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Relative Intelligence · Investment Banking & Brokerage

How Interactive Brokers Group (IBKR) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on IBKR alone. It places IBKR (Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.) 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 IBKR stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: IBKR's full trading record, from May 2007 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.

Data as of October 20, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against IBKR →Chart IBKR vs. 22 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

How much would $10,000 in IBKR have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in IBKR over the past 19 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of IBKR over the same span and IBKR's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Note: IBKR began trading on May 4, 2007, so the chart cannot reach back to the dot-com bust. It covers the most recent 19 years of IBKR's record, starting at the end of September 2007.

Choose a period

From the end of September 2007 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 106 of the 1,798 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of IBKR; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$10,000$100,000$1M2007201020132016201920222025$10,000$100,000$1M2007201220172022
  • NVDA$3M+27,574% total · +34.4% a year
  • AAPL$725,525+7,155% total · +25.3% a year
  • LLY$346,322+3,363% total · +20.5% a year
  • GOOG$243,382+2,334% total · +18.3% a year
  • MLI$187,644+1,776% total · +16.7% a year
  • IBKR$182,133+1,721% total · +16.5% a year
  • AMP$115,384+1,054% total · +13.7% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$70,725+607% total · +10.8% a year
  • BGC$57,937+479% total · +9.7% a year
  • OPY$43,143+331% total · +8.0% a year
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From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 92 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of IBKR; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$2,000$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000202120222023202420252026$2,000$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000202120222023202420252026
  • HWM$73,554+636% total · +49.0% a year
  • MPC$71,516+615% total · +48.2% a year
  • VLO$64,131+541% total · +45.0% a year
  • TRGP$61,030+510% total · +43.6% a year
  • BBVA$57,750+478% total · +42.0% a year
  • IBKR$56,308+463% total · +41.3% a year
  • VIRT$26,921+169% total · +21.9% a year
  • HOOD$26,734+167% total · +21.7% a year
  • LPLA$19,958+99.6% total · +14.8% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
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IBKR 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. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

Note: IBKR began trading on May 4, 2007, so every figure here, including its worst decline, covers only the time since then. None of them reflect the dot-com bust.

The company

Market value
$146B
Industry
Investment - Banking & Investment Services
Price history from
May 2007

Returns

Past 1 year
+24.4%total return
Past 3 years
+320%+61.3% a year
Past 5 years
+355%+35.4% a year
Past 10 years
+935%+26.3% a year
Best calendar year
+114%2024
Worst calendar year
−44.6%2008
Losing years
7 of 18full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
35.4%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
1.04return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−63.7%Feb 2008 to Mar 2009
From its all-time high
−15.5%below the peak

IBKR against the whole market

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

How does IBKR rank among all stocks?

This section ranks IBKR on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how IBKR stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureIBKRRankStanding
1-year return+24.4%1,121 of 3,287top 34%
3-year return+320%198 of 3,017top 7%
5-year return+355%128 of 2,893top 4%
10-year return+935%121 of 2,202top 5%
Volatility, 5 years35.4%1,164 of 2,893top 40%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years1.0480 of 2,893top 3%
Worst decline, past 10 years−55.1%676 of 2,187top 31%

What has beaten IBKR 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). IBKR sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than IBKR with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to IBKR; faint dots are 5 more of the 10 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than IBKRHWM: +47.3% a year, volatility 32.5%TRGP: +41.8% a year, volatility 31.7%MLI: +38.9% a year, volatility 33.4%MOG-A: +36.6% a year, volatility 32.0%LAUR: +37.5% a year, volatility 32.8%IBKR: +35.4% a year, volatility 35.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%BBVA: +38.7% a year, volatility 33.3%SMFG: +33.7% a year, volatility 29.4%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%VLO: +44.2% a year, volatility 36.9%CDNS: +14.8% a year, volatility 37.2%IBKRSPY (S&P 500)BBVASMFGLLYMPCCAHMCKVLOCDNS15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than IBKRHWM: +47.3% a year, volatility 32.5%TRGP: +41.8% a year, volatility 31.7%MLI: +38.9% a year, volatility 33.4%MOG-A: +36.6% a year, volatility 32.0%LAUR: +37.5% a year, volatility 32.8%IBKR: +35.4% a year, volatility 35.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%BBVA: +38.7% a year, volatility 33.3%SMFG: +33.7% a year, volatility 29.4%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%VLO: +44.2% a year, volatility 36.9%CDNS: +14.8% a year, volatility 37.2%IBKRSPY (S&P 500)BBVASMFGLLYMPCCAHMCKVLOCDNS
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than IBKR?

Investments that beat IBKR over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat IBKR 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. It checks IBKR's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than IBKR follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than IBKR's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× IBKR's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than IBKR's.

Screen the whole market against IBKR for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 9 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with IBKR?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
IBKRInteractive Brokers Group, Inc. · this page
+35.4%35.4%1.04−55.1%+935%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.620.09%
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 2 shownEverything else in Investment Banking & Brokerage and Capital Markets and the categories next to it (Asset Management, Banks, Alternative Asset Management, Financial Data), plus IBKR's specific themes. 2 of 117 passed at least one test.
BBVABanco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. · Banks
Higher return, lower volatility+38.7%33.3%1.16−69.6%+542%0.28—
SMFGSumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+33.7%29.4%1.14−47.6%+474%0.12—
The whole marketbest 6 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 35 of 3,494 passed at least one test.
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+40.7%32.8%1.21−34.5%+1,807%0.04—
MPCMarathon Petroleum Corporation · Oil & Gas
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods+51.2%33.4%1.41−79.7%+1,387%0.22—
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%0.12—
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+38.7%25.0%1.44−38.1%+586%0.13—
VLOValero Energy Corporation · Oil & Gas
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+44.2%36.9%1.18−71.9%+1,061%0.21—
CDNSCadence Design Systems, Inc. · Software
Smaller losses in recent crashes+14.8%37.2%0.56−34.2%+1,139%0.35—
What these numbers mean for IBKR
Annual return
IBKR returned 35.4% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $45,500. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
IBKR's volatility over the past 5 years was 35.4%, 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, IBKR's return lands within 35.4% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
IBKR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.04, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so IBKR earned more 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. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
IBKR's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 55.1%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 55.1% fall takes a 123% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, IBKR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.62 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 IBKR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a IBKR holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 10 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than IBKR with less volatility

Out of 3,633 tested over 5 years. Best first; funds that hold the same thing are listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with IBKRExpense
1
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+40.7%32.8%1.21−34.5%+1,807%0.04—
2
MPCMarathon Petroleum Corporation · Oil & Gas
Whole market+51.2%33.4%1.41−79.7%+1,387%0.22—
3
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%0.12—
4
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+38.7%25.0%1.44−38.1%+586%0.13—
5
HWMHowmet Aerospace Inc. · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+47.3%32.5%1.36−68.9%+1,028%0.41—
6
TRGPTarga Resources Corp. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+41.8%31.7%1.27−90.8%+829%0.27—
7
MLIMueller Industries, Inc. · Metal Fabrication
Whole market+38.9%33.4%1.16−53.0%+800%0.38—
8
BBVABanco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. · Banks
Same or nearby category+38.7%33.3%1.16−69.6%+542%0.28—
9
MOG-AMoog Inc. · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+36.6%32.0%1.14−63.7%+595%0.32—
10
LAURLaureate Education, Inc. · Education Services
Whole market+37.5%32.8%1.14−64.5%—0.24—

IBKR against its popular alternatives

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

How do IBKR'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. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at IBKR, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than IBKR with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityIBKR: 35.4% a year, volatility 35.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%LPLA: 13.6% a year, volatility 36.2%HOOD: 18.6% a year, volatility 68.6%BGC: 17.3% a year, volatility 38.2%FUTU: 10.4% a year, volatility 70.2%JEF: 5.4% a year, volatility 36.5%COIN: −11.5% a year, volatility 86.9%PIPR: 13.5% a year, volatility 35.5%TIGR: −13.1% a year, volatility 79.4%VIRT: 20.8% a year, volatility 33.8%CBOE: 21.5% a year, volatility 25.1%OPY: 17.2% a year, volatility 33.4%AMP: 12.1% a year, volatility 27.8%NDAQ: 8.9% a year, volatility 24.7%CME: 11.2% a year, volatility 20.8%TW: 7.8% a year, volatility 27.8%RJF: 10.4% a year, volatility 27.9%ICE: 5.4% a year, volatility 21.8%MKTX: −15.4% a year, volatility 35.3%GS: 19.6% a year, volatility 28.6%MS: 16.0% a year, volatility 28.8%SF: 8.4% a year, volatility 31.0%SCHW: 3.6% a year, volatility 31.9%IBKRSPY (S&P 500)LPLAHOODBGCFUTUJEFCOINPIPRTIGRVIRTCBOEOPYNDAQICEMKTXGSMSSFSCHW0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityIBKR: 35.4% a year, volatility 35.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%LPLA: 13.6% a year, volatility 36.2%HOOD: 18.6% a year, volatility 68.6%BGC: 17.3% a year, volatility 38.2%FUTU: 10.4% a year, volatility 70.2%JEF: 5.4% a year, volatility 36.5%COIN: −11.5% a year, volatility 86.9%PIPR: 13.5% a year, volatility 35.5%TIGR: −13.1% a year, volatility 79.4%VIRT: 20.8% a year, volatility 33.8%CBOE: 21.5% a year, volatility 25.1%OPY: 17.2% a year, volatility 33.4%AMP: 12.1% a year, volatility 27.8%NDAQ: 8.9% a year, volatility 24.7%CME: 11.2% a year, volatility 20.8%TW: 7.8% a year, volatility 27.8%RJF: 10.4% a year, volatility 27.9%ICE: 5.4% a year, volatility 21.8%MKTX: −15.4% a year, volatility 35.3%GS: 19.6% a year, volatility 28.6%MS: 16.0% a year, volatility 28.8%SF: 8.4% a year, volatility 31.0%SCHW: 3.6% a year, volatility 31.9%IBKRSPY (S&P 500)HOODBGCFUTUJEFCOINTIGRVIRTCBOEOPYNDAQCMETWICEMKTXMSSCHW
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
IBKR This pageInteractive Brokers Group, Inc.+35.4%35.4%
CBOE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.+21.5%25.1%
VIRT Virtu Financial, Inc.+20.8%33.8%
GS The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.+19.6%28.6%
HOOD Robinhood Markets, Inc.+18.6%68.6%
BGC BGC Group, Inc+17.3%38.2%
OPY Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.+17.2%33.4%
MS Morgan Stanley+16.0%28.8%
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc.+13.6%36.2%
PIPR Piper Sandler Companies+13.5%35.5%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
AMP Ameriprise Financial, Inc.+12.1%27.8%
CME CME Group Inc.+11.2%20.8%
RJF Raymond James Financial, Inc.+10.4%27.9%
FUTU Futu Holdings Limited+10.4%70.2%
NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc.+8.9%24.7%
SF Stifel Financial Corp+8.4%31.0%
TW Tradeweb Markets Inc.+7.8%27.8%
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.+5.4%36.5%
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.+5.4%21.8%
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation+3.6%31.9%
COIN Coinbase Global, Inc.−11.5%86.9%
TIGR UP Fintech Holding Ltd. Sponsored ADR Class A−13.1%79.4%
MKTX MarketAxess Holdings Inc.−15.4%35.3%
Open these 24 in EasyCompare

Has IBKR consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares IBKR with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than IBKR helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than IBKR over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
IBKR Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (this page)—−11.1%−9.5%+2.2%+23.7%+24.4%+320%+355%+935%35.4%1.04−55.1%—$146B—
LPLA Financial - Capital MarketsLPL Financial Holdings Inc.2/5 short1/3 long−3.1%−1.8%−0.3%−10.7%−4.9%+47.1%+88.9%+1,057%36.2%0.54−60.3%—$25B—
HOOD Financial - Capital MarketsRobinhood Markets, Inc.2/5 short1/3 long−20.3%−1.1%+7.6%−14.8%−27.7%+976%+135%—68.6%0.59−90.2%—$78B—
VIRT Financial - Capital MarketsVirtu Financial, Inc.5/5 short0/3 long−1.5%+1.1%+13.8%+77.5%+76.5%+243%+158%+545%33.8%0.73−56.2%—$5.0B—
CBOE Financial - Data & Stock ExchangesCboe Global Markets, Inc.5/5 short0/3 long+16.1%+13.5%+4.0%+27.9%+34.2%+101%+165%+463%25.1%0.91−43.2%—$33B—
BGC Financial - Capital MarketsBGC Group, Inc4/5 short0/3 long−6.6%+4.1%+0.6%+31.0%+27.4%+105%+122%+182%38.2%0.61−75.3%—$5.4B—
OPY Financial - Capital MarketsOppenheimer Holdings Inc.3/5 short0/3 long−15.5%−6.8%−11.0%+39.4%+50.8%+201%+121%+743%33.4%0.64−54.9%—$1.1B—
AMP Asset ManagementAmeriprise Financial, Inc.3/5 short0/3 long−9.0%−7.0%+7.5%−0.3%+4.5%+62.6%+76.8%+507%27.8%0.55−53.9%—$43B—
NDAQ Financial - Data & Stock ExchangesNasdaq, Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+0.1%+3.5%+8.8%−0.9%+8.1%+95.1%+52.9%+407%24.7%0.47−38.3%—$53B—
CME Financial - Data & Stock ExchangesCME Group Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+7.2%+21.0%+3.8%+13.2%+14.6%+57.7%+70.1%+319%20.8%0.62−37.4%—$106B—
TW Financial - Capital MarketsTradeweb Markets Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+14.3%+18.9%+4.0%+12.8%+10.2%+48.4%+45.3%—27.8%0.41−48.6%—$26B—
RJF Asset ManagementRaymond James Financial, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−5.7%−7.4%+2.7%−4.1%−4.5%+69.5%+64.2%+358%27.9%0.50−45.6%—$30B—
ICE Financial - Data & Stock ExchangesIntercontinental Exchange, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+2.1%+12.4%−0.6%+0.1%+3.5%+52.4%+30.0%+240%21.8%0.35−34.3%—$89B—
MKTX Financial - Capital MarketsMarketAxess Holdings Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+0.6%+43.8%+0.8%−6.5%−1.9%−26.8%−56.7%+19.9%35.3%-0.30−80.3%—$5.8B—
FUTU Financial - Capital MarketsFutu Holdings Limited2/5 short0/3 long−7.5%+7.4%−36.0%−39.9%−36.1%+89.7%+63.7%—70.2%0.49−87.2%—$15B—
GS Financial - Capital MarketsThe Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.1/5 short0/3 long−7.8%−15.7%−5.2%−1.8%+18.2%+215%+145%+521%28.6%0.77−48.8%—$258B—
JEF Financial - Capital MarketsJefferies Financial Group Inc.1/5 short0/3 long−5.9%−17.8%−3.9%−27.5%−14.2%+51.7%+30.3%+249%36.5%0.33−54.4%—$8.5B—
COIN Financial - Data & Stock ExchangesCoinbase Global, Inc.1/5 short0/3 long−15.0%+6.5%−19.3%−27.8%−50.3%+129%−45.7%—86.9%0.29−90.9%—$45B—
PIPR Investment - Banking & Investment ServicesPiper Sandler Companies0/5 short0/3 long−13.2%−15.5%−29.3%−24.9%−20.5%+103%+88.4%+762%35.5%0.54−60.0%—$4.5B—
MS Financial - Capital MarketsMorgan Stanley0/5 short0/3 long−12.5%−14.0%−4.4%+0.8%+13.9%+170%+110%+627%28.8%0.66−51.3%—$285B—
SF Financial - Capital MarketsStifel Financial Corp0/5 short0/3 long−11.7%−13.4%−17.4%−20.8%−9.0%+86.5%+49.5%+374%31.0%0.41−51.8%—$10B—
SCHW Financial - Capital MarketsThe Charles Schwab Corporation0/5 short0/3 long−15.0%−11.1%−1.8%−9.6%−3.1%+86.2%+19.1%+221%31.9%0.27−51.1%—$157B—
TIGR Financial - Capital MarketsUP Fintech Holding Ltd. Sponsored ADR Class A0/5 short0/3 long−16.2%−12.4%−42.3%−60.7%−58.6%−9.7%−50.5%—79.4%0.21−93.7%—$737M—
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How did IBKR do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2008, along with where IBKR ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with IBKR and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Note: IBKR began trading on May 4, 2007, so the table starts with 2008, its first full calendar year, and cannot show how it fared during the dot-com bust.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of IBKR; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places IBKR among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of IBKR202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008
IBKR This pageInteractive Brokers Group, Inc.—+46.3%+114%+15.2%−8.3%+31.2%+31.7%−14.0%−7.1%+62.8%−15.4%+51.0%+21.7%+82.8%+1.0%−14.5%+11.1%−0.9%−44.6%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 5 of 185 of 232 of 2315 of 239 of 2314 of 217 of 2117 of 188 of 183 of 1817 of 182 of 176 of 175 of 1714 of 177 of 177 of 1514 of 155 of 15
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF9 of 18+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%+16.0%+1.9%+15.1%+26.4%−36.8%
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc.6 of 15+9.8%+44.1%+5.9%+35.7%+54.6%+14.6%+52.9%+8.5%+66.0%−14.1%−2.0%−3.4%+70.1%−1.3%−16.0%———
HOOD Robinhood Markets, Inc.3 of 4+204%+192%+56.5%−54.2%——————————————
VIRT Virtu Financial, Inc.2 of 10−4.2%+83.0%+4.6%−26.5%+18.6%+64.3%−34.8%+46.0%+21.4%−25.4%————————
CBOE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.9 of 15+30.0%+10.7%+44.4%−2.1%+42.2%−21.2%+24.1%−20.6%+70.5%+15.5%+3.8%+23.8%+80.7%+19.1%+15.0%———
BGC BGC Group, Inc7 of 18−0.6%+26.5%+92.6%−17.8%+17.1%−30.0%+27.8%−43.6%+56.1%+11.6%+14.0%+60.3%+91.1%−34.7%−22.4%+94.4%+85.6%−74.2%
OPY Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.7 of 18+15.5%+57.3%−0.9%−7.2%+52.7%+20.4%+9.4%−3.3%+47.6%+10.2%−23.7%−4.5%+47.0%+10.3%−37.3%−19.8%+164%−69.0%
AMP Ameriprise Financial, Inc.10 of 18−6.7%+42.1%+24.0%+5.0%+57.9%+19.8%+64.0%−36.8%+56.4%+7.7%−17.8%+17.2%+88.4%+29.5%−12.3%+50.7%+70.6%−56.9%
NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc.8 of 18+27.2%+34.9%−3.7%−11.2%+60.1%+26.0%+33.9%+8.2%+16.8%+17.4%+23.3%+22.4%+61.9%+3.7%+3.2%+19.7%−19.8%−50.1%
CME CME Group Inc.6 of 18+19.8%+15.4%+31.3%−22.9%+29.5%−6.3%+9.7%+32.1%+32.4%+33.9%+4.4%+18.3%+64.0%+11.4%−22.7%−2.7%+64.3%−68.8%
TW Tradeweb Markets Inc.3 of 6−17.5%+44.6%+40.6%−34.9%+61.0%+35.5%————————————
RJF Raymond James Financial, Inc.8 of 18+4.7%+40.8%+6.1%+8.3%+59.5%+8.7%+22.8%−15.7%+30.0%+21.3%+2.5%+11.1%+37.2%+26.3%−3.7%+39.8%+41.8%−46.4%
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.7 of 18+9.9%+17.5%+27.1%−23.9%+19.9%+26.2%+24.5%+8.1%+26.6%+11.5%+18.3%−1.3%+82.2%+2.7%+1.2%+6.1%+36.2%−57.2%
MKTX MarketAxess Holdings Inc.11 of 18−18.5%−21.8%+6.1%−31.5%−27.5%+51.3%+80.7%+5.6%+38.3%+32.7%+57.0%+8.3%+91.7%+23.8%+46.8%+52.4%+71.1%−36.3%
FUTU Futu Holdings Limited4 of 6+105%+49.8%+34.4%−6.1%−5.4%+343%————————————
GS The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.7 of 18+56.6%+52.0%+15.9%−7.9%+47.6%+17.4%+40.5%−33.5%+7.4%+34.9%−5.8%+10.8%+40.8%+43.4%−45.6%+0.5%+103%−60.4%
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.7 of 18−18.8%+98.9%+27.8%−8.5%+61.9%+18.9%+35.1%−33.2%+15.5%+35.5%−21.5%−20.1%+23.5%+5.8%−21.2%+23.8%+20.1%−58.0%
COIN Coinbase Global, Inc.1 of 4−8.9%+42.8%+391%−86.0%——————————————
PIPR Piper Sandler Companies8 of 18+15.5%+74.3%+37.8%−23.4%+85.3%+29.7%+33.6%−10.7%+28.2%+79.7%−30.5%+46.8%+23.2%+58.8%−42.2%−30.9%+27.3%−14.2%
MS Morgan Stanley7 of 18+45.2%+39.7%+13.9%−10.3%+46.6%+38.1%+32.7%−22.8%+26.6%+36.1%−16.7%+25.0%+65.4%+27.6%−43.9%−7.5%+88.3%−68.8%
SF Stifel Financial Corp6 of 18+20.9%+57.2%+22.7%−14.8%+41.4%+27.1%+48.8%−29.5%+20.0%+17.9%−16.9%+6.4%+49.9%−0.3%−22.5%+4.8%+29.1%+30.7%
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation7 of 18+36.6%+9.2%−16.0%+0.1%+60.2%+13.6%+16.4%−18.4%+31.1%+21.0%+9.9%+17.2%+83.3%+29.8%−33.1%−7.8%+18.1%−36.1%
TIGR UP Fintech Holding Ltd. Sponsored ADR Class A3 of 6+48.0%+46.2%+29.6%−30.6%−38.2%+124%————————————
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Risk and diversification

How IBKR 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 IBKR's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents IBKR's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 2007, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Note: IBKR began trading on May 4, 2007, so this list cannot include the dot-com bust. The crash tests on this page show how older funds and the S&P 500 fared through those years.

Green means IBKR fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringIBKR fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
2008 financial crisis−63.7%−50.0%Feb 2008Mar 200913 monthsNov 20145.7 years
Late-2018 sell-off−55.1%−15.0%May 2018Mar 202022 monthsMar 202112 months
No named crash−38.7%−17.3%Feb 2025Apr 20252 monthsJul 20253 months
2022 bear market−35.3%−16.2%Dec 2021May 20225 monthsJan 20238 months
2015 China and oil sell-off−33.3%−9.3%Jul 2015Feb 20167 monthsSep 201719 months

How did IBKR do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far IBKR, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Note: IBKR began trading on May 4, 2007, so its row reads "Not yet trading" for the dot-com bust. The older alternatives and the S&P 500 show how those crashes played out.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than IBKR.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
IBKR This pageInteractive Brokers Group, Inc.—−14.3%−33.3%−38.0%−18.2%−5.6%−32.6%−14.2%−2.6%−63.7%Not yet trading
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF6 of 9−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc.2 of 7−19.8%−24.7%−60.3%−19.8%−4.5%−46.0%−28.1%———
HOOD Robinhood Markets, Inc.1 of 2−6.8%−60.4%————————
VIRT Virtu Financial, Inc.5 of 6−8.7%−44.4%−21.7%−9.6%−3.4%−20.9%————
CBOE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.4 of 7−3.7%−16.4%−38.6%−18.9%−20.4%−17.0%−11.8%———
BGC BGC Group, Inc2 of 9−4.0%−34.0%−54.4%−31.3%−7.3%−16.7%−30.0%−9.1%−88.1%−93.8%
OPY Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.1 of 9−9.9%−41.4%−46.3%−28.1%−7.4%−35.6%−47.9%−5.4%−85.3%−30.3%
AMP Ameriprise Financial, Inc.1 of 9−14.9%−31.5%−53.9%−35.3%−8.9%−38.2%−32.3%−2.6%−81.1%—
NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc.5 of 9−5.7%−27.8%−37.1%−16.7%−6.4%−10.1%−16.1%−5.3%−68.5%—
CME CME Group Inc.7 of 9−3.4%−31.7%−37.4%−9.4%−4.3%−17.3%−18.0%−1.9%−77.5%—
TW Tradeweb Markets Inc.2 of 3−5.9%−44.3%−30.1%———————
RJF Raymond James Financial, Inc.3 of 9−16.2%−25.8%−45.6%−26.5%−8.8%−31.6%−29.3%−0.3%−69.7%−40.7%
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.5 of 9−7.0%−33.8%−33.0%−13.3%−9.4%−12.7%−19.3%−2.0%−73.9%—
MKTX MarketAxess Holdings Inc.5 of 9−3.4%−44.0%−25.5%−13.1%−4.1%−12.7%−20.1%−3.8%−72.8%—
FUTU Futu Holdings Limited1 of 3−6.9%−50.2%−37.8%———————
GS The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.4 of 9−9.7%−30.5%−42.8%−33.3%−5.3%−31.2%−34.3%0.0%−78.8%−54.7%
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.0 of 9−15.2%−35.3%−48.3%−29.9%−9.3%−37.0%−39.3%−3.3%−80.7%−28.6%
COIN Coinbase Global, Inc.0 of 2−15.2%−81.2%————————
PIPR Piper Sandler Companies2 of 9−12.4%−41.5%−59.6%−20.0%−5.6%−27.8%−46.7%−2.8%−67.7%—
MS Morgan Stanley3 of 9−8.2%−32.4%−50.6%−24.6%−6.7%−43.9%−47.7%0.0%−86.2%−72.0%
SF Stifel Financial Corp1 of 9−17.1%−34.9%−51.8%−28.7%−8.3%−47.4%−39.6%−4.2%−41.5%−31.3%
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation1 of 9−31.9%−36.9%−41.5%−26.5%−8.2%−37.0%−28.9%−5.5%−56.0%−83.1%
TIGR UP Fintech Holding Ltd. Sponsored ADR Class A1 of 3−13.1%−50.8%−44.4%———————
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How closely does IBKR 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. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares IBKR with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than IBKR's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
IBKR This pageInteractive Brokers Group, Inc.128%92%1.401.03
CME CME Group Inc.50%11%4.480.33
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc.110%52%2.130.85
OPY Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.119%74%1.601.12
CBOE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.79%50%1.590.53
NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc.104%97%1.070.91
PIPR Piper Sandler Companies152%142%1.071.39
RJF Raymond James Financial, Inc.103%97%1.061.07
MS Morgan Stanley142%137%1.041.39
GS The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.136%133%1.021.39
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation89%90%0.990.91
SF Stifel Financial Corp120%125%0.961.25
ICE Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.88%94%0.940.84
AMP Ameriprise Financial, Inc.141%152%0.931.41
BGC BGC Group, Inc96%118%0.821.42
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.147%197%0.751.52
MKTX MarketAxess Holdings Inc.40%74%0.540.62
VIRT Virtu Financial, Inc.45%-28%—0.20
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What diversifies IBKR?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with IBKR's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing IBKR with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which IBKR lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% IBKR and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202220192018201620112009200880/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
IBKR Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (this page)1.00+355%1.04−8.3%−14.0%−7.1%−15.4%−14.5%−0.9%−44.6%34.7%+41.3%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.23+119%1.48+3.8%+17.8%−5.2%————28.2%+37.2%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.28+225%1.34+6.0%+18.9%−19.8%+1.1%−16.1%+2.0%−20.8%28.5%+39.4%
EMLP Broad MarketFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund0.40+101%1.04+10.4%+23.4%−8.7%+29.8%———29.0%+36.7%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF0.45+323%0.97−33.5%+64.5%−9.1%+35.6%+6.8%+60.5%−44.7%31.5%+41.8%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.02+126%0.96−0.8%+17.9%−1.9%+8.0%+9.6%+24.0%+4.9%28.0%+37.9%
XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF0.22+177%0.93+64.4%+11.7%−18.2%+28.0%+2.8%+21.8%−39.0%29.3%+39.0%
DFIV InternationalDimensional - International Value ETF0.30+99.4%0.93−3.7%——————28.8%+36.9%
EWT TechnologyiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF0.33+153%0.89−28.9%+33.4%−9.9%+17.7%−21.8%+73.7%−45.3%29.8%+38.4%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202220192018201620112009200880/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
IBKR Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (this page)1.00+355%1.04−8.3%−14.0%−7.1%−15.4%−14.5%−0.9%−44.6%34.7%+41.3%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.12+479%1.55+54.1%+18.0%−24.5%−17.5%+8.1%−4.4%−39.6%28.9%+42.3%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.13+413%1.44+51.8%+26.7%−28.4%−28.3%+11.8%+62.9%−40.4%28.8%+41.6%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.22+690%1.41+86.6%+6.0%−8.2%+0.7%———29.8%+44.5%
HWM Aerospace & DefenseHowmet Aerospace Inc.0.41+594%1.36+24.2%+83.6%−37.5%−11.5%−42.9%+51.3%−67.4%31.2%+44.3%
ATI Manufacturing - Metal FabricationATI Inc.0.28+1,008%1.34+87.5%−5.1%−9.8%+43.9%−12.2%+79.8%−70.0%31.7%+47.9%
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Common questions

What was IBKR's worst drawdown?

IBKR's deepest decline since it began trading in 2007 was 63.7%, from February 2008 to March 2009. It took about six years from the low to climb back to its old high. Because IBKR launched in May 2007, that record does not include the dot-com bust.

What were IBKR's best and worst years?

Over 18 full calendar years, IBKR's best year was 2024, when it returned 114%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -44.6%.

Is there a better investment than IBKR?

Looking beyond its popular alternatives, BBVA (banks) earned more than IBKR with less volatility over the past 5 years: 38.7% a year at 33.3% volatility, against 35.4% a year at 35.4%. Few investments have done better on both counts: only ten of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than IBKR with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them LLY, BBVA and MPC.

Is IBKR more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. IBKR's volatility over the past 5 years was 35.4%, 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, IBKR's return lands within 35.4% 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 IBKR's Sharpe ratio?

IBKR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.04, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so IBKR earned more 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 IBKR with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, IBKR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.62 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 IBKR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a IBKR holding.

What are the best alternatives to IBKR?

None of the 22 popular alternatives we compared outperformed IBKR in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, which says more about IBKR's strength than about its alternatives.

Did IBKR outperform the S&P 500?

IBKR finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in nine of 18 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +46.3%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did IBKR do in stock market crashes?

IBKR fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in three of the nine major crashes it has traded through, and further in six. The clearest case was the 2015 China and oil sell-off, when IBKR fell 32.6% and the S&P 500 fell 12.8%.

What diversifies IBKR?

These had a low correlation with IBKR over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.23), DXJ (correlation 0.28) and EMLP (correlation 0.40); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.12), MCK (correlation 0.13) and MPC (correlation 0.22). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to IBKR

Other stocks and ETFs