# How iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/ixus
> 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 IXUS alone. It places IXUS (iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF) 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 IXUS stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: IXUS's full trading record, from October 2012 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

- **What you're buying:** IXUS and VEA (Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF) have tracked each other (0.99). The larger fund is VEA.
- **Right now:** Over the past 6 months, IXUS rose 1.2% against 9.1% for the S&P 500 and 11.2% for the Nasdaq 100.
- **Fund or market?:** IXUS rose 1.1% over the past 3 months, 2.8 points behind the S&P 500, which rose 3.9%.
- **Long term:** IXUS turned $10,000 into $24,000 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500.
- **In a crash:** The 2015 China and oil sell-off took 19.9% off IXUS, against 12.8% for the S&P 500. That was more than EFG (iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF, 17.0%) but less than VWO (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF, 23.8%). IXUS fell further than the S&P 500 in two of the last three sell-offs, including the 2015 China and oil sell-off (19.9% against 12.8%).
- **Diversification:** IXUS is more of the same, not a cushion: a correlation of 0.80 with the S&P 500 over 5 years and 0.81 with the total US market, more closely than 64% of ETFs with at least $100 million in assets. When the S&P 500 had a down month, IXUS usually fell with it (18 of 22 months).
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** VTI (Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF) and EFV (iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF) earned more than IXUS over the past 5 years with similar volatility: VTI returned 11.5% a year at 17.5% volatility, against 8.2% a year at 16.6%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** LVHI (Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF, international equity) and DBEF (Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF, international equity) earned more than IXUS with less volatility over the past 5 years. LVHI returned 17.0% a year at 11.1% volatility, against 8.2% a year at 16.6%.
  - **Whole market:** 109 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than IXUS with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTV (Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF), VIG (Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF) and SCHD (Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF).

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

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in IXUS over the past 13 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of IXUS over the same span and IXUS's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in IXUS at the end of September 2013 would have grown to $24,623 by September 2026, less than the $56,474 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of IXUS, and VTI finished highest, at $53,009.

## IXUS at a glance

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

- IXUS's deepest decline since it began trading in 2012 was 36.2%, from January 2018 to March 2020. It took eight months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 13 full calendar years, IXUS's best was 2025, when it returned 32.4%, and its worst was 2022, when it lost 16.5%. It lost money in four of those years.
- IXUS is 5.0% below its all-time high.

- Type: ETF, International (Asset Management - Global)
- Trading since: October 24, 2012
- Assets: $58B
- Expense ratio: 0.07%
- Volatility (5 years): 16.6%; Sharpe ratio: 0.56
- Worst decline ever: −36.2%, from January 26, 2018 to March 23, 2020; back at its high by November 16, 2020

| Period | IXUS total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | −3.8% |
| 3 months | +1.1% |
| 6 months | +1.2% |
| year to date | +10.6% |
| 1 year | +14.8% |
| 3 years | +78.3% |
| 5 years | +48.4% |
| 10 years | +140% |

## IXUS against the whole market

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

### How does IXUS rank among all ETFs?

This section ranks IXUS on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every ETF worth at least $100 million with enough history.

- IXUS lands in the broad middle of the market on every measure here. IXUS's 3-year return ranks in the top 31% of the 1,949 ETFs with at least $100 million in assets with 3 years of history.

| Measure | IXUS | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +14.8% | 852 of 2,485 (top 35%) |
| 3-year return | +78.3% | 604 of 1,949 (top 31%) |
| 5-year return | +48.4% | 707 of 1,560 (top 46%) |
| 10-year return | +140% | 512 of 958 (top 54%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 16.6% | 766 of 1,560 (top 50%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.56 | 797 of 1,560 (top 52%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −36.2% | 405 of 951 (top 43%) |

### What has beaten IXUS 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).

- 109 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than IXUS over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 3% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half IXUS's swings, LVHI has the best return for its risk: 17.0% a year at 11.1% volatility, 33% less than IXUS's 16.6%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.48 against 0.56 for IXUS.
- None of IXUS's popular alternatives made it, but LVHI (international equity) did: 17.0% a year at 11.1% volatility, 33% less than IXUS's 16.6%.

### Is there a better investment than IXUS?

The table below lists investments that beat IXUS 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, and, for funds, the same exposure at a lower expense ratio.

- Among IXUS's popular alternatives, VTI and EFV earned more than IXUS over the past 5 years with similar volatility: VTI returned 11.5% a year at 17.5% volatility, against 8.2% a year at 16.6%.
- VEA tracks the same thing for 0.03% a year against IXUS's 0.07%, and has kept pace over the past decade: about $40 less in fees on $10,000 over 10 years.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, LVHI (international equity) and DBEF (international equity) earned more than IXUS with less volatility over the past 5 years. LVHI returned 17.0% a year at 11.1% volatility, against 8.2% a year at 16.6%.

The 15 strongest of 109 investments that beat IXUS 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 IXUS | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IXUS: iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (this page) |  | +8.2% | 16.6% | 0.56 | −36.2% | +140% |  |  |
| FTLS: First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF | Broad Market | +10.2% | 10.4% | 0.99 | −20.6% | +158% | 0.72 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| PTLC: Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF | Broad Market | +9.5% | 11.8% | 0.83 | −26.6% | +188% | 0.54 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| PTNQ: Pacer Trendpilot 100 ETF | Technology | +9.7% | 14.1% | 0.73 | −28.1% | +305% | 0.55 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| DIVI: Franklin International Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF | International | +13.4% | 15.5% | 0.89 | −27.7% | +184% | 0.95 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| SIXA: ETC 6 Meridian Mega Cap Equity ETF | Broad Market | +12.8% | 12.7% | 1.01 | −18.4% | — | 0.81 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [VTV](https://easycompare.io/research/vtv): Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +12.1% | 13.7% | 0.90 | −36.8% | +235% | 0.81 | Higher return, lower volatility; 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% | 0.76 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [VIG](https://easycompare.io/research/vig): Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | US Dividend Equity | +10.4% | 14.1% | 0.78 | −31.7% | +258% | 0.82 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [SCHD](https://easycompare.io/research/schd): Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | US Dividend Equity | +9.7% | 14.3% | 0.72 | −33.4% | +252% | 0.72 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| OUSA: ALPS Funds O’Shares U.S. Quality Dividend ETF | Dividend & Income | +9.4% | 13.4% | 0.74 | −33.1% | +186% | 0.80 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| PVAL: Putnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF | US Large-Cap Value | +16.1% | 15.1% | 1.07 | −41.3% | — | 0.79 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| HDV: iShares Core High Dividend ETF | US Dividend Equity | +12.9% | 13.0% | 1.00 | −37.0% | +172% | 0.66 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| RWL: Invesco S&P 500 Revenue ETF | US Large-Cap Equity | +13.7% | 14.4% | 0.97 | −36.1% | +287% | 0.81 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| PJUL: Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF | Broad Market | +10.5% | 8.6% | 1.20 | −18.2% | — | 0.77 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| FJAN: FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - January | Multi-Asset | +11.1% | 10.5% | 1.05 | −13.6% | — | 0.79 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |

## IXUS against its popular alternatives

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

### How do IXUS'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.

- Seven of the 23 popular alternatives, led by EFV, VT and AVDE, were both more rewarding and calmer than IXUS over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Over the past 5 years, IXUS returned 8.2% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with lower volatility (16.6% against 17.1%).

### Has IXUS consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

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

- Seven of the 24 popular alternatives, led by EFV, VTI and VT, outperformed IXUS in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- EFV, VTI and VT outperformed IXUS in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- VTI, VT and DFAX earned more for the risk they took than IXUS (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 IXUS | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IXUS: iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (this page) | +14.8% | +78.3% | +48.4% | +140% |  |  | 0.56 |
| EFV: iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF | +21.4% | +92.4% | +89.0% | +157% | 5/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.88 |
| [VTI](https://easycompare.io/research/vti): Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | +15.2% | +87.9% | +72.6% | +302% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.71 |
| [VT](https://easycompare.io/research/vt): Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | +15.0% | +83.8% | +63.3% | +223% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 0.69 |
| [SCHF](https://easycompare.io/research/schf): Schwab International Equity ETF | +17.3% | +80.9% | +57.7% | +155% | 3/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | consistent | 0.63 |
| [SPDW](https://easycompare.io/research/spdw): State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF | +17.0% | +81.6% | +54.9% | +153% | 3/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | consistent | 0.61 |
| AVDE: Avantis International Equity ETF | +16.4% | +83.7% | +61.8% | — | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.67 |
| DFAX: Dimensional World ex U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF | +17.9% | +82.8% | +59.3% | — | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.66 |
| [VEA](https://easycompare.io/research/vea): Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | +17.0% | +81.0% | +55.9% | +153% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.61 |
| AVEM: Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF | +19.7% | +91.0% | +56.1% | — | 2/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.56 |
| [IEMG](https://easycompare.io/research/iemg): iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | +17.0% | +83.4% | +39.0% | +122% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.44 |
| EEM: iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | +17.6% | +84.9% | +35.7% | +110% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.41 |
| CWI: State Street SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF | +15.0% | +79.9% | +53.1% | +144% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.60 |
| [EFA](https://easycompare.io/research/efa): iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | +12.5% | +71.2% | +51.0% | +139% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.58 |
| IDEV: iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ETF | +13.8% | +75.7% | +51.5% | — | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.59 |
| [VEU](https://easycompare.io/research/veu): Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF | +15.1% | +78.3% | +50.7% | +143% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.58 |
| [IEFA](https://easycompare.io/research/iefa): iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | +12.8% | +72.4% | +49.0% | +140% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.56 |
| EFG: iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF | +4.1% | +51.3% | +18.5% | +111% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.28 |
| VNQI: Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF | −6.9% | +31.9% | −9.8% | +18.8% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.06 |
| [BNDX](https://easycompare.io/research/bndx): Vanguard Total International Bond ETF | −1.4% | +13.4% | +0.8% | +15.0% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.06 |
| IGOV: iShares International Treasury Bond ETF | −4.6% | +10.9% | −20.0% | −14.4% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.40 |
| [VXUS](https://easycompare.io/research/vxus): Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | +14.6% | +77.2% | +48.6% | +140% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.57 |
| ACWX: iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF | +15.0% | +78.1% | +49.0% | +136% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.56 |
| SPEM: State Street SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF | +9.9% | +70.4% | +33.1% | +114% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.42 |
| [VWO](https://easycompare.io/research/vwo): Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | +8.3% | +67.2% | +29.1% | +102% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.38 |

### How did IXUS do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2013, along with where IXUS ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- IXUS finished ahead of the S&P 500 in three of its 13 full calendar years.
- Among its popular alternatives, VTI came out ahead of IXUS most often, in ten of the 13 years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, IXUS finished in the top quarter in no of 13 years and in the bottom quarter in one. In 2025, it ranked 12 of 24.

| Year | IXUS | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +32.4% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +5.2% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +15.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −16.5% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +8.9% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +10.8% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +21.7% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −14.4% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +28.1% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +4.7% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How IXUS 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 IXUS's worst declines?

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

- In all five of IXUS's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: IXUS fell 25.1% from July 2014 to February 2016, while the S&P 500 slipped only 4.9%.
- The longest climb back to a previous high took 19 months, after IXUS fell 30.0% from June 2021 to October 2022.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −36.2% | January 26, 2018 | March 23, 2020 | November 16, 2020 | −18.8% | late-2018 sell-off |
| −30.0% | June 14, 2021 | October 12, 2022 | May 15, 2024 | −14.3% | 2022 bear market |
| −25.1% | July 3, 2014 | February 11, 2016 | May 5, 2017 | −4.9% | 2015 China and oil sell-off |
| −13.8% | March 19, 2025 | April 8, 2025 | May 2, 2025 | −12.2% |  |
| −11.4% | February 25, 2026 | March 30, 2026 | May 6, 2026 | −8.6% |  |

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

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

- Among its popular alternatives, BNDX held up best, falling less than IXUS in all six crashes they both traded through.
- IXUS began trading after the 2008 financial crisis, but ten of its popular alternatives lived through it. The mildest fall among them was VTI's 55.5%, against 55.2% for the S&P 500.
- IXUS fell less than the S&P 500 in two of the six crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the late-2018 sell-off, when IXUS fell 15.4% and the S&P 500 fell 19.3%.

| Crash | Dates | IXUS 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 | not trading | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −19.9% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −6.0% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −15.4% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −33.7% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −28.9% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −2.5% | −3.4% |

### How closely does IXUS 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.

- VWO took just 75% of the S&P 500's losses, against 91% for IXUS, while still keeping 63% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, IXUS captured 76% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 91% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.81. Its share of the market's losses was larger than its share of the gains.
- Eight of the 19 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than IXUS's 0.84, led by VTI, VT and EFV.

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

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IXUS: iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (this page) | 76.0% | 91.0% | 0.81 |
| EFV: iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF | 75.0% | 84.0% | 0.76 |
| [VTI](https://easycompare.io/research/vti): Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | 100% | 103% | 1.02 |
| [VT](https://easycompare.io/research/vt): Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | 90.0% | 98.0% | 0.94 |
| [SCHF](https://easycompare.io/research/schf): Schwab International Equity ETF | 79.0% | 93.0% | 0.84 |
| [SPDW](https://easycompare.io/research/spdw): State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF | 80.0% | 95.0% | 0.86 |
| [IEMG](https://easycompare.io/research/iemg): iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 71.0% | 83.0% | 0.77 |
| EEM: iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 70.0% | 84.0% | 0.77 |
| CWI: State Street SPDR MSCI ACWI ex-US ETF | 76.0% | 88.0% | 0.80 |
| [EFA](https://easycompare.io/research/efa): iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 76.0% | 92.0% | 0.81 |
| [VEU](https://easycompare.io/research/veu): Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF | 76.0% | 89.0% | 0.80 |
| [IEFA](https://easycompare.io/research/iefa): iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 77.0% | 94.0% | 0.82 |
| EFG: iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF | 78.0% | 104% | 0.87 |
| VNQI: Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF | 55.0% | 101% | 0.75 |
| [BNDX](https://easycompare.io/research/bndx): Vanguard Total International Bond ETF | 11.0% | 13.0% | 0.14 |
| IGOV: iShares International Treasury Bond ETF | 15.0% | 44.0% | 0.29 |
| [VXUS](https://easycompare.io/research/vxus): Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | 76.0% | 91.0% | 0.82 |
| ACWX: iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF | 75.0% | 90.0% | 0.80 |
| SPEM: State Street SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF | 65.0% | 76.0% | 0.69 |
| [VWO](https://easycompare.io/research/vwo): Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | 63.0% | 75.0% | 0.69 |

### What diversifies IXUS?

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 IXUS into DBMF would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 23% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+9.3% for IXUS alone, +9.9% for the mix).
- MPC made money in three of the four calendar years in which IXUS lost money.
- Among large ETFs, MLPX, GLD and XLE have moved largely independently of IXUS over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.48 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with IXUS | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in IXUS's 4 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MLPX: Global X - MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF | 0.48 | +135% | 19.7% | 0.97 | 2 of 4 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.47 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 0 of 4 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.28 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 1 of 4 |
| AMLP: Alerian MLP ETF | 0.35 | +111% | 18.9% | 0.89 | 2 of 4 |
| DBMF: iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -0.30 | +59.7% | 12.4% | 0.82 | 1 of 4 |
| DBA: Invesco DB Agriculture Fund | 0.19 | +66.4% | 13.8% | 0.81 | 2 of 4 |
| USO: United States Oil Fund, LP | -0.08 | +176% | 37.7% | 0.73 | 1 of 4 |
| FLSP: Franklin Systematic Style Premia ETF | 0.00 | +49.8% | 13.4% | 0.68 | 1 of 4 |

## Common questions

### What was IXUS's worst drawdown?

IXUS's deepest decline since it began trading in 2012 was 36.2%, from January 2018 to March 2020. It took eight months from the low to climb back to its old high. Because IXUS launched in October 2012, that record does not include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs.

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

Over 13 full calendar years, IXUS's best year was 2025, when it returned 32.4%. Its worst was 2022, with a return of -16.5%.

### Is there a better investment than IXUS?

Among IXUS's popular alternatives, VTI and EFV earned more than IXUS over the past 5 years with similar volatility: VTI returned 11.5% a year at 17.5% volatility, against 8.2% a year at 16.6%. VEA tracks the same thing for 0.03% a year against IXUS's 0.07%, and has kept pace over the past decade: about $40 less in fees on $10,000 over 10 years.

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

No. IXUS's volatility over the past 5 years was 16.6%, 1.0 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, IXUS's return lands within 16.6% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is IXUS's Sharpe ratio?

IXUS's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.56, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so IXUS 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 IXUS with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, IXUS's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.80 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They move almost in lockstep, so holding both adds little diversification. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against IXUS instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a IXUS holding.

### What are the best alternatives to IXUS?

Of the 24 popular alternatives we compared, seven outperformed IXUS in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: EFV, VTI and VT.

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

IXUS finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in three of 13 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +32.4%, against +17.7% for the index.

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

IXUS fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in two of the six major crashes it has traded through, and further in two. The clearest case was the late-2018 sell-off, when IXUS fell 15.4% and the S&P 500 fell 19.3%.

### What diversifies IXUS?

These had a low correlation with IXUS over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, MLPX (correlation 0.48), GLD (correlation 0.47) and XLE (correlation 0.28); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.28), CLS (correlation 0.30) and FIX (correlation 0.39). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

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## Explore further

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