# How GSK compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/gsk
> 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 GSK alone. It places GSK (GSK plc) 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 GSK stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: GSK'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:** Over the past 6 months, GSK fell 10.1% while the S&P 500 rose 9.1%. Its pharmaceutical peers split over the past 6 months: ABBV (AbbVie) rose 43.8%, while AZN (AstraZeneca) fell 15.3%.
- **Stock or market?:** GSK rose 2.1% over the past 3 months, 2.9 points behind the pharmaceuticals ETF IHE (iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF), which rose 5.0%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its pharmaceutical peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: ABBV (AbbVie) rose 14.8%, while NVO (Novo Nordisk A/S) fell 20.0%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** GSK has outpaced the market, rising 18.9% over the past year against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. On the flip side, its 37.6% fall from April 2022 to September 2022 took 18 months to heal. the S&P 500 fell 17.3% over those same dates.
- **Long term:** GSK turned $10,000 into $19,500 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500.
- **In a crash:** GSK fell less than the S&P 500 in five of seven sell-offs, but the 2022 bear market broke the pattern: it fell 37.6%, more than the S&P 500's 24.5%.
- **Diversification:** GSK is a real diversifier: a correlation of 0.24 with the S&P 500 over 5 years and 0.23 with the total US market, less closely than 80% of stocks worth at least $300 million. GSK's link to the S&P 500 has loosened: a correlation of 0.24 over the past 5 years, down from 0.58 in the 5 years before.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** JNJ (Johnson & Johnson) and NVS (Novartis) earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years. JNJ returned 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against 9.5% a year at 24.5%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** COR (Cencora, health care distribution) and TAK (Takeda Pharmaceutical, pharmaceuticals) earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years. COR returned 24.2% a year at 22.8% volatility, against 9.5% a year at 24.5%.
  - **Whole market:** 338 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI (Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF), VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) and BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway).

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

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

- $10,000 invested in GSK at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $37,428 by September 2026, less than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- All eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of GSK, and GILD finished highest, at $1,571,438.

## GSK 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.

- GSK's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 55.2%, from January 1992 to August 1993. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, GSK's best was 1997, when it returned 55.8%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 22.2%. It lost money in 12 of those years.
- GSK is 15.1% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Healthcare (Drug Manufacturers - General)
- Trading since: October 17, 1986
- Market value: $102B
- Volatility (5 years): 24.5%; Sharpe ratio: 0.49
- Worst decline ever: −55.2%, from January 9, 1992 to August 13, 1993; back at its high by September 5, 1996

| Period | GSK total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | −0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.1% |
| 6 months | −10.1% |
| year to date | +4.7% |
| 1 year | +18.9% |
| 3 years | +60.0% |
| 5 years | +57.2% |
| 10 years | +95.1% |

## GSK against the whole market

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

### How does GSK rank among all stocks?

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

- GSK's worst decline of the past 10 years ranks in the top 4% of the 2,187 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top fell the least.

| Measure | GSK | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +18.9% | 1,272 of 3,287 (top 39%) |
| 3-year return | +60.0% | 1,402 of 3,017 (top 47%) |
| 5-year return | +57.2% | 1,026 of 2,893 (top 36%) |
| 10-year return | +95.1% | 1,357 of 2,202 (top 62%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 24.5% | 289 of 2,893 (top 10%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.49 | 945 of 2,893 (top 33%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −37.6% | 96 of 2,187 (top 5%) |

### What has beaten GSK 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).

- 62 stocks and 276 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than GSK over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 9% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half GSK's swings, DXJ has the best return for its risk: 26.6% a year at 19.1% volatility, 22% less than GSK's 24.5%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.34 against 0.49 for GSK.
- Among GSK's popular alternatives, NVS and JNJ are in the region. NVS earned 17.1% a year against 9.5% a year for GSK, at 20.7% volatility, 16% less than GSK's 24.5%.

### Is there a better investment than GSK?

The table below lists investments that beat GSK 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 GSK's popular alternatives, JNJ and NVS earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years. JNJ returned 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against 9.5% a year at 24.5%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, COR (health care distribution) and TAK (pharmaceuticals) earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years. COR returned 24.2% a year at 22.8% volatility, against 9.5% a year at 24.5%.
- Across the whole market, 338 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI, VOO and BRK-B.

The 15 strongest of 338 investments that beat GSK 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 GSK | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GSK: GSK plc (this page) |  | +9.5% | 24.5% | 0.49 | −37.6% | +95.1% |  |  |
| [WMT](https://easycompare.io/research/wmt): Walmart Inc. | Discount Retail | +20.8% | 22.6% | 0.96 | −25.7% | +508% | 0.35 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [BRK-B](https://easycompare.io/research/brk-b): Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Insurance | +13.4% | 17.1% | 0.82 | −29.6% | +274% | 0.49 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | International Equity | +17.0% | 11.1% | 1.48 | −32.4% | +194% | 0.60 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [COST](https://easycompare.io/research/cost): Costco Wholesale Corporation | Discount Retail | +17.4% | 22.9% | 0.82 | −31.4% | +685% | 0.33 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [DFAC](https://easycompare.io/research/dfac): Dimensional - US Core Equity 2 ETF | US Total Market | +11.4% | 17.0% | 0.72 | −23.1% | — | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| FJUL: FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - July | Multi-Asset | +11.5% | 10.9% | 1.06 | −13.1% | — | 0.25 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| IUSG: iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF | US Growth Equity | +12.9% | 21.2% | 0.68 | −32.4% | +405% | 0.13 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| DFIV: Dimensional - International Value ETF | International Equity | +14.8% | 16.4% | 0.93 | −25.4% | — | 0.51 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| AVLV: Avantis U.S. Large Cap Value ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +14.0% | 16.9% | 0.86 | −19.5% | — | 0.31 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| OEF: iShares S&P 100 ETF | US Large-Cap Equity | +14.3% | 17.8% | 0.84 | −31.4% | +367% | 0.19 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| DGRW: WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund | US Dividend Equity | +11.8% | 14.0% | 0.87 | −32.0% | +276% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [RY](https://easycompare.io/research/ry): Royal Bank of Canada | Banks | +17.3% | 18.2% | 0.97 | −40.0% | +352% | 0.33 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [COR](https://easycompare.io/research/cor): Cencora, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +24.2% | 22.8% | 1.07 | −32.4% | +406% | 0.38 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| IOO: iShares Global 100 ETF | Global Equity | +15.7% | 17.2% | 0.94 | −31.4% | +361% | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| DIVO: Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF | Equity Income | +11.1% | 11.9% | 0.95 | −30.0% | — | 0.42 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |

## GSK against its popular alternatives

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

### How do GSK'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.

- ABBV, NVS and JNJ were both more rewarding and calmer than GSK over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- 12 of the 20 popular alternatives earned less than GSK over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Over the past 5 years, GSK returned 9.5% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (24.5% against 17.1%).

### Has GSK consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

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

- Eight of the 21 popular alternatives, led by LLY, ABBV and AMGN, outperformed GSK in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- LLY, ABBV and AMGN outperformed GSK in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- LLY, GILD and NVS earned more for the risk they took than GSK (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 GSK | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GSK: GSK plc (this page) | +18.9% | +60.0% | +57.2% | +95.1% |  |  | 0.49 |
| [LLY](https://easycompare.io/research/lly): Eli Lilly and Company | +59.7% | +124% | +451% | +1,807% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 1.21 |
| [ABBV](https://easycompare.io/research/abbv): AbbVie Inc. | +28.3% | +118% | +218% | +603% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 1.11 |
| [AMGN](https://easycompare.io/research/amgn): Amgen Inc. | +48.7% | +72.2% | +145% | +266% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.85 |
| [GILD](https://easycompare.io/research/gild): Gilead Sciences, Inc. | +30.3% | +121% | +180% | +200% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.95 |
| [NVS](https://easycompare.io/research/nvs): Novartis AG | +18.8% | +75.9% | +121% | +226% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.87 |
| [JNJ](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj): Johnson & Johnson | +36.9% | +84.6% | +82.1% | +196% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.76 |
| [VRTX](https://easycompare.io/research/vrtx): Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | +22.8% | +42.2% | +177% | +521% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.85 |
| [MRK](https://easycompare.io/research/mrk): Merck & Co., Inc. | +76.8% | +58.3% | +113% | +241% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.74 |
| [TMO](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo): Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | +26.8% | +49.5% | +15.1% | +366% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.24 |
| [IQV](https://easycompare.io/research/iqv): IQVIA Holdings Inc. | +26.3% | +45.3% | +6.5% | +260% | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.21 |
| [REGN](https://easycompare.io/research/regn): Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | +40.7% | +0.8% | +44.9% | +120% | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.40 |
| [DHR](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr): Danaher Corporation | +8.3% | +10.8% | −17.6% | +232% | 3/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.01 |
| [AZN](https://easycompare.io/research/azn): AstraZeneca PLC | +1.8% | +38.8% | +52.1% | +257% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.41 |
| [NVO](https://easycompare.io/research/nvo): Novo Nordisk A/S | −28.5% | −57.0% | −18.5% | +134% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.09 |
| [PFE](https://easycompare.io/research/pfe): Pfizer Inc. | +30.5% | +19.2% | −8.3% | +55.0% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.06 |
| BIIB: Biogen Inc. | +65.8% | −5.6% | −8.8% | −18.9% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.11 |
| [BMY](https://easycompare.io/research/bmy): Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | +47.8% | +25.8% | +30.6% | +74.8% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.34 |
| [CVS](https://easycompare.io/research/cvs): CVS Health Corp. | +18.5% | +52.5% | +29.2% | +47.0% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.32 |
| [HLN](https://easycompare.io/research/hln): Haleon plc | +8.8% | +28.9% | — | — | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | — |
| [SNY](https://easycompare.io/research/sny): Sanofi | −13.4% | −10.0% | +3.0% | +61.5% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.15 |
| BNTX: BioNTech SE | −15.5% | +0.3% | −65.7% | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.15 |

### How did GSK do year by year?

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

- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, GSK finished in the top quarter in three of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in seven. In 2025, it ranked 2 of 22.
- GSK finished ahead of the S&P 500 in ten of its 29 full calendar years.
- Among its popular alternatives, IQV came out ahead of GSK most often, in nine of the 12 years both traded.

| Year | GSK | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +51.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | −5.2% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +9.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −16.8% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +27.1% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | −17.7% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +29.2% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | +13.8% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | −3.0% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +2.1% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How GSK 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 GSK's worst declines?

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

- The slowest recovery came after GSK fell 51.9% from January 1999 to July 2002; it did not regain that peak until February 2007, five years later.
- In two of GSK's three worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −55.2% | January 9, 1992 | August 13, 1993 | September 5, 1996 | — |  |
| −51.9% | January 6, 1999 | July 23, 2002 | February 14, 2007 | −34.7% | dot-com bust |
| −49.6% | April 20, 2007 | March 9, 2009 | April 18, 2012 | −52.4% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −46.2% | July 16, 1987 | August 25, 1988 | May 22, 1990 | — |  |
| −37.6% | April 13, 2022 | September 27, 2022 | March 7, 2024 | −17.3% | 2022 bear market |

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

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

- GSK fell less than the S&P 500 in seven of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when GSK fell 46.6% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.
- Among its popular alternatives, JNJ held up best, falling less than GSK in seven of the ten crashes they both traded through.

| Crash | Dates | GSK fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −45.1% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −46.6% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −2.0% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −12.4% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −15.7% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −4.3% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −11.5% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −26.5% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −37.6% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −0.3% | −3.4% |

### How closely does GSK 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.

- Over the past 10 years, GSK captured 51% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 61% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.52. Its share of the market's losses was slightly larger than its share of the gains.
- 12 of the 19 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than GSK's 0.82, led by LLY, VRTX and ABBV.
- LLY took just 6% of the S&P 500's losses, against 61% for GSK, while still keeping 101% of its gains.

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

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| GSK: GSK plc (this page) | 51.0% | 61.0% | 0.52 |
| [LLY](https://easycompare.io/research/lly): Eli Lilly and Company | 101% | 6.0% | 0.37 |
| [ABBV](https://easycompare.io/research/abbv): AbbVie Inc. | 92.0% | 57.0% | 0.54 |
| [AMGN](https://easycompare.io/research/amgn): Amgen Inc. | 74.0% | 64.0% | 0.54 |
| [GILD](https://easycompare.io/research/gild): Gilead Sciences, Inc. | 52.0% | 36.0% | 0.35 |
| [NVS](https://easycompare.io/research/nvs): Novartis AG | 69.0% | 64.0% | 0.49 |
| [JNJ](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj): Johnson & Johnson | 64.0% | 53.0% | 0.46 |
| [VRTX](https://easycompare.io/research/vrtx): Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | 87.0% | 50.0% | 0.46 |
| [MRK](https://easycompare.io/research/mrk): Merck & Co., Inc. | 64.0% | 46.0% | 0.30 |
| [TMO](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo): Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | 104% | 104% | 0.81 |
| [IQV](https://easycompare.io/research/iqv): IQVIA Holdings Inc. | 128% | 167% | 1.31 |
| [REGN](https://easycompare.io/research/regn): Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 55.0% | 66.0% | 0.19 |
| [DHR](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr): Danaher Corporation | 84.0% | 84.0% | 0.75 |
| [AZN](https://easycompare.io/research/azn): AstraZeneca PLC | 60.0% | 39.0% | 0.39 |
| [NVO](https://easycompare.io/research/nvo): Novo Nordisk A/S | 75.0% | 94.0% | 0.60 |
| [PFE](https://easycompare.io/research/pfe): Pfizer Inc. | 52.0% | 81.0% | 0.54 |
| BIIB: Biogen Inc. | 35.0% | 91.0% | 0.28 |
| [BMY](https://easycompare.io/research/bmy): Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | 55.0% | 75.0% | 0.41 |
| [CVS](https://easycompare.io/research/cvs): CVS Health Corp. | 59.0% | 99.0% | 0.70 |
| [SNY](https://easycompare.io/research/sny): Sanofi | 53.0% | 74.0% | 0.46 |

### What diversifies GSK?

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 GSK into DXJ would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 15% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+9.1% for GSK alone, +12.9% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, EMLP and HDV have moved largely independently of GSK over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.48 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- FIX made money in eight of the 12 calendar years in which GSK lost money.

| Investment | Correlation with GSK | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in GSK's 12 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.37 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 6 of 12 |
| EMLP: First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund | 0.30 | +101% | 14.5% | 1.04 | 4 of 12 |
| HDV: iShares Core High Dividend ETF | 0.48 | +83.3% | 13.0% | 1.00 | 4 of 12 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.10 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 6 of 12 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.31 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 6 of 12 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.20 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 3 of 12 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.21 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 5 of 12 |
| [VTV](https://easycompare.io/research/vtv): Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF | 0.43 | +76.6% | 13.7% | 0.90 | 5 of 12 |

## Common questions

### What was GSK's worst drawdown?

GSK's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 55.2%, from January 1992 to August 1993. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high.

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

Over 29 full calendar years, GSK's best year was 1997, when it returned 55.8%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -22.2%.

### Is there a better investment than GSK?

Among GSK's popular alternatives, JNJ and NVS earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years. JNJ returned 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against 9.5% a year at 24.5%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, COR (health care distribution) and TAK (pharmaceuticals) earned more than GSK with less volatility over the past 5 years. COR returned 24.2% a year at 22.8% volatility, against 9.5% a year at 24.5%.

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

Yes. GSK's volatility over the past 5 years was 24.5%, 1.4 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, GSK's return lands within 24.5% 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 GSK's Sharpe ratio?

GSK's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.49, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so GSK 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 GSK with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, GSK's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.24 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against GSK instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a GSK holding.

### What are the best alternatives to GSK?

Of the 21 popular alternatives we compared, eight outperformed GSK in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: LLY, ABBV and AMGN.

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

GSK finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in ten of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +51.3%, against +17.7% for the index.

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

GSK fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in seven of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in three. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when GSK fell 46.6% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

### What diversifies GSK?

These had a low correlation with GSK over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.37), EMLP (correlation 0.30) and HDV (correlation 0.48); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.22), CLS (correlation 0.06) and FIX (correlation 0.25). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

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- [Novartis (NVS) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/nvs)
- [Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/jnj)
- [Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/vrtx)
- [Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/mrk)
- [Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo)
- [IQVIA (IQV) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/iqv)
- [Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/regn)
- [Danaher (DHR) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr)

## Explore further

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