Description

iShares Trust iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF

Statistics (YTD)

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

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.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • Looking at the total return, or performance of 61.6% in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (123.5%)
  • Compared with SPY (84.1%) in the period of the last 3 years, the total return, or performance of 3.7% is lower, thus worse.

CAGR:

'Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a business and investing specific term for the geometric progression ratio that provides a constant rate of return over the time period. CAGR is not an accounting term, but it is often used to describe some element of the business, for example revenue, units delivered, registered users, etc. CAGR dampens the effect of volatility of periodic returns that can render arithmetic means irrelevant. It is particularly useful to compare growth rates from various data sets of common domain such as revenue growth of companies in the same industry.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (17.5%) in the period of the last 5 years, the annual performance (CAGR) of 10.1% of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF is smaller, thus worse.
  • During the last 3 years, the annual return (CAGR) is 1.2%, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 22.7% from the benchmark.

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.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Looking at the volatility of 15.7% in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (17.2%)
  • Compared with SPY (16%) in the period of the last 3 years, the historical 30 days volatility of 15.1% is smaller, thus better.

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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • The downside deviation over 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF is 10.7%, which is lower, thus better compared to the benchmark SPY (11.7%) in the same period.
  • During the last 3 years, the downside volatility is 10.4%, which is smaller, thus better than the value of 10.5% 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.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (0.88) in the period of the last 5 years, the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) of 0.49 of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF is lower, thus worse.
  • Compared with SPY (1.26) in the period of the last 3 years, the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) of -0.08 is lower, 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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the downside risk / excess return profile of 0.72 in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (1.28)
  • During the last 3 years, the excess return divided by the downside deviation is -0.12, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 1.92 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.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Looking at the Downside risk index of 14 in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF, we see it is relatively higher, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (8.41 )
  • During the last 3 years, the Ulcer Index is 7.84 , which is higher, thus worse than the value of 3.62 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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the maximum DrawDown of -28.1 days in the last 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (-24.5 days)
  • Looking at maximum reduction from previous high in of -15.6 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to SPY (-18.8 days).

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.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • The maximum days below previous high over 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF is 887 days, which is greater, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (488 days) in the same period.
  • During the last 3 years, the maximum days under water is 391 days, which is higher, thus worse than the value of 87 days from the benchmark.

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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • The average days under water over 5 years of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF is 340 days, which is larger, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (121 days) in the same period.
  • Compared with SPY (21 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the average days under water of 133 days is higher, thus worse.

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 MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF are hypothetical and do not account for slippage, fees or taxes.