) at 9.70%. This indicates that PPLT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SLX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PPLT	SLX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	16.06%	9.70%	+6.36%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	44.64%	17.90%	+26.74%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	49.13%	27.26%	+21.87%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	32.03%	27.86%	+4.17%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.73%	31.36%	-2.63%