iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF (HEWJ)

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.'

• The total return, or increase in value over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is 28.9%, which is smaller, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (63%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the total return is 29.4%, which is smaller, thus worse than the value of 33.5% from the benchmark.

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.'

• The annual performance (CAGR) over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is 5.2%, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (10.3%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the annual performance (CAGR) is 9%, which is smaller, thus worse than the value of 10.1% 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.'

• Looking at the 30 days standard deviation of 20.5% in the last 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF, we see it is relatively smaller, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (21.6%)
• Looking at 30 days standard deviation in of 22.5% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to SPY (25.1%).

DownVol:

'Downside risk is the financial risk associated with losses. That is, it is the risk of the actual return being below the expected return, or the uncertainty about the magnitude of that difference. 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 Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is 14.9%, which is lower, thus better compared to the benchmark SPY (15.6%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the downside risk is 16%, which is lower, thus better than the value of 18.1% from the benchmark.

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.'

• The risk / return profile (Sharpe) over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is 0.13, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.36) in the same period.
• Compared with SPY (0.3) in the period of the last 3 years, the Sharpe Ratio of 0.29 is smaller, thus worse.

Sortino:

'The Sortino ratio, a variation of the Sharpe ratio only factors in the downside, or negative volatility, rather than the total volatility used in calculating the Sharpe ratio. The theory behind the Sortino variation is that upside volatility is a plus for the investment, and it, therefore, should not be included in the risk calculation. Therefore, the Sortino ratio takes upside volatility out of the equation and uses only the downside standard deviation in its calculation instead of the total standard deviation that is used in calculating the Sharpe ratio.'

• The downside risk / excess return profile over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is 0.18, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.5) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the ratio of annual return and downside deviation is 0.4, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 0.42 from the benchmark.

Ulcer:

'The ulcer index is a stock market risk measure or technical analysis indicator devised by Peter Martin in 1987, and published by him and Byron McCann in their 1989 book The Investors Guide to Fidelity Funds. It's designed as a measure of volatility, but only volatility in the downward direction, i.e. the amount of drawdown or retracement occurring over a period. Other volatility measures like standard deviation treat up and down movement equally, but a trader doesn't mind upward movement, it's the downside that causes stress and stomach ulcers that the index's name suggests.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (8.88 ) in the period of the last 5 years, the Ulcer Index of 8.19 of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is lower, thus better.
• Compared with SPY (11 ) in the period of the last 3 years, the Ulcer Index of 7.54 is lower, thus better.

MaxDD:

'A maximum drawdown is the maximum loss from a peak to a trough of a portfolio, before a new peak is attained. Maximum Drawdown is an indicator of downside risk over a specified time period. It can be used both as a stand-alone measure or as an input into other metrics such as 'Return over Maximum Drawdown' and the Calmar Ratio. Maximum Drawdown is expressed in percentage terms.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (-33.7 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum DrawDown of -31.5 days of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is greater, thus better.
• Compared with SPY (-33.7 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the maximum drop from peak to valley of -31.5 days is greater, thus better.

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.'

• Looking at the maximum days below previous high of 303 days in the last 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF, we see it is relatively greater, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (273 days)
• Compared with SPY (273 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the maximum days under water of 303 days is greater, thus worse.

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.'

• The average time in days below previous high water mark over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF is 107 days, which is greater, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (57 days) in the same period.
• Compared with SPY (73 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the average time in days below previous high water mark of 99 days is larger, thus worse.