SLX vs. PPLT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

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

SLX and PPLT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. 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. Both SLX and PPLT 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

SLX vs. PPLT - Performance Comparison

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

SLX vs. PPLT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
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%
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%

Returns By Period

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

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%

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%

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

SLX vs. PPLT - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

PPLT

Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF

SLX

VanEck Vectors Steel ETF

Return for Risk

SLX vs. PPLT — Risk / Return Rank

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

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

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

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.

SLX vs. PPLT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

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

	SLX	PPLT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.90	1.95	-0.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.55	2.20	+0.34
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.34	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.10	2.85	+0.25
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.15	8.64	+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.

SLX vs. PPLT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

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

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

Correlation

The correlation between SLX and PPLT 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

SLX vs. PPLT - Dividend Comparison

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

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
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%

Drawdowns

SLX vs. PPLT - Drawdown Comparison

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

Drawdown Indicators

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

Volatility

SLX vs. PPLT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) is 9.70%, while Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF (PPLT) has a volatility of 16.06%. This indicates that SLX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PPLT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

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