# How Baker Hughes (BKR) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/bkr
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on BKR alone. It places BKR (Baker Hughes Company) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where BKR stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: BKR's full trading record, from April 1987 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** BKR has gone against the market, falling 5.3% over the past 6 months while the S&P 500 rose 9.1%. Not every peer went the same way. Over the past 6 months, NOV rose 0.4% and LBRT (Liberty Energy) fell 37.1%.
- **Stock or market?:** BKR rose 1.3% over the past 3 months, in line with the oilfield services ETF OIH (VanEck Oil Services ETF), which rose 2.6%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its oilfield services peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: PTEN (Patterson-UTI Energy) rose 16.1%, while FTI (TechnipFMC) fell 4.3%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** Over the past year, BKR rose 22.1% against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. That said, BKR finished behind the S&P 500 in both 2024 and 2025.
- **Long term:** BKR turned $10,000 into $34,800 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500. That said, the past 5 years have been the better stretch: BKR rose 146% against 81.7% for the S&P 500, after trailing over the decade.
- **In a crash:** Across seven sell-offs, BKR has typically fallen 1.8 times as far as the S&P 500. In the 2022 bear market, BKR fell 46.5%, against 24.5% for the S&P 500. That was more than SLB (36.8%) but less than WFRD (Weatherford International, 55.2%).
- **Diversification:** Over 10 years BKR took more of the market's losses than of its gains: in the S&P 500's rising months it gained 1.3 times as much as the index, and in falling months it lost 1.6 times as much, with a beta of 1.37.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** XOM (Exxonmobil) and LNG (Cheniere Energy) earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years. XOM returned 27.1% a year at 26.5% volatility, against 19.7% a year at 34.6%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** E (Eni S.p.A., integrated oil & gas) and SHEL (Shell, integrated oil & gas) earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years. E returned 23.0% a year at 25.6% volatility, against 19.7% a year at 34.6%.
  - **Whole market:** 97 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them LLY (Eli Lilly and Company), WMT (Walmart) and XOM (Exxonmobil).

## How much would $10,000 in BKR have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in BKR over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of BKR over the same span and BKR's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in BKR at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $57,190 by September 2026, less than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Six of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of BKR, and LNG finished highest, at $451,390.

## BKR at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- BKR's deepest decline since it began trading in 1987 was 73.5%, from July 2017 to March 2020. It took 24 months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, BKR's best was 2000, when it returned 102%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 59.9%. It lost money in nine of those years.
- BKR is 19.6% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Energy (Oil & Gas Equipment & Services)
- Trading since: April 6, 1987
- Market value: $55B
- Volatility (5 years): 34.6%; Sharpe ratio: 0.70
- Worst decline ever: −73.5%, from July 7, 2017 to March 23, 2020; back at its high by March 4, 2022

| Period | BKR total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | −3.8% |
| 3 months | +1.3% |
| 6 months | −5.3% |
| year to date | +19.3% |
| 1 year | +22.1% |
| 3 years | +70.1% |
| 5 years | +146% |
| 10 years | +248% |

## BKR against the whole market

Where BKR ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does BKR rank among all stocks?

This section ranks BKR on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- BKR's 5-year return ranks in the top 16% of the 2,893 stocks worth at least $300 million with 5 years of history.

| Measure | BKR | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +22.1% | 1,181 of 3,287 (top 36%) |
| 3-year return | +70.1% | 1,251 of 3,017 (top 42%) |
| 5-year return | +146% | 464 of 2,893 (top 17%) |
| 10-year return | +248% | 712 of 2,202 (top 33%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 34.6% | 1,112 of 2,893 (top 39%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.70 | 467 of 2,893 (top 17%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −73.5% | 1,411 of 2,187 (top 65%) |

### What has beaten BKR on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- 83 stocks and 14 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than BKR over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 3% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half BKR's swings, CAH has the best return for its risk: 42.1% a year at 24.7% volatility, 29% less than BKR's 34.6%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.55 against 0.70 for BKR. HWM earned the most, 47.3% a year, while still swinging less than BKR (32.5% against 34.6%).
- Among BKR's popular alternatives, XOM and LNG are in the region. XOM earned 27.1% a year against 19.7% a year for BKR, at 26.5% volatility, 23% less than BKR's 34.6%.

### Is there a better investment than BKR?

The table below lists investments that beat BKR over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes.

- Among BKR's popular alternatives, XOM and LNG earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years. XOM returned 27.1% a year at 26.5% volatility, against 19.7% a year at 34.6%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, E (integrated oil & gas) and SHEL (integrated oil & gas) earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years. E returned 23.0% a year at 25.6% volatility, against 19.7% a year at 34.6%.
- Across the whole market, 97 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them LLY, WMT and XOM.

The 15 strongest of 97 investments that beat BKR over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with BKR | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BKR: Baker Hughes Company (this page) |  | +19.7% | 34.6% | 0.70 | −73.5% | +248% |  |  |
| [CAH](https://easycompare.io/research/cah): Cardinal Health, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +42.1% | 24.7% | 1.55 | −46.1% | +349% | 0.09 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [LLY](https://easycompare.io/research/lly): Eli Lilly and Company | Pharmaceuticals | +40.7% | 32.8% | 1.21 | −34.5% | +1,807% | -0.10 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [ABBV](https://easycompare.io/research/abbv): AbbVie Inc. | Pharmaceuticals | +26.1% | 23.4% | 1.11 | −45.1% | +603% | 0.17 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [HSBC](https://easycompare.io/research/hsbc): HSBC Holdings plc | Banks | +33.1% | 25.9% | 1.24 | −62.3% | +319% | 0.43 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | International Equity | +26.6% | 19.1% | 1.34 | −39.1% | +428% | 0.35 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [PM](https://easycompare.io/research/pm): Philip Morris International Inc. | Tobacco | +21.0% | 23.4% | 0.94 | −42.9% | +242% | 0.28 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [MCK](https://easycompare.io/research/mck): McKesson Corporation | Health Care Distribution | +38.7% | 25.0% | 1.44 | −38.1% | +586% | 0.38 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [APH](https://easycompare.io/research/aph): Amphenol Corporation | Electronic Components | +33.8% | 32.2% | 1.07 | −37.5% | +965% | 0.14 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [PGR](https://easycompare.io/research/pgr): The Progressive Corporation | Property & Casualty Insurance | +21.3% | 25.6% | 0.89 | −30.3% | +816% | 0.17 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [BNY](https://easycompare.io/research/bny): Bank of New York Mellon Corp | Banks | +22.7% | 24.4% | 0.97 | −50.5% | +341% | 0.48 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [TRV](https://easycompare.io/research/trv): The Travelers Companies, Inc. | Property & Casualty Insurance | +22.4% | 22.3% | 1.02 | −46.3% | +347% | 0.44 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [COR](https://easycompare.io/research/cor): Cencora, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +24.2% | 22.8% | 1.07 | −32.4% | +406% | 0.43 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [GWW](https://easycompare.io/research/gww): W.W. Grainger, Inc. | Industrial Distribution | +26.3% | 24.9% | 1.07 | −41.6% | +654% | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| CBOE: Cboe Global Markets, Inc. | Capital Markets | +21.5% | 25.1% | 0.91 | −43.2% | +463% | 0.23 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| RS: Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. | Metals & Mining | +24.8% | 28.1% | 0.93 | −40.8% | +626% | 0.35 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |

## BKR against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against BKR, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do BKR's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- Only XOM and LNG were both more rewarding and calmer than BKR over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- 12 of the 21 popular alternatives earned less than BKR over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Over the past 5 years, BKR returned 19.8% a year, more than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (34.6% against 17.1%).

### Has BKR consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares BKR with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Six of the 22 popular alternatives, led by LNG, XOM and FET, outperformed BKR in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- XOM, KMI and LNG earned more for the risk they took than BKR (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in their worst decline of the past 10 years.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of BKR | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BKR: Baker Hughes Company (this page) | +22.1% | +70.1% | +146% | +248% |  |  | 0.70 |
| [LNG](https://easycompare.io/research/lng): Cheniere Energy, Inc. | +29.3% | +69.8% | +186% | +616% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.85 |
| [XOM](https://easycompare.io/research/xom): Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation | +62.4% | +76.7% | +232% | +214% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 1.04 |
| FET: Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. | +196% | +266% | +242% | −80.4% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.74 |
| OII: Oceaneering International, Inc. | +87.1% | +76.8% | +184% | +66.9% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.67 |
| FTI: TechnipFMC plc | +89.4% | +241% | +769% | +178% | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 1.26 |
| WTTR: Select Water Solutions, Inc. | +68.6% | +170% | +211% | — | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.71 |
| [KMI](https://easycompare.io/research/kmi): Kinder Morgan, Inc. | +26.9% | +129% | +136% | +163% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.88 |
| WFRD: Weatherford International plc | +23.7% | −12.0% | +195% | — | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.69 |
| [CVX](https://easycompare.io/research/cvx): Chevron Corporation | +51.9% | +53.4% | +144% | +238% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.84 |
| PTEN: Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. | +110% | −4.2% | +44.3% | −40.4% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.41 |
| HP: Helmerich & Payne, Inc. | +66.7% | +1.9% | +33.1% | −8.6% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.36 |
| [SLB](https://easycompare.io/research/slb): Slb N.V. | +53.2% | −7.2% | +60.7% | −21.3% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.44 |
| WHD: Cactus, Inc. | +69.4% | +28.0% | +46.0% | — | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.39 |
| RES: RPC, Inc. | +43.6% | −23.8% | +25.7% | −60.8% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.34 |
| NBR: Nabors Industries Ltd. | +95.1% | −32.7% | −36.4% | −86.6% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.19 |
| HAL: Halliburton Company | +51.5% | −14.7% | +39.8% | −17.1% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.37 |
| NOV: NOV Inc. | +51.9% | +1.8% | +35.1% | −42.2% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.35 |
| OIS: Oil States International, Inc. | +39.6% | +8.8% | +19.6% | −73.8% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.35 |
| [GEV](https://easycompare.io/research/gev): GE Vernova Inc. | +50.1% | — | — | — | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | — |
| PUMP: ProPetro Holding Corp. | +31.8% | −28.6% | −25.6% | — | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.20 |
| CLB: Core Laboratories N.V. | −14.8% | −56.2% | −65.6% | −89.5% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.14 |
| LBRT: Liberty Energy Inc. | +6.2% | −15.7% | +14.7% | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.33 |

### How did BKR do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where BKR ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- BKR finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 14 of its 29 full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last three.
- Among its popular alternatives, WHD came out ahead of BKR most often, in four of the seven years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, BKR finished in the top quarter in seven of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in five. In 2025, it ranked 6 of 23.

| Year | BKR | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +13.4% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +23.2% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +18.6% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | +26.0% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +19.0% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | −15.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +23.0% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −30.4% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +25.1% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +43.7% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How BKR has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were BKR's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- In all three of BKR's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: BKR fell 73.5% from July 2017 to March 2020, while the S&P 500 slipped only 2.9%.
- The slowest recovery came after BKR fell 73.2% from October 2007 to December 2008; it did not regain that peak until July 2017, nine years later.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −73.5% | July 7, 2017 | March 23, 2020 | March 4, 2022 | −2.9% | late-2018 sell-off |
| −73.2% | October 16, 2007 | December 4, 2008 | July 5, 2017 | −43.4% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −67.9% | November 5, 1997 | December 18, 1998 | September 20, 2004 | +27.8% |  |
| −57.0% | July 17, 1987 | November 30, 1987 | November 15, 1989 | — |  |
| −48.8% | August 2, 1990 | April 1, 1992 | March 14, 1996 | — |  |

### How did BKR do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far BKR, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- BKR fell further than the S&P 500 in nine of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2011 euro debt crisis, when BKR fell 44.2% and the S&P 500 fell 17.9%.
- Among its popular alternatives, XOM held up best, falling less than BKR in all ten crashes they both traded through.

| Crash | Dates | BKR fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −47.8% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −73.2% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −3.4% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −44.2% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −33.1% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −14.6% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −39.0% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −55.2% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −46.5% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −10.5% | −3.4% |

### How closely does BKR move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- FTI took just 137% of the S&P 500's losses, against 160% for BKR, while still keeping 109% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, BKR captured 127% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 160% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 1.37. It amplified the market's moves in both directions.
- Five of the 16 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than BKR's 0.79, led by LNG, XOM and CVX.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BKR: Baker Hughes Company (this page) | 127% | 160% | 1.37 |
| [LNG](https://easycompare.io/research/lng): Cheniere Energy, Inc. | 79.0% | 30.0% | 0.77 |
| [XOM](https://easycompare.io/research/xom): Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation | 78.0% | 83.0% | 0.76 |
| FET: Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. | 118% | 323% | 2.31 |
| OII: Oceaneering International, Inc. | 162% | 272% | 2.29 |
| FTI: TechnipFMC plc | 109% | 137% | 1.45 |
| [KMI](https://easycompare.io/research/kmi): Kinder Morgan, Inc. | 68.0% | 82.0% | 0.82 |
| [CVX](https://easycompare.io/research/cvx): Chevron Corporation | 86.0% | 94.0% | 0.89 |
| PTEN: Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. | 113% | 248% | 1.89 |
| HP: Helmerich & Payne, Inc. | 108% | 214% | 1.43 |
| [SLB](https://easycompare.io/research/slb): Slb N.V. | 104% | 212% | 1.54 |
| RES: RPC, Inc. | 56.0% | 172% | 1.38 |
| NBR: Nabors Industries Ltd. | 125% | 357% | 2.28 |
| HAL: Halliburton Company | 113% | 225% | 1.75 |
| NOV: NOV Inc. | 96.0% | 220% | 1.59 |
| OIS: Oil States International, Inc. | 134% | 338% | 2.46 |
| CLB: Core Laboratories N.V. | 95.0% | 329% | 2.14 |

### What diversifies BKR?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in BKR into CAH would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 18% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+20.0% for BKR alone, +25.3% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, SMH and DBEF have moved largely independently of BKR over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.41 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- CAH made money in five of the nine calendar years in which BKR lost money.

| Investment | Correlation with BKR | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in BKR's 9 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.35 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 3 of 9 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.15 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 3 of 9 |
| DBEF: Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF | 0.41 | +85.0% | 13.8% | 0.96 | 3 of 9 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.30 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 4 of 9 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.28 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 1 of 9 |
| VLUE: iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF | 0.48 | +109% | 18.4% | 0.90 | 0 of 9 |
| EWT: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 0.23 | +153% | 24.2% | 0.89 | 3 of 9 |
| EUFN: iShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF | 0.42 | +133% | 21.8% | 0.89 | 1 of 9 |

## Common questions

### What was BKR's worst drawdown?

BKR's deepest decline since it began trading in 1987 was 73.5%, from July 2017 to March 2020. It took 24 months from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were BKR's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, BKR's best year was 2000, when it returned 102%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -59.9%.

### Is there a better investment than BKR?

Among BKR's popular alternatives, XOM and LNG earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years. XOM returned 27.1% a year at 26.5% volatility, against 19.7% a year at 34.6%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, E (integrated oil & gas) and SHEL (integrated oil & gas) earned more than BKR with less volatility over the past 5 years. E returned 23.0% a year at 25.6% volatility, against 19.7% a year at 34.6%.

### Is BKR more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. BKR's volatility over the past 5 years was 34.6%, about twice the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, BKR's return lands within 34.6% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is BKR's Sharpe ratio?

BKR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.70, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so BKR earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is BKR with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, BKR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.43 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against BKR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a BKR holding.

### What are the best alternatives to BKR?

Of the 22 popular alternatives we compared, six outperformed BKR in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: LNG, XOM and FET.

### Did BKR outperform the S&P 500?

BKR finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 14 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +13.4%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did BKR do in stock market crashes?

BKR fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in none of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in nine. The clearest case was the 2011 euro debt crisis, when BKR fell 44.2% and the S&P 500 fell 17.9%.

### What diversifies BKR?

These had a low correlation with BKR over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.35), SMH (correlation 0.15) and DBEF (correlation 0.41); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.09), CLS (correlation 0.34) and FIX (correlation 0.31). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

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## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/bkr
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against BKR live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=BKR&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research