VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX)

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 (66.2%) in the period of the last 5 years, the total return, or performance of -6.2% of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is lower, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (47.5%) in the period of the last 3 years, the total return, or performance of 65.4% is greater, thus better.

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 (10.7%) in the period of the last 5 years, the annual performance (CAGR) of -1.3% of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is lower, thus worse.
• Compared with SPY (13.9%) in the period of the last 3 years, the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.3% is higher, thus better.

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.'

• Looking at the volatility of 30.5% in the last 5 years of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF, we see it is relatively higher, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (13.3%)
• Looking at volatility in of 27.9% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively higher, thus worse in comparison to SPY (12.5%).

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.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (14.6%) in the period of the last 5 years, the downside volatility of 30.6% of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is higher, thus worse.
• During the last 3 years, the downside volatility is 29.4%, which is greater, thus worse than the value of 14.2% from the benchmark.

Sharpe:

'The Sharpe ratio was developed by Nobel laureate William F. Sharpe, and is used to help investors understand the return of an investment compared to its risk. The ratio is the average return earned in excess of the risk-free rate per unit of volatility or total risk. Subtracting the risk-free rate from the mean return allows an investor to better isolate the profits associated with risk-taking activities. One intuition of this calculation is that a portfolio engaging in 'zero risk' investments, such as the purchase of U.S. Treasury bills (for which the expected return is the risk-free rate), has a Sharpe ratio of exactly zero. Generally, the greater the value of the Sharpe ratio, the more attractive the risk-adjusted return.'

• The Sharpe Ratio over 5 years of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is -0.12, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.62) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) is 0.57, which is smaller, thus worse than the value of 0.91 from the benchmark.

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 VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is -0.12, which is smaller, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.56) in the same period.
• Compared with SPY (0.8) in the period of the last 3 years, the excess return divided by the downside deviation of 0.54 is lower, thus worse.

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 (3.96 ) in the period of the last 5 years, the Ulcer Index of 28 of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is higher, thus better.
• During the last 3 years, the Ulcer Ratio is 12 , which is larger, thus better than the value of 4.01 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.'

• The maximum reduction from previous high over 5 years of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is -65.3 days, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (-19.3 days) in the same period.
• Looking at maximum drop from peak to valley in of -30.5 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to SPY (-19.3 days).

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.'

• Looking at the maximum time in days below previous high water mark of 836 days in the last 5 years of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (187 days)
• During the last 3 years, the maximum time in days below previous high water mark is 309 days, which is higher, thus worse than the value of 139 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.'

• Compared with the benchmark SPY (41 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the average time in days below previous high water mark of 323 days of VanEck Vectors Steel ETF is higher, thus worse.
• During the last 3 years, the average days under water is 104 days, which is higher, thus worse than the value of 36 days from the benchmark.