iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund (EWH)

TotalReturn:

'Total return is the amount of value an investor earns from a security over a specific period, typically one year, when all distributions are reinvested. Total return is expressed as a percentage of the amount invested. For example, a total return of 20% means the security increased by 20% of its original value due to a price increase, distribution of dividends (if a stock), coupons (if a bond) or capital gains (if a fund). Total return is a strong measure of an investment’s overall performance.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (96.4%) in the period of the last 5 years, the total return, or performance of -19.3% of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund is lower, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (28.9%) in the period of the last 3 years, the total return, or increase in value of -19.7% is lower, thus worse.

CAGR:

'The compound annual growth rate isn't a true return rate, but rather a representational figure. It is essentially a number that describes the rate at which an investment would have grown if it had grown the same rate every year and the profits were reinvested at the end of each year. In reality, this sort of performance is unlikely. However, CAGR can be used to smooth returns so that they may be more easily understood when compared to alternative investments.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (14.5%) in the period of the last 5 years, the annual return (CAGR) of -4.2% of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund is smaller, thus worse.
• During the last 3 years, the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) is -7.1%, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 8.9% from the benchmark.

Volatility:

'Volatility is a rate at which the price of a security increases or decreases for a given set of returns. Volatility is measured by calculating the standard deviation of the annualized returns over a given period of time. It shows the range to which the price of a security may increase or decrease. Volatility measures the risk of a security. It is used in option pricing formula to gauge the fluctuations in the returns of the underlying assets. Volatility indicates the pricing behavior of the security and helps estimate the fluctuations that may happen in a short period of time.'

• The volatility over 5 years of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund is 22.4%, which is greater, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (21%) in the same period.
• Compared with SPY (17.5%) in the period of the last 3 years, the historical 30 days volatility of 21.6% is larger, thus worse.

DownVol:

'Risk measures typically quantify the downside risk, whereas the standard deviation (an example of a deviation risk measure) measures both the upside and downside risk. Specifically, downside risk in our definition is the semi-deviation, that is the standard deviation of all negative returns.'

• The downside deviation over 5 years of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund is 15.9%, which is higher, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (15%) in the same period.
• Compared with SPY (12.3%) in the period of the last 3 years, the downside deviation of 14.8% is higher, thus worse.

Sharpe:

'The Sharpe ratio is the measure of risk-adjusted return of a financial portfolio. Sharpe ratio is a measure of excess portfolio return over the risk-free rate relative to its standard deviation. Normally, the 90-day Treasury bill rate is taken as the proxy for risk-free rate. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe ratio is considered superior relative to its peers. The measure was named after William F Sharpe, a Nobel laureate and professor of finance, emeritus at Stanford University.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (0.57) in the period of the last 5 years, the Sharpe Ratio of -0.3 of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund is lower, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (0.36) in the period of the last 3 years, the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) of -0.44 is lower, thus worse.

Sortino:

'The Sortino ratio measures the risk-adjusted return of an investment asset, portfolio, or strategy. It is a modification of the Sharpe ratio but penalizes only those returns falling below a user-specified target or required rate of return, while the Sharpe ratio penalizes both upside and downside volatility equally. Though both ratios measure an investment's risk-adjusted return, they do so in significantly different ways that will frequently lead to differing conclusions as to the true nature of the investment's return-generating efficiency. The Sortino ratio is used as a way to compare the risk-adjusted performance of programs with differing risk and return profiles. In general, risk-adjusted returns seek to normalize the risk across programs and then see which has the higher return unit per risk.'

• Looking at the excess return divided by the downside deviation of -0.42 in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (0.8)
• Compared with SPY (0.52) in the period of the last 3 years, the excess return divided by the downside deviation of -0.65 is lower, thus worse.

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.'

• Looking at the Ulcer Index of 24 in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (9.33 )
• During the last 3 years, the Ulcer Ratio is 22 , which is larger, thus worse than the value of 10 from the benchmark.

MaxDD:

'Maximum drawdown measures the loss in any losing period during a fund’s investment record. It is defined as the percent retrenchment from a fund’s peak value to the fund’s valley value. The drawdown is in effect from the time the fund’s retrenchment begins until a new fund high is reached. The maximum drawdown encompasses both the period from the fund’s peak to the fund’s valley (length), and the time from the fund’s valley to a new fund high (recovery). It measures the largest percentage drawdown that has occurred in any fund’s data record.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (-33.7 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum reduction from previous high of -42.7 days of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund is smaller, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (-24.5 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the maximum DrawDown of -36.3 days is lower, thus worse.

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) in days.'

• The maximum days under water over 5 years of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund is 903 days, which is greater, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (488 days) in the same period.
• Looking at maximum days under water in of 721 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively higher, thus worse in comparison to SPY (488 days).

AveDuration:

'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. 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.'

• Looking at the average time in days below previous high water mark of 355 days in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (122 days)
• During the last 3 years, the average time in days below previous high water mark is 350 days, which is higher, thus worse than the value of 177 days from the benchmark.