iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain (HEWP)

TotalReturn:

'The total return on a portfolio of investments takes into account not only the capital appreciation on the portfolio, but also the income received on the portfolio. The income typically consists of interest, dividends, and securities lending fees. This contrasts with the price return, which takes into account only the capital gain on an investment.'

• Looking at the total return, or increase in value of -8.8% in the last 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (63%)
• Compared with SPY (33.5%) in the period of the last 3 years, the total return, or increase in value of -15% 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.'

• Looking at the annual performance (CAGR) of -1.9% in the last 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (10.3%)
• Compared with SPY (10.1%) in the period of the last 3 years, the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of -5.7% is lower, thus worse.

Volatility:

'Volatility is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index. Volatility can either be measured by using the standard deviation or variance between returns from that same security or market index. Commonly, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security. In the securities markets, volatility is often associated with big swings in either direction. For example, when the stock market rises and falls more than one percent over a sustained period of time, it is called a 'volatile' market.'

• The volatility over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain is 24.5%, which is higher, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (21.6%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the 30 days standard deviation is 25.6%, which is greater, thus worse than the value of 25.1% from the benchmark.

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.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (15.6%) in the period of the last 5 years, the downside risk of 18.8% of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain is greater, thus worse.
• During the last 3 years, the downside deviation is 19.9%, which is higher, thus worse than the value of 18.1% from the benchmark.

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.'

• The Sharpe Ratio over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain is -0.18, which is smaller, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.36) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the risk / return profile (Sharpe) is -0.32, which is smaller, thus worse than the value of 0.3 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.'

• The excess return divided by the downside deviation over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain is -0.23, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.5) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the downside risk / excess return profile is -0.41, which is smaller, thus worse than the value of 0.42 from the benchmark.

Ulcer:

'Ulcer Index is a method for measuring investment risk that addresses the real concerns of investors, unlike the widely used standard deviation of return. UI is a measure of the depth and duration of drawdowns in prices from earlier highs. Using Ulcer Index instead of standard deviation can lead to very different conclusions about investment risk and risk-adjusted return, especially when evaluating strategies that seek to avoid major declines in portfolio value (market timing, dynamic asset allocation, hedge funds, etc.). The Ulcer Index was originally developed in 1987. Since then, it has been widely recognized and adopted by the investment community. According to Nelson Freeburg, editor of Formula Research, Ulcer Index is “perhaps the most fully realized statistical portrait of risk there is.'

• Looking at the Ulcer Index of 13 in the last 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (8.88 )
• During the last 3 years, the Downside risk index is 13 , which is larger, thus worse than the value of 11 from the benchmark.

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.'

• The maximum reduction from previous high over 5 years of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain is -40.1 days, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (-33.7 days) in the same period.
• Compared with SPY (-33.7 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the maximum drop from peak to valley of -40.1 days is smaller, thus worse.

MaxDuration:

'The Maximum 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. It is the length of time the account was in the Max Drawdown. A Max Drawdown measures a retrenchment from when an equity curve reaches a new high. It’s the maximum an account lost during that retrenchment. This method is applied because a valley can’t be measured until a new high occurs. Once the new high is reached, the percentage change from the old high to the bottom of the largest trough is recorded.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (273 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum days under water of 610 days of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain is larger, thus worse.
• Looking at maximum time in days below previous high water mark in of 426 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to SPY (273 days).

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.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (57 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the average days under water of 230 days of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Spain is higher, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (73 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the average time in days below previous high water mark of 149 days is higher, thus worse.