SLX vs. XBM.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) and iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF (XBM.TO).

SLX and XBM.TO 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. XBM.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Can Natural Resource NR CAD. It was launched on Apr 12, 2011. Both SLX and XBM.TO 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. XBM.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) and iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF (XBM.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SLX vs. XBM.TO - 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%
XBM.TO iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF	9.45%	57.91%	-2.41%	5.19%	-3.25%	33.01%	34.17%	15.42%	-28.42%	41.59%

Different Trading Currencies

SLX is traded in USD, while XBM.TO is traded in CAD. To make them comparable, the XBM.TO values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SLX achieves a 8.19% return, which is significantly lower than XBM.TO's 9.45% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SLX having a 17.78% annualized return and XBM.TO not far behind at 17.72%.

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%

XBM.TO

• 1D: 7.14%
• 1M: -14.87%
• YTD: 9.45%
• 6M: 30.29%
• 1Y: 81.46%
• 3Y*: 17.95%
• 5Y*: 14.63%
• 10Y*: 17.72%

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

SLX vs. XBM.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

XBM.TO

iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF

SLX

VanEck Vectors Steel ETF

Return for Risk

SLX vs. XBM.TO — 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

XBM.TO

XBM.TO Risk / Return Rank: 90
XBM.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
XBM.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
XBM.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 87
XBM.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
XBM.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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. XBM.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) and iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF (XBM.TO). 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	XBM.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.90	2.06	-0.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.55	2.54	0.00
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.35	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.10	3.22	-0.11
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.15	12.16	-2.01
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. XBM.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SLX Sharpe Ratio is 1.90, which is comparable to the XBM.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.06. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SLX and XBM.TO, 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	XBM.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.90	2.06	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.54	0.41	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.57	0.50	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.19	0.11	+0.09

Correlation

The correlation between SLX and XBM.TO is 0.77, 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

SLX vs. XBM.TO - Dividend Comparison

SLX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.43%, more than XBM.TO's 0.77% yield.

	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%
XBM.TO iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF	0.77%	0.86%	1.25%	2.09%	4.83%	3.01%	1.81%	3.71%	3.43%	1.63%	2.42%	5.70%

Drawdowns

SLX vs. XBM.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SLX drawdown since its inception was -82.14%, roughly equal to the maximum XBM.TO drawdown of -78.58%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SLX and XBM.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	SLX	XBM.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.14%	-67.40%	-14.74%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.35%	-23.88%	+7.53%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.62%	-40.57%	+6.95%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-61.64%	-57.24%	-4.40%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.39%	-13.62%	+3.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-39.05%	-26.05%	-13.00%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.00%	6.49%	-1.49%

Volatility

SLX vs. XBM.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) is 9.70%, while iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF (XBM.TO) has a volatility of 16.09%. This indicates that SLX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XBM.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SLX	XBM.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.70%	16.09%	-6.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.90%	29.48%	-11.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.26%	39.76%	-12.50%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.86%	36.12%	-8.26%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	31.36%	35.88%	-4.52%