# How General Motors (GM) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/gm
> 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 GM alone. It places GM (General Motors Company) against 16 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 GM stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: GM's full trading record, from November 2010 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** Over the past 6 months, GM fell 3.9% while the S&P 500 rose 9.1%. Not every peer went the same way. Over the past 6 months, HMC (Honda Motor) rose 35.1% and RIVN (Rivian Automotive) fell 26.5%.
- **Stock or market?:** GM rose 1.9% over the past 3 months, in line with the consumer discretionary sector ETF XLY (State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF), which rose 1.0%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its automobile peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: HMC (Honda Motor) rose 21.6%, while RIVN (Rivian Automotive) fell 27.9%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** GM has run far ahead of the market, rising 34.0% over the past year against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. The same gap shows up over 3 years (168% against 89.3%). GM lagged its automobile peers in 2023, then moved up the pack in 2025.
- **Long term:** GM turned $10,000 into $29,300 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500. On the flip side, over the past decade, only TSLA (Tesla) and RACE (Ferrari) of its automobile peers outpaced GM.
- **In a crash:** GM fell harder than the S&P 500 in four of five sell-offs. The late-2018 sell-off was the exception: GM fell 14.9%, less than the S&P 500's 19.3%. Even so, in the 2022 bear market, GM fell 53.0%, against 24.5% for the S&P 500. That was more than TSLA (Tesla, 45.4%) but less than F (Ford Motor, 55.6%).
- **Diversification:** Against the S&P 500, GM has a correlation of 0.65 over 5 years, more closely than 96% of stocks worth at least $300 million. Next to an index fund it is more of the same, not a cushion.
- **Better options**
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** ALSN (Allison Transmission, auto parts) and NEU (NewMarket, specialty chemicals) earned more than GM with less volatility over the past 5 years. ALSN returned 27.3% a year at 29.9% volatility, against 6.9% a year at 36.7%.
  - **Versus the S&P 500:** Simply owning the S&P 500 would have done better over the past 5 years: 12.7% a year at 17.1% volatility, against 6.9% at 36.7% for GM.
  - **Whole market:** 978 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than GM with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them AAPL (Apple), GOOG (Alphabet) and MSFT (Microsoft).

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

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in GM over the past 15 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of GM over the same span and GM's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in GM at the end of September 2011 would have grown to $51,470 by September 2026, less than the $87,526 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of GM, and TSLA finished highest, at $2,176,702.

## GM 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.

- GM's deepest decline since it began trading in 2010 was 59.9%, from October 2017 to March 2020. It took eight months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 15 full calendar years, GM's best was 2025, when it returned 54.2%, and its worst was 2011, when it lost 45.0%. It lost money in four of those years.
- GM is 14.4% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Consumer Discretionary (Auto - Manufacturers)
- Trading since: November 18, 2010
- Market value: $68B
- Volatility (5 years): 36.7%; Sharpe ratio: 0.36
- Worst decline ever: −59.9%, from October 24, 2017 to March 18, 2020; back at its high by November 16, 2020

| Period | GM total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | −8.2% |
| 3 months | +1.9% |
| 6 months | −3.9% |
| year to date | −4.2% |
| 1 year | +34.0% |
| 3 years | +168% |
| 5 years | +39.5% |
| 10 years | +193% |

## GM against the whole market

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

### How does GM rank among all stocks?

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

- GM's 3-year return ranks in the top 17% of the 3,017 stocks worth at least $300 million with 3 years of history.

| Measure | GM | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +34.0% | 873 of 3,287 (top 27%) |
| 3-year return | +168% | 499 of 3,017 (top 17%) |
| 5-year return | +39.5% | 1,220 of 2,893 (top 43%) |
| 10-year return | +193% | 894 of 2,202 (top 41%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 36.7% | 1,251 of 2,893 (top 44%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.36 | 1,346 of 2,893 (top 47%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −59.9% | 872 of 2,187 (top 40%) |

### What has beaten GM 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).

- 492 stocks and 486 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than GM over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 27% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half GM's swings, CAH has the best return for its risk: 42.1% a year at 24.7% volatility, 33% less than GM's 36.7%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.55 against 0.36 for GM. MPC earned the most, 51.2% a year, while still swinging less than GM (33.4% against 36.7%).
- Among GM's popular alternatives, RACE and BWA are in the region. RACE earned 13.3% a year against 6.9% a year for GM, at 30.0% volatility, 18% less than GM's 36.7%.

### Is there a better investment than GM?

The table below lists investments that beat GM 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 GM's popular alternatives, RACE and BWA earned more than GM with less volatility over the past 5 years. RACE returned 13.3% a year at 30.0% volatility, against 6.9% a year at 36.7%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, ALSN (auto parts) and NEU (specialty chemicals) earned more than GM with less volatility over the past 5 years. ALSN returned 27.3% a year at 29.9% volatility, against 6.9% a year at 36.7%.
- Simply owning the S&P 500 would have done better over the past 5 years: 12.7% a year at 17.1% volatility, against 6.9% at 36.7% for GM.

The 15 strongest of 978 investments that beat GM 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 GM | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GM: General Motors Company (this page) |  | +6.9% | 36.7% | 0.36 | −59.9% | +193% |  |  |
| [LLY](https://easycompare.io/research/lly): Eli Lilly and Company | Pharmaceuticals | +40.7% | 32.8% | 1.21 | −34.5% | +1,807% | 0.04 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | Food & Beverages | +14.7% | 16.8% | 0.91 | −37.0% | +204% | 0.10 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [MRK](https://easycompare.io/research/mrk): Merck & Co., Inc. | Pharmaceuticals | +16.3% | 24.8% | 0.74 | −43.4% | +241% | 0.09 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [CME](https://easycompare.io/research/cme): CME Group Inc. | Capital Markets | +11.2% | 20.8% | 0.62 | −37.4% | +319% | 0.20 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [RSG](https://easycompare.io/research/rsg): Republic Services, Inc. | Environmental Services | +13.9% | 18.5% | 0.80 | −34.0% | +446% | 0.17 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [RY](https://easycompare.io/research/ry): Royal Bank of Canada | Banks | +17.3% | 18.2% | 0.97 | −40.0% | +352% | 0.48 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [ORLY](https://easycompare.io/research/orly): O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. | Specialty Retail | +15.9% | 23.4% | 0.75 | −42.0% | +393% | 0.18 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [CCEP](https://easycompare.io/research/ccep): Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC | Food & Beverages | +19.7% | 23.2% | 0.90 | −48.8% | +292% | 0.24 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [AJG](https://easycompare.io/research/ajg): Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | Insurance | +10.9% | 24.2% | 0.55 | −44.4% | +516% | 0.19 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [GRMN](https://easycompare.io/research/grmn): Garmin Ltd. | Computer Hardware | +14.8% | 31.6% | 0.59 | −54.6% | +670% | 0.37 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [CAH](https://easycompare.io/research/cah): Cardinal Health, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +42.1% | 24.7% | 1.55 | −46.1% | +349% | 0.31 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [AAPL](https://easycompare.io/research/aapl): Apple Inc. | Computer Hardware | +18.5% | 28.0% | 0.75 | −38.5% | +1,168% | 0.52 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [MSFT](https://easycompare.io/research/msft): Microsoft Corporation | Software | +12.5% | 28.2% | 0.56 | −37.1% | +946% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VTI](https://easycompare.io/research/vti): Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | US Total Market | +11.5% | 17.5% | 0.71 | −35.0% | +302% | 0.66 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VOO](https://easycompare.io/research/voo): Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | US Large-Cap Equity | +12.8% | 16.9% | 0.80 | −34.0% | +324% | 0.65 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |

## GM against its popular alternatives

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

### How do GM'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 RACE and BWA were both more rewarding and calmer than GM over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Nine of the 15 popular alternatives earned less than GM over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Over the past 5 years, GM returned 6.9% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (36.7% against 17.1%).

### Has GM consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares GM 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 16 popular alternatives, RACE, outperformed GM in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- RACE earned more for the risk it took than GM (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in its worst decline of the past 10 years.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of GM | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GM: General Motors Company (this page) | +34.0% | +168% | +39.5% | +193% |  |  | 0.36 |
| [RACE](https://easycompare.io/research/race): Ferrari N.V. | +1.6% | +36.1% | +86.6% | +711% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.57 |
| BWA: BorgWarner Inc. | +37.9% | +57.7% | +55.9% | +121% | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.43 |
| [TSLA](https://easycompare.io/research/tsla): Tesla, Inc. | −16.5% | +76.3% | +29.5% | +2,716% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.39 |
| MGA: Magna International Inc. | +53.0% | +46.9% | −6.2% | +120% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.14 |
| [HMC](https://easycompare.io/research/hmc): Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | +12.4% | +17.7% | +34.5% | +63.3% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.35 |
| [TM](https://easycompare.io/research/tm): Toyota Motor Corporation | +1.5% | +24.1% | +27.8% | +129% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.32 |
| LEA: Lear Corporation | +24.2% | −1.9% | −22.5% | +26.2% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.02 |
| APTV: Aptiv PLC | −46.0% | −51.0% | −73.3% | −10.6% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.43 |
| LI: Li Auto Inc. | −47.0% | −62.6% | −61.8% | — | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.00 |
| NIO: NIO Inc. | −51.4% | −54.7% | −91.4% | — | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.34 |
| XPEV: XPeng Inc. | −53.8% | −26.2% | −76.9% | — | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.00 |
| [F](https://easycompare.io/research/f): Ford Motor Company | +6.0% | +25.9% | +3.0% | +71.8% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.21 |
| STLA: Stellantis N.V. | −59.5% | −73.3% | −69.7% | +39.2% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.35 |
| LCID: Lucid Group, Inc. | −83.6% | −92.4% | −98.7% | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.62 |
| RIVN: Rivian Automotive, Inc. | −5.0% | −25.7% | — | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | — |
| VFS: VinFast Auto Ltd. | −12.5% | −46.7% | −70.6% | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.26 |

### How did GM do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2011, along with where GM ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- GM finished ahead of the S&P 500 in six of its 15 full calendar years, and ahead of it in each of the last two.
- Among its popular alternatives, TSLA came out ahead of GM most often, in 11 of the 15 years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, GM finished in the top quarter in three of 15 years and in the bottom quarter in three. In 2025, it ranked 2 of 17.

| Year | GM | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +54.2% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +49.8% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +8.0% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −42.4% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +40.8% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +15.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +14.0% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −15.0% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +22.5% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +7.4% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How GM 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 GM's worst declines?

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

- In all five of GM's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: GM fell 59.9% from October 2017 to March 2020, while the S&P 500 slipped only 2.4%.
- The longest climb back to a previous high took 23 months, after GM fell 59.0% from January 2022 to November 2023.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −59.9% | October 24, 2017 | March 18, 2020 | November 16, 2020 | −2.4% | late-2018 sell-off |
| −59.0% | January 4, 2022 | November 9, 2023 | October 21, 2025 | −6.7% | 2022 bear market |
| −51.7% | January 7, 2011 | July 25, 2012 | December 2, 2013 | +8.6% | 2011 euro debt crisis |
| −30.8% | December 26, 2013 | August 25, 2015 | December 9, 2016 | +4.8% | 2015 China and oil sell-off |
| −24.6% | June 8, 2021 | August 23, 2021 | November 17, 2021 | +6.3% |  |

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

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

- GM fell further than the S&P 500 in five of the seven crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2022 bear market, when GM fell 53.0% and the S&P 500 fell 24.5%.
- Among its popular alternatives, VFS held up best, falling less than GM in all two crashes they both traded through.
- GM began trading after the 2008 financial crisis, but six of its popular alternatives lived through it. The mildest fall among them was TM's 48.9%, against 55.2% for the S&P 500.

| Crash | Dates | GM fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | not trading | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | not trading | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | not trading | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −34.4% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −25.5% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −3.9% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −14.9% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −51.8% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −53.0% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −10.1% | −3.4% |

### How closely does GM 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.

- Only RACE, TSLA and TM had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than GM's 0.79, out of ten popular alternatives with the same record.
- RACE took just 56% of the S&P 500's losses, against 135% for GM, while still keeping 101% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, GM captured 107% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 135% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 1.31. 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GM: General Motors Company (this page) | 107% | 135% | 1.31 |
| [RACE](https://easycompare.io/research/race): Ferrari N.V. | 101% | 56.0% | 0.92 |
| BWA: BorgWarner Inc. | 109% | 157% | 1.31 |
| [TSLA](https://easycompare.io/research/tsla): Tesla, Inc. | 182% | 129% | 1.91 |
| MGA: Magna International Inc. | 110% | 166% | 1.50 |
| [HMC](https://easycompare.io/research/hmc): Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | 51.0% | 71.0% | 0.62 |
| [TM](https://easycompare.io/research/tm): Toyota Motor Corporation | 62.0% | 72.0% | 0.56 |
| LEA: Lear Corporation | 91.0% | 165% | 1.40 |
| APTV: Aptiv PLC | 106% | 219% | 1.80 |
| [F](https://easycompare.io/research/f): Ford Motor Company | 105% | 167% | 1.51 |
| STLA: Stellantis N.V. | 124% | 215% | 1.61 |

### What diversifies GM?

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 GM into GLD would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 19% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+8.8% for GM alone, +11.8% for the mix).
- MCK made money in three of the four calendar years in which GM lost money.
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, EMLP and HDV have moved largely independently of GM over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.48 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with GM | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in GM's 4 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.48 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 2 of 4 |
| EMLP: First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund | 0.41 | +101% | 14.5% | 1.04 | 2 of 4 |
| HDV: iShares Core High Dividend ETF | 0.48 | +83.3% | 13.0% | 1.00 | 2 of 4 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.44 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 2 of 4 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.04 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 1 of 4 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.43 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 0 of 4 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.34 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 2 of 4 |
| EWT: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 0.35 | +153% | 24.2% | 0.89 | 1 of 4 |

## Common questions

### What was GM's worst drawdown?

GM's deepest decline since it began trading in 2010 was 59.9%, from October 2017 to March 2020. It took eight months from the low to climb back to its old high. Because GM launched in November 2010, that record does not include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or the 2010 flash crash.

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

Over 15 full calendar years, GM's best year was 2025, when it returned 54.2%. Its worst was 2011, with a return of -45.0%.

### Is there a better investment than GM?

Among GM's popular alternatives, RACE and BWA earned more than GM with less volatility over the past 5 years. RACE returned 13.3% a year at 30.0% volatility, against 6.9% a year at 36.7%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, ALSN (auto parts) and NEU (specialty chemicals) earned more than GM with less volatility over the past 5 years. ALSN returned 27.3% a year at 29.9% volatility, against 6.9% a year at 36.7%.

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

Yes. GM's volatility over the past 5 years was 36.7%, 2.1 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, GM's return lands within 36.7% 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 GM's Sharpe ratio?

GM's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.36, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so GM 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 GM with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, GM's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.65 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 GM instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a GM holding.

### What are the best alternatives to GM?

Of the 16 popular alternatives we compared, one outperformed GM in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: RACE.

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

GM finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in six of 15 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +54.2%, against +17.7% for the index.

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

GM fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in two of the seven major crashes it has traded through, and further in five. The clearest case was the 2022 bear market, when GM fell 53.0% and the S&P 500 fell 24.5%.

### What diversifies GM?

These had a low correlation with GM over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.48), EMLP (correlation 0.41) and HDV (correlation 0.48); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.31), CLS (correlation 0.36) and FIX (correlation 0.32). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [Ferrari (RACE) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/race)
- [Tesla (TSLA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/tsla)
- [Honda Motor (HMC) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/hmc)
- [Toyota Motor (TM) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/tm)
- [Ford Motor (F) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/f)
- [Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/schd)
- [NVIDIA (NVDA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/nvda)
- [Apple (AAPL) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/aapl)
- [Alphabet (GOOG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/goog)
- [Microsoft (MSFT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/msft)
- [Amazon.com (AMZN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/amzn)
- [Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/vti)

## Explore further

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