# How Emerson Electric (EMR) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/emr
> 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 EMR alone. It places EMR (Emerson Electric Co.) 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 EMR stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: EMR's full trading record, from October 1986 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** EMR has outpaced the market, rising 17.9% over the past 3 months against 3.9% for the S&P 500 and 3.2% for the Nasdaq 100. EMR sits 2.1% below its record high, and the S&P 500 is similarly close to its own.
- **Stock or market?:** EMR held up far better than its industry: it rose 17.9% over the past 3 months while the industrial machinery ETF XLI (State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF) fell 6.1%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Last month cut against the tape: EMR rose 5.8% while the S&P 500 fell 0.6%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** Over the past year, EMR rose 25.0% against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100.
- **Long term:** EMR turned $10,000 into $40,900 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500.
- **In a crash:** Across seven sell-offs, EMR has typically fallen 1.2 times as far as the S&P 500. Even so, in the 2022 bear market, EMR held up better than PH (Parker-Hannifin), ITW and KEYS; only HON (Honeywell International) fell less.
- **Diversification:** Against the S&P 500, EMR has a correlation of 0.67 over 5 years, more closely than 97% of stocks worth at least $300 million. Next to an index fund it is more of the same, not a cushion.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** AME (AMETEK) earned more than EMR with less volatility over the past 5 years: 14.4% a year at 22.1% volatility, against 12.7% a year at 27.7%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** GWW (W.W. Grainger, industrial distribution) and PPA (Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF, aerospace & defense) earned more than EMR with less volatility over the past 5 years. GWW returned 26.3% a year at 24.9% volatility, against 12.7% a year at 27.7%.
  - **Versus the S&P 500:** The S&P 500 matched EMR's return over the past 5 years (12.7% a year against 12.7%) with 38% less volatility.

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

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

- $10,000 invested in EMR at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $115,655 by September 2026, less than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Seven of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of EMR, and AME finished highest, at $869,262.

## EMR 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.

- EMR's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 56.1%, from June 2008 to March 2009. It took 19 months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, EMR's best was 2000, when it returned 40.8%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 33.6%. It lost money in eight of those years.
- EMR is 2.1% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Industrials (Industrial - Machinery)
- Trading since: October 17, 1986
- Market value: $90B
- Volatility (5 years): 27.7%; Sharpe ratio: 0.57
- Worst decline ever: −56.1%, from June 5, 2008 to March 9, 2009; back at its high by October 21, 2010

| Period | EMR total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | +5.8% |
| 3 months | +17.9% |
| 6 months | +10.1% |
| year to date | +19.5% |
| 1 year | +25.0% |
| 3 years | +84.9% |
| 5 years | +82.1% |
| 10 years | +309% |

## EMR against the whole market

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

### How does EMR rank among all stocks?

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

- EMR is among the steadier stocks: its price swings rank in the top 18% of the 2,893 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top is the calmest.

| Measure | EMR | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +25.0% | 1,109 of 3,287 (top 34%) |
| 3-year return | +84.9% | 1,074 of 3,017 (top 36%) |
| 5-year return | +82.1% | 804 of 2,893 (top 28%) |
| 10-year return | +309% | 565 of 2,202 (top 26%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 27.7% | 531 of 2,893 (top 19%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.57 | 736 of 2,893 (top 26%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −50.8% | 487 of 2,187 (top 23%) |

### What has beaten EMR 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 85 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than EMR over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 5% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half EMR's swings, CAH has the best return for its risk: 42.1% a year at 24.7% volatility, 11% less than EMR's 27.7%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.55 against 0.57 for EMR.
- Among EMR's popular alternatives, AME is in the region. AME earned 14.4% a year against 12.7% a year for EMR, at 22.1% volatility, 20% less than EMR's 27.7%.

### Is there a better investment than EMR?

The table below lists investments that beat EMR 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 EMR's popular alternatives, AME earned more than EMR with less volatility over the past 5 years: 14.4% a year at 22.1% volatility, against 12.7% a year at 27.7%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, GWW (industrial distribution) and PPA (aerospace & defense) earned more than EMR with less volatility over the past 5 years. GWW returned 26.3% a year at 24.9% volatility, against 12.7% a year at 27.7%.
- The S&P 500 matched EMR's return over the past 5 years (12.7% a year against 12.7%) with 38% less volatility.

The 15 strongest of 168 investments that beat EMR 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 EMR | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EMR: Emerson Electric Co. (this page) |  | +12.7% | 27.7% | 0.57 | −50.8% | +309% |  |  |
| [RY](https://easycompare.io/research/ry): Royal Bank of Canada | Banks | +17.3% | 18.2% | 0.97 | −40.0% | +352% | 0.29 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [ALL](https://easycompare.io/research/all): The Allstate Corporation | Property & Casualty Insurance | +17.0% | 26.2% | 0.73 | −41.4% | +356% | 0.08 | 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% | 0.09 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [PM](https://easycompare.io/research/pm): Philip Morris International Inc. | Tobacco | +21.0% | 23.4% | 0.94 | −42.9% | +242% | 0.26 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [CSCO](https://easycompare.io/research/csco): Cisco Systems, Inc. | Communications Equipment | +16.8% | 26.1% | 0.73 | −42.0% | +374% | 0.47 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [MCK](https://easycompare.io/research/mck): McKesson Corporation | Health Care Distribution | +38.7% | 25.0% | 1.44 | −38.1% | +586% | 0.35 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [GILD](https://easycompare.io/research/gild): Gilead Sciences, Inc. | Biotechnology | +22.8% | 24.9% | 0.95 | −30.5% | +200% | 0.28 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [TD](https://easycompare.io/research/td): The Toronto-Dominion Bank | Banks | +15.8% | 20.0% | 0.84 | −42.0% | +310% | 0.34 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VGT](https://easycompare.io/research/vgt): Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equity | +18.4% | 26.0% | 0.78 | −35.1% | +779% | 0.51 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [MNST](https://easycompare.io/research/mnst): Monster Beverage Corporation | Food & Beverages | +17.2% | 24.9% | 0.77 | −30.4% | +285% | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [IX](https://easycompare.io/research/ix): ORIX Corporation | Diversified Financials | +17.9% | 25.4% | 0.78 | −42.5% | +284% | 0.42 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| SDCI: USCF SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Strategy No K-1 Fund | Bonds | +20.6% | 18.4% | 1.12 | −45.7% | — | 0.23 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| PVAL: Putnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +16.1% | 15.1% | 1.07 | −41.3% | — | 0.71 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [TRV](https://easycompare.io/research/trv): The Travelers Companies, Inc. | Property & Casualty Insurance | +22.4% | 22.3% | 1.02 | −46.3% | +347% | 0.29 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| EWT: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | International Equity | +20.4% | 24.2% | 0.89 | −38.9% | +468% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |

## EMR against its popular alternatives

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

### How do EMR'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 AME were both more rewarding and calmer than EMR over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Over the past 5 years, EMR returned 12.7% a year, more than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (27.7% against 17.1%).

### Has EMR consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

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

- Only one of the 20 popular alternatives, LNG, outperformed EMR in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- ETN, AME and ITT earned more for the risk they took than EMR (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in their worst decline of the past 10 years.
- ETN outperformed EMR over all three long-term periods but in none of the five short-term ones, so EMR has had the better of it lately.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of EMR | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EMR: Emerson Electric Co. (this page) | +25.0% | +84.9% | +82.1% | +309% |  |  | 0.57 |
| [LNG](https://easycompare.io/research/lng): Cheniere Energy, Inc. | +29.3% | +69.8% | +186% | +616% | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.85 |
| [TER](https://easycompare.io/research/ter): Teradyne, Inc. | +142% | +271% | +193% | +1,565% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.67 |
| [KEYS](https://easycompare.io/research/keys): Keysight Technologies, Inc. | +103% | +172% | +91.9% | +923% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.55 |
| [PH](https://easycompare.io/research/ph): Parker-Hannifin Corporation | +28.7% | +161% | +235% | +789% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.99 |
| [ETN](https://easycompare.io/research/etn): Eaton Corporation plc | +2.3% | +104% | +153% | +657% | 0/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.74 |
| ITT: ITT Inc. | +14.6% | +112% | +121% | +539% | 0/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.68 |
| [AME](https://easycompare.io/research/ame): AMETEK, Inc. | +32.8% | +78.1% | +96.1% | +481% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.72 |
| GNRC: Generac Holdings Inc. | −0.6% | +120% | −57.5% | +430% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | -0.04 |
| FLS: Flowserve Corporation | +38.1% | +97.4% | +104% | +94.5% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.57 |
| [XOM](https://easycompare.io/research/xom): Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation | +62.4% | +76.7% | +232% | +214% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 1.04 |
| NOVT: Novanta Inc. | +25.0% | +0.2% | −17.3% | +673% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.12 |
| [LIN](https://easycompare.io/research/lin): Linde plc | +12.7% | +42.4% | +72.6% | +394% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.63 |
| [ROK](https://easycompare.io/research/rok): Rockwell Automation, Inc. | +22.9% | +68.9% | +45.6% | +335% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.40 |
| DOV: Dover Corporation | +17.9% | +51.3% | +24.2% | +320% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.30 |
| PTC: PTC Inc. | −6.1% | +40.4% | +49.3% | +317% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.40 |
| CGNX: Cognex Corporation | +20.8% | +59.1% | −30.8% | +130% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.06 |
| IR: Ingersoll Rand Inc. | +0.3% | +30.4% | +47.6% | — | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.41 |
| [ITW](https://easycompare.io/research/itw): Illinois Tool Works Inc. | +11.7% | +32.1% | +38.4% | +208% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.41 |
| [HON](https://easycompare.io/research/hon): Honeywell International Inc. | +6.8% | +27.0% | +7.5% | +160% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.18 |
| FTV: Fortive Corporation | +18.9% | +11.7% | +6.3% | +98.0% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.18 |

### How did EMR do year by year?

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

- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, EMR finished in the top quarter in four of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in eight. In 2025, it ranked 9 of 21.
- EMR finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 14 of its 29 full calendar years.
- Among its popular alternatives, AME came out ahead of EMR most often, in 20 of the 29 years both traded.

| Year | EMR | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +8.9% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +29.7% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +3.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | +5.7% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +18.2% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +8.6% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +31.6% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −11.9% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +29.1% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +21.0% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How EMR 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 EMR's worst declines?

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

- In all five of EMR's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: EMR fell 40.6% from May 1999 to March 2000, while the S&P 500 rose 4.1%.
- The slowest recovery came after EMR fell 43.6% from December 2000 to October 2002; it did not regain that peak until September 2005, three years later.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −56.1% | June 5, 2008 | March 9, 2009 | October 21, 2010 | −50.7% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −50.8% | January 16, 2020 | March 23, 2020 | November 9, 2020 | −32.2% | Covid crash |
| −43.6% | December 28, 2000 | October 9, 2002 | September 23, 2005 | −40.2% | dot-com bust |
| −40.6% | May 11, 1999 | March 10, 2000 | August 11, 2000 | +4.1% | dot-com bust |
| −35.9% | December 30, 2013 | January 25, 2016 | February 13, 2017 | +6.2% | 2015 China and oil sell-off |

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

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

- EMR fell further than the S&P 500 in seven of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the Covid crash, when EMR fell 47.2% and the S&P 500 fell 33.7%.
- Among its popular alternatives, XOM held up best, falling less than EMR in seven of the ten crashes they both traded through.

| Crash | Dates | EMR fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −43.6% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −56.1% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | 0.0% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −25.8% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −15.9% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −5.9% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −28.8% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −47.2% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −25.4% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −4.3% | −3.4% |

### How closely does EMR 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.

- 14 of the 19 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than EMR's 0.81, led by LNG, KEYS and ETN.
- KEYS took just 71% of the S&P 500's losses, against 153% for EMR, while still keeping 121% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, EMR captured 124% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 153% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 1.39. It amplified the market's moves in both directions.

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

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EMR: Emerson Electric Co. (this page) | 124% | 153% | 1.39 |
| [LNG](https://easycompare.io/research/lng): Cheniere Energy, Inc. | 79.0% | 30.0% | 0.77 |
| [TER](https://easycompare.io/research/ter): Teradyne, Inc. | 167% | 121% | 1.53 |
| [KEYS](https://easycompare.io/research/keys): Keysight Technologies, Inc. | 121% | 71.0% | 1.08 |
| [PH](https://easycompare.io/research/ph): Parker-Hannifin Corporation | 141% | 126% | 1.43 |
| [ETN](https://easycompare.io/research/etn): Eaton Corporation plc | 114% | 80.0% | 1.16 |
| ITT: ITT Inc. | 135% | 138% | 1.42 |
| [AME](https://easycompare.io/research/ame): AMETEK, Inc. | 111% | 101% | 1.15 |
| GNRC: Generac Holdings Inc. | 129% | 133% | 1.45 |
| FLS: Flowserve Corporation | 119% | 188% | 1.49 |
| [XOM](https://easycompare.io/research/xom): Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation | 78.0% | 83.0% | 0.76 |
| NOVT: Novanta Inc. | 155% | 156% | 1.38 |
| [LIN](https://easycompare.io/research/lin): Linde plc | 90.0% | 73.0% | 0.76 |
| [ROK](https://easycompare.io/research/rok): Rockwell Automation, Inc. | 122% | 138% | 1.46 |
| DOV: Dover Corporation | 114% | 133% | 1.27 |
| PTC: PTC Inc. | 105% | 127% | 1.12 |
| CGNX: Cognex Corporation | 126% | 182% | 1.58 |
| [ITW](https://easycompare.io/research/itw): Illinois Tool Works Inc. | 94.0% | 116% | 1.04 |
| [HON](https://easycompare.io/research/hon): Honeywell International Inc. | 90.0% | 118% | 1.00 |
| FTV: Fortive Corporation | 88.0% | 133% | 1.10 |

### What diversifies EMR?

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 EMR into GLD would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 18% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+12.7% for EMR alone, +14.6% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, LVHI, DXJ and SMH have moved largely independently of EMR over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.45 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- Among large stocks, CAH, CLS and MCK have moved largely independently of EMR over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.47 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with EMR | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in EMR's 8 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | 0.45 | +119% | 11.1% | 1.48 | 0 of 8 |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.43 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 2 of 8 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.43 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 2 of 8 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.09 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 2 of 8 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.45 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 2 of 8 |
| EWT: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 0.36 | +153% | 24.2% | 0.89 | 2 of 8 |
| EUFN: iShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF | 0.37 | +133% | 21.8% | 0.89 | 0 of 8 |
| AMLP: Alerian MLP ETF | 0.48 | +111% | 18.9% | 0.89 | 2 of 8 |

## Common questions

### What was EMR's worst drawdown?

EMR's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 56.1%, from June 2008 to March 2009. It took 19 months from the low to climb back to its old high.

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

Over 29 full calendar years, EMR's best year was 2000, when it returned 40.8%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -33.6%.

### Is there a better investment than EMR?

Among EMR's popular alternatives, AME earned more than EMR with less volatility over the past 5 years: 14.4% a year at 22.1% volatility, against 12.7% a year at 27.7%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, GWW (industrial distribution) and PPA (aerospace & defense) earned more than EMR with less volatility over the past 5 years. GWW returned 26.3% a year at 24.9% volatility, against 12.7% a year at 27.7%.

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

Yes. EMR's volatility over the past 5 years was 27.7%, 1.6 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, EMR's return lands within 27.7% 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 EMR's Sharpe ratio?

EMR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.57, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so EMR 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 EMR with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, EMR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.67 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 EMR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a EMR holding.

### What are the best alternatives to EMR?

Of the 20 popular alternatives we compared, one outperformed EMR in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: LNG.

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

EMR finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 14 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +8.9%, against +17.7% for the index.

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

EMR fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in three of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in seven. The clearest case was the Covid crash, when EMR fell 47.2% and the S&P 500 fell 33.7%.

### What diversifies EMR?

These had a low correlation with EMR over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.45), DXJ (correlation 0.43) and SMH (correlation 0.43); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.27), CLS (correlation 0.47) and MCK (correlation 0.35). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [Cheniere Energy (LNG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/lng)
- [Teradyne (TER) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ter)
- [Keysight Technologies (KEYS) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/keys)
- [Parker-Hannifin (PH) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ph)
- [Eaton (ETN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/etn)
- [AMETEK (AME) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ame)
- [Exxonmobil (XOM) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/xom)
- [Linde (LIN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/lin)
- [Rockwell Automation (ROK) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/rok)
- [Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/itw)
- [Honeywell International (HON) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/hon)
- [Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/schd)

## Explore further

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