USD.AX vs. IKO.AX
USD.AX (BetaShares U.S. Dollar ETF) and IKO.AX (iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (AU)) are both Global Equities funds - USD.AX tracks the BetaShares U.S. Dollar Index while IKO.AX tracks the iShares MSCI South Korea Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, USD.AX returned 2.72%/yr vs 14.97%/yr for IKO.AX. At a correlation of -0.17, they often move in opposite directions.
Performance
USD.AX vs. IKO.AX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, USD.AX achieves a -2.48% return, which is significantly lower than IKO.AX's 64.31% return. Over the past 10 years, USD.AX has underperformed IKO.AX with an annualized return of 2.72%, while IKO.AX has yielded a comparatively higher 14.97% annualized return.
USD.AX
- 1D
- -0.07%
- 1M
- 1.54%
- 6M
- -2.68%
- YTD
- -2.48%
- 1Y
- -3.06%
- 3Y*
- 3.39%
- 5Y*
- 4.46%
- 10Y*
- 2.72%
IKO.AX
- 1D
- -7.36%
- 1M
- -17.70%
- 6M
- 49.12%
- YTD
- 64.31%
- 1Y
- 119.84%
- 3Y*
- 37.01%
- 5Y*
- 16.67%
- 10Y*
- 14.97%
USD.AX vs. IKO.AX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USD.AX BetaShares U.S. Dollar ETF | -2.48% | -3.37% | 15.22% | 3.37% | 8.32% | 5.76% | -8.86% | 2.76% | 11.63% | -7.20% |
IKO.AX iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (AU) | 64.31% | 80.87% | -12.63% | 16.96% | -20.13% | -2.25% | 29.64% | 7.29% | -11.42% | 30.24% |
Correlation
The correlation between USD.AX and IKO.AX is -0.39, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.39 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.27 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.26 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.21 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 31, 2011 | -0.17 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between USD.AX and IKO.AX has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.17 to -0.39, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.
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Return for Risk
USD.AX vs. IKO.AX — Risk / Return Rank
USD.AX
IKO.AX
USD.AX vs. IKO.AX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BetaShares U.S. Dollar ETF (USD.AX) and iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (AU) (IKO.AX). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| USD.AX | IKO.AX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.88 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.22 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.95 | 1.40 | -0.45 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.34 | 5.18 | -5.53 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.62 | 15.73 | -16.35 |
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Drawdowns
USD.AX vs. IKO.AX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USD.AX drawdown since its inception was -30.05%, smaller than the maximum IKO.AX drawdown of -57.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USD.AX and IKO.AX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| USD.AX | IKO.AX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.05% | -57.74% | +27.69% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.84% | -22.15% | +12.31% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.54% | -22.15% | +7.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -14.54% | -39.03% | +24.49% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -30.05% | -39.50% | +9.45% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -10.73% | -22.11% | +11.38% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.62% | -17.29% | +7.67% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 5.49% | 7.43% | -1.94% |
Volatility
USD.AX vs. IKO.AX - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for BetaShares U.S. Dollar ETF (USD.AX) is 1.70%, while iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (AU) (IKO.AX) has a volatility of 21.99%. This indicates that USD.AX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IKO.AX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| USD.AX | IKO.AX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.70% | 21.99% | -20.29% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.36% | 42.47% | -35.11% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.46% | 45.53% | -36.07% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.02% | 27.00% | -15.98% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.56% | 23.38% | -12.82% |
Dividends
USD.AX vs. IKO.AX - Dividend Comparison
USD.AX has not paid dividends to shareholders, while IKO.AX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.85%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IKO.AX iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (AU) | 5.85% | 0.93% | 3.03% | 1.08% | 1.86% | 0.87% | 1.84% | 1.44% | 0.00% | 0.75% | 1.85% | 1.07% |
USD.AX BetaShares U.S. Dollar ETF | 0.00% | 2.53% | 3.89% | 3.39% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1.19% | 2.37% | 0.76% | 0.17% | 0.08% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
USD.AX and IKO.AX have a correlation of -0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
USD.AX tracks BetaShares U.S. Dollar Index, while IKO.AX tracks iShares MSCI South Korea Index. They also come from different issuers: BetaShares and iShares.
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