Description

The investment seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility (USD) Index. The fund generally will invest at least 90% of its assets in the component securities of the underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of the underlying index. The index measures the combined performance of equity securities in both developed and emerging markets that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility relative to the large- and mid-cap developed and emerging markets.

Statistics (YTD)

What do these metrics mean? [Read More] [Hide]

TotalReturn:

'Total return, when measuring performance, is the actual rate of return of an investment or a pool of investments over a given evaluation period. Total return includes interest, capital gains, dividends and distributions realized over a given period of time. Total return accounts for two categories of return: income including interest paid by fixed-income investments, distributions or dividends and capital appreciation, representing the change in the market price of an asset.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (95%) in the period of the last 5 years, the total return, or performance of 36% of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF is smaller, thus worse.
  • Compared with SPY (86.2%) in the period of the last 3 years, the total return, or performance of 32.7% is smaller, thus worse.

CAGR:

'The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a useful measure of growth over multiple time periods. It can be thought of as the growth rate that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • The annual return (CAGR) over 5 years of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF is 6.4%, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (14.3%) in the same period.
  • During the last 3 years, the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) is 9.9%, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 23.1% from the benchmark.

Volatility:

'In finance, volatility (symbol σ) is the degree of variation of a trading price series over time as measured by the standard deviation of logarithmic returns. Historic volatility measures a time series of past market prices. Implied volatility looks forward in time, being derived from the market price of a market-traded derivative (in particular, an option). Commonly, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • The 30 days standard deviation over 5 years of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF is 10.3%, which is lower, thus better compared to the benchmark SPY (17.1%) in the same period.
  • Looking at volatility in of 8.9% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to SPY (15.3%).

DownVol:

'The downside volatility is similar to the volatility, or standard deviation, but only takes losing/negative periods into account.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Looking at the downside risk of 7.3% in the last 5 years of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (11.8%)
  • Compared with SPY (10.2%) in the period of the last 3 years, the downside volatility of 6.3% is lower, thus better.

Sharpe:

'The Sharpe ratio (also known as the Sharpe index, the Sharpe measure, and the reward-to-variability ratio) is a way to examine the performance of an investment by adjusting for its risk. The ratio measures the excess return (or risk premium) per unit of deviation in an investment asset or a trading strategy, typically referred to as risk, named after William F. Sharpe.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Looking at the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) of 0.38 in the last 5 years of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (0.69)
  • During the last 3 years, the risk / return profile (Sharpe) is 0.83, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 1.35 from the benchmark.

Sortino:

'The Sortino ratio improves upon the Sharpe ratio by isolating downside volatility from total volatility by dividing excess return by the downside deviation. The Sortino ratio is a variation of the Sharpe ratio that differentiates harmful volatility from total overall volatility by using the asset's standard deviation of negative asset returns, called downside deviation. The Sortino ratio takes the asset's return and subtracts the risk-free rate, and then divides that amount by the asset's downside deviation. The ratio was named after Frank A. Sortino.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (1.01) in the period of the last 5 years, the ratio of annual return and downside deviation of 0.53 of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF is lower, thus worse.
  • Looking at excess return divided by the downside deviation in of 1.18 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to SPY (2.03).

Ulcer:

'The Ulcer Index is a technical indicator that measures downside risk, in terms of both the depth and duration of price declines. The index increases in value as the price moves farther away from a recent high and falls as the price rises to new highs. The indicator is usually calculated over a 14-day period, with the Ulcer Index showing the percentage drawdown a trader can expect from the high over that period. The greater the value of the Ulcer Index, the longer it takes for a stock to get back to the former high.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • The Ulcer Index over 5 years of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF is 5.9 , which is lower, thus better compared to the benchmark SPY (8.42 ) in the same period.
  • Looking at Ulcer Ratio in of 2.01 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to SPY (3.51 ).

MaxDD:

'Maximum drawdown is defined as the peak-to-trough decline of an investment during a specific period. It is usually quoted as a percentage of the peak value. The maximum drawdown can be calculated based on absolute returns, in order to identify strategies that suffer less during market downturns, such as low-volatility strategies. However, the maximum drawdown can also be calculated based on returns relative to a benchmark index, for identifying strategies that show steady outperformance over time.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • Looking at the maximum reduction from previous high of -18.1 days in the last 5 years of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (-24.5 days)
  • During the last 3 years, the maximum reduction from previous high is -7.6 days, which is greater, thus better than the value of -18.8 days from the benchmark.

MaxDuration:

'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Max Drawdown Duration is the worst (the maximum/longest) amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs). Many assume Max DD Duration is the length of time between new highs during which the Max DD (magnitude) occurred. But that isn’t always the case. The Max DD duration is the longest time between peaks, period. So it could be the time when the program also had its biggest peak to valley loss (and usually is, because the program needs a long time to recover from the largest loss), but it doesn’t have to be'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (488 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum time in days below previous high water mark of 536 days of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF is larger, thus worse.
  • During the last 3 years, the maximum days below previous high is 97 days, which is larger, thus worse than the value of 87 days from the benchmark.

AveDuration:

'The Average Drawdown Duration is an extension of the Maximum Drawdown. However, this metric does not explain the drawdown in dollars or percentages, rather in days, weeks, or months. The Avg Drawdown Duration is the average amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs), or in other terms the average of time under water of all drawdowns. So in contrast to the Maximum duration it does not measure only one drawdown event but calculates the average of all.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the average days below previous high of 133 days in the last 5 years of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (119 days)
  • During the last 3 years, the average time in days below previous high water mark is 20 days, which is lower, thus better than the value of 21 days from the benchmark.

Performance (YTD)

Historical returns have been extended using synthetic data.

Allocations ()

Allocations

Returns (%)

  • Note that yearly returns do not equal the sum of monthly returns due to compounding.
  • Performance results of iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF are hypothetical and do not account for slippage, fees or taxes.