# How KB Financial Group (KB) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/kb
> 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 KB alone. It places KB (KB Financial Group Inc.) against 19 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 KB stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

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

## Key findings

- **Right now:** Its bank peers split over the past 6 months: MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) rose 19.6%, while HDB (HDFC Bank) fell 10.4%. KB has bounced back 37.4% from its April 2025 low after a 34.4% loss from October 2024 to April 2025 after falling while the S&P 500 fell 13.7%.
- **Stock or market?:** KB rose 4.6% over the past 3 months, 4.9 points ahead of the banks ETF IXG (iShares Global Financials ETF), which fell 0.2%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its bank peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: ITUB (Itaú Unibanco Holding) rose 16.7%, while HDB (HDFC Bank) fell 0.9%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** Over the past year, KB rose 49.0% against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. The same gap shows up over 3 years (214% against 89.3%). KB finished ahead of the S&P 500 in both 2024 and 2025.
- **Long term:** KB turned $10,000 into $49,000 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500. KB's 10-year return of 390% puts it ahead of 80% of the stocks worth at least $300 million with that much history. The S&P 500 returned 321%.
- **In a crash:** Across six sell-offs, KB has typically fallen 1.7 times as far as the S&P 500. In the 2022 bear market, KB fell 42.9%, against 24.5% for the S&P 500. That was more than MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, 33.4%) but less than CIB (Grupo Cibest, 44.6%).
- **Diversification:** Against the S&P 500, KB has a correlation of 0.51 over 5 years, more closely than 75% of stocks worth at least $300 million. Next to an index fund it is some diversification, but not a hedge.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** SMFG (Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group), BAP (Credicorp) and MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) earned more than KB with less volatility over the past 5 years. SMFG returned 33.7% a year at 29.4% volatility, against 25.3% a year at 34.4%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** IBKR (Interactive Brokers Group, investment banking & brokerage) earned more for the risk it took than KB over the past 5 years, and its worst fall in 10 years was 55.1%, against 64.1% for KB.
  - **Whole market:** Few investments have done better on both counts: only 32 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than KB with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them XOM (Exxonmobil), CAT (Caterpillar) and HSBC.

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

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in KB over the past 25 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of KB over the same span and KB's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in KB at the end of September 2001 would have grown to $230,091 by September 2026, more than the $114,557 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of KB, and CIB finished highest, at $2,432,237.

## KB 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.

- KB's deepest decline since it began trading in 2000 was 84.8%, from April 2007 to November 2008. It took about 16 years from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 25 full calendar years, KB's best was 2001, when it returned 267%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 64.3%. It lost money in nine of those years.
- KB is 9.9% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Financials (Banks - Regional)
- Trading since: October 4, 2000
- Market value: $42B
- Volatility (5 years): 34.4%; Sharpe ratio: 0.83
- Worst decline ever: −84.8%, from April 12, 2007 to November 20, 2008; back at its high by July 5, 2024

| Period | KB total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | −7.3% |
| 3 months | +4.6% |
| 6 months | +9.9% |
| year to date | +42.1% |
| 1 year | +49.0% |
| 3 years | +214% |
| 5 years | +209% |
| 10 years | +390% |

## KB against the whole market

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

### How does KB rank among all stocks?

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

- On return for the risk taken (the Sharpe ratio), KB ranks in the top 9% of the 2,893 stocks worth at least $300 million.

| Measure | KB | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +49.0% | 568 of 3,287 (top 18%) |
| 3-year return | +214% | 363 of 3,017 (top 13%) |
| 5-year return | +209% | 293 of 2,893 (top 11%) |
| 10-year return | +390% | 433 of 2,202 (top 20%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 34.4% | 1,098 of 2,893 (top 38%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.83 | 248 of 2,893 (top 9%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −64.1% | 1,046 of 2,187 (top 48%) |

### What has beaten KB 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).

- 30 stocks and two ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than KB over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is fewer than 1% of the 3,633 screened. Few investments beat it on both counts.
- Among those with at least half KB's swings, CAH has the best return for its risk: 42.1% a year at 24.7% volatility, 28% less than KB's 34.4%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.55 against 0.83 for KB. HWM earned the most, 47.3% a year, while still swinging less than KB (32.5% against 34.4%).
- Among KB's popular alternatives, HSBC, SMFG and MUFG are in the region. HSBC earned 33.1% a year against 25.3% a year for KB, at 25.9% volatility, 25% less than KB's 34.4%.

### Is there a better investment than KB?

The table below lists investments that beat KB 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 KB's popular alternatives, SMFG, BAP and MUFG earned more than KB with less volatility over the past 5 years. SMFG returned 33.7% a year at 29.4% volatility, against 25.3% a year at 34.4%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, IBKR (investment banking & brokerage) earned more for the risk it took than KB over the past 5 years, and its worst fall in 10 years was 55.1%, against 64.1% for KB.
- Few investments have done better on both counts: only 32 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than KB with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them XOM, CAT and HSBC.

The 15 strongest of 32 investments that beat KB 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 KB | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| KB: KB Financial Group Inc. (this page) |  | +25.3% | 34.4% | 0.83 | −64.1% | +390% |  |  |
| NHC: National HealthCare Corporation | Medical - Care Facilities | +32.0% | 28.5% | 1.12 | −35.3% | +394% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [MCK](https://easycompare.io/research/mck): McKesson Corporation | Health Care Distribution | +38.7% | 25.0% | 1.44 | −38.1% | +586% | 0.39 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [SMFG](https://easycompare.io/research/smfg): Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. | Banks | +33.7% | 29.4% | 1.14 | −47.6% | +474% | 0.49 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [CAH](https://easycompare.io/research/cah): Cardinal Health, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +42.1% | 24.7% | 1.55 | −46.1% | +349% | 0.23 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| CASY: Casey's General Stores, Inc. | Convenience Stores | +29.9% | 29.3% | 1.04 | −36.1% | +537% | 0.47 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [TRGP](https://easycompare.io/research/trgp): Targa Resources Corp. | Oil & Gas Midstream | +41.8% | 31.7% | 1.27 | −90.8% | +829% | 0.46 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [CNQ](https://easycompare.io/research/cnq): Canadian Natural Resources Limited | Oil & Gas | +26.5% | 32.5% | 0.89 | −77.5% | +433% | 0.55 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [IMO](https://easycompare.io/research/imo): Imperial Oil Limited | Integrated Oil & Gas | +34.3% | 32.0% | 1.09 | −77.1% | +430% | 0.59 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | International Equity | +26.6% | 19.1% | 1.34 | −39.1% | +428% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [CAT](https://easycompare.io/research/cat): Caterpillar Inc. | Industrial Machinery | +31.1% | 31.9% | 1.01 | −43.4% | +936% | 0.46 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [APH](https://easycompare.io/research/aph): Amphenol Corporation | Electronic Components | +33.8% | 32.2% | 1.07 | −37.5% | +965% | 0.46 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [PH](https://easycompare.io/research/ph): Parker-Hannifin Corporation | Industrial Machinery | +27.4% | 28.8% | 0.99 | −54.7% | +789% | 0.51 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| MOG-A: Moog Inc. | Aerospace & Defense | +36.6% | 32.0% | 1.14 | −63.7% | +595% | 0.33 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| CW: Curtiss-Wright Corporation | Aerospace & Defense | +30.8% | 28.7% | 1.08 | −48.7% | +512% | 0.43 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| BAP: Credicorp Ltd. | Banks | +30.8% | 30.3% | 1.04 | −59.2% | +298% | 0.37 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |

## KB against its popular alternatives

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

### How do KB'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.

- Eight of the 19 popular alternatives, led by SMFG, MFG and MUFG, were both more rewarding and calmer than KB over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Over the past 5 years, KB returned 25.4% a year, more than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (34.4% against 17.1%).

### Has KB consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

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

- Two of the 19 popular alternatives, CIB and BAP, outperformed KB in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- HSBC, SMFG and MUFG earned more for the risk they took than KB (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 KB | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| KB: KB Financial Group Inc. (this page) | +49.0% | +214% | +209% | +390% |  |  | 0.83 |
| CIB: Grupo Cibest S.A. | +81.1% | +398% | +314% | +345% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 1.03 |
| BAP: Credicorp Ltd. | +61.4% | +275% | +283% | +298% | 3/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 1.04 |
| [SMFG](https://easycompare.io/research/smfg): Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. | +53.5% | +181% | +327% | +474% | 2/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 1.14 |
| [MUFG](https://easycompare.io/research/mufg): Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | +41.3% | +184% | +319% | +483% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 1.13 |
| [MFG](https://easycompare.io/research/mfg): Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. | +53.1% | +216% | +326% | +345% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 1.10 |
| [ITUB](https://easycompare.io/research/itub): Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. | +46.3% | +147% | +221% | +190% | 2/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.86 |
| WF: Woori Financial Group Inc. | +33.5% | +215% | +221% | +282% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.90 |
| [HSBC](https://easycompare.io/research/hsbc): HSBC Holdings plc | +47.7% | +201% | +318% | +319% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 1.24 |
| [BCS](https://easycompare.io/research/bcs): Barclays PLC | +15.1% | +242% | +134% | +238% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.67 |
| EWY: iShares MSCI South Korea ETF | +74.1% | +191% | +112% | +230% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.61 |
| [BBD](https://easycompare.io/research/bbd): Banco Bradesco S.A. | +31.6% | +90.7% | +69.3% | +35.5% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.47 |
| [BSBR](https://easycompare.io/research/bsbr): Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A. | +6.6% | +18.6% | −2.6% | −1.2% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.16 |
| FLKR: Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF | +76.6% | +196% | +111% | — | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.62 |
| [IBN](https://easycompare.io/research/ibn): ICICI Bank Limited | −2.8% | +37.6% | +55.5% | +318% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.49 |
| IXG: iShares Global Financials ETF | +15.4% | +103% | +78.1% | +220% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.76 |
| BCH: Banco de Chile | +25.2% | +138% | +208% | +180% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.94 |
| BSAC: Banco Santander-Chile | +24.0% | +124% | +144% | +154% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.76 |
| [HDB](https://easycompare.io/research/hdb): HDFC Bank Limited | −35.0% | −13.3% | −34.6% | +49.4% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.17 |
| SHG: Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. | +35.9% | +194% | +160% | +175% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.77 |

### How did KB do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2001, along with where KB ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, KB finished in the top quarter in five of 25 years and in the bottom quarter in eight. In 2025, it ranked 14 of 20.
- KB finished ahead of the S&P 500 in nine of its 25 full calendar years, and ahead of it in each of the last two.
- Among its popular alternatives, BBD came out ahead of KB most often, in 16 of the 24 years both traded.

| Year | KB | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +56.6% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +41.7% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +10.3% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −11.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +22.6% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | −0.5% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +2.9% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −25.3% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +71.0% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +30.6% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How KB 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 KB's worst declines?

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

- In all five of KB's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: KB fell 29.3% from November to December 2000, while the S&P 500 slipped only 4.8%.
- The slowest recovery came after KB fell 84.8% from April 2007 to November 2008; it did not regain that peak until July 2024, 16 years later.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −84.8% | April 12, 2007 | November 20, 2008 | July 5, 2024 | −46.3% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −56.5% | May 29, 2002 | March 31, 2003 | July 27, 2005 | −19.7% | dot-com bust |
| −43.3% | January 9, 2001 | April 9, 2001 | August 14, 2001 | −11.5% | dot-com bust |
| −34.4% | October 25, 2024 | April 8, 2025 | May 21, 2025 | −13.7% |  |
| −29.3% | November 9, 2000 | December 4, 2000 | January 5, 2001 | −4.8% | dot-com bust |

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

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

- KB fell further than the S&P 500 in seven of the nine crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when KB fell 84.0% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.
- Among its popular alternatives, EWY held up best, falling less than KB in eight of the nine crashes they both traded through.
- KB began trading after the dot-com bust, but seven of its popular alternatives lived through it. The mildest fall among them was BSAC's 28.0%, against 47.5% for the S&P 500.

| Crash | Dates | KB 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 | −84.0% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −0.9% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −42.2% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −26.9% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −7.5% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −20.1% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −39.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −42.9% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −3.1% | −3.4% |

### How closely does KB 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, KB captured 106% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 93% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.92. Its share of the market's gains was larger than its share of the losses.
- BAP took just 82% of the S&P 500's losses, against 93% for KB, while still keeping 88% of its gains.
- Seven of the 18 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than KB's 1.14, led by BCH, MUFG and SMFG.

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

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| KB: KB Financial Group Inc. (this page) | 106% | 93.0% | 0.92 |
| CIB: Grupo Cibest S.A. | 119% | 133% | 0.99 |
| BAP: Credicorp Ltd. | 88.0% | 82.0% | 0.88 |
| [SMFG](https://easycompare.io/research/smfg): Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. | 84.0% | 43.0% | 0.65 |
| [MUFG](https://easycompare.io/research/mufg): Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | 84.0% | 42.0% | 0.66 |
| [MFG](https://easycompare.io/research/mfg): Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. | 75.0% | 42.0% | 0.54 |
| [ITUB](https://easycompare.io/research/itub): Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. | 66.0% | 58.0% | 0.65 |
| WF: Woori Financial Group Inc. | 102% | 102% | 0.89 |
| [HSBC](https://easycompare.io/research/hsbc): HSBC Holdings plc | 79.0% | 53.0% | 0.58 |
| [BCS](https://easycompare.io/research/bcs): Barclays PLC | 113% | 131% | 1.26 |
| EWY: iShares MSCI South Korea ETF | 110% | 123% | 1.23 |
| [BBD](https://easycompare.io/research/bbd): Banco Bradesco S.A. | 62.0% | 103% | 0.72 |
| [BSBR](https://easycompare.io/research/bsbr): Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A. | 56.0% | 102% | 0.74 |
| [IBN](https://easycompare.io/research/ibn): ICICI Bank Limited | 83.0% | 66.0% | 0.74 |
| IXG: iShares Global Financials ETF | 92.0% | 102% | 0.95 |
| BCH: Banco de Chile | 45.0% | 19.0% | 0.36 |
| BSAC: Banco Santander-Chile | 66.0% | 65.0% | 0.66 |
| [HDB](https://easycompare.io/research/hdb): HDFC Bank Limited | 52.0% | 77.0% | 0.71 |
| SHG: Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. | 99.0% | 114% | 0.92 |

### What diversifies KB?

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 KB into DXJ would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 16% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+26.9% for KB alone, +27.7% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, PJUL and SMH have moved largely independently of KB over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.49 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- CAH made money in five of the nine calendar years in which KB lost money.

| Investment | Correlation with KB | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in KB's 9 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.40 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 4 of 9 |
| PJUL: Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF | 0.49 | +64.4% | 8.6% | 1.20 | 1 of 9 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.34 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 4 of 9 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.37 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 4 of 9 |
| IOO: iShares Global 100 ETF | 0.49 | +107% | 17.2% | 0.94 | 3 of 9 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.39 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 1 of 9 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.47 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 3 of 9 |
| EWT: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 0.47 | +153% | 24.2% | 0.89 | 3 of 9 |

## Common questions

### What was KB's worst drawdown?

KB's deepest decline since it began trading in 2000 was 84.8%, from April 2007 to November 2008. It took about 16 years from the low to climb back to its old high.

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

Over 25 full calendar years, KB's best year was 2001, when it returned 267%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -64.3%.

### Is there a better investment than KB?

Among KB's popular alternatives, SMFG, BAP and MUFG earned more than KB with less volatility over the past 5 years. SMFG returned 33.7% a year at 29.4% volatility, against 25.3% a year at 34.4%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, IBKR (investment banking & brokerage) earned more for the risk it took than KB over the past 5 years, and its worst fall in 10 years was 55.1%, against 64.1% for KB.

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

Yes. KB's volatility over the past 5 years was 34.4%, 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, KB's return lands within 34.4% 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 KB's Sharpe ratio?

KB's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.83, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so KB 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 KB with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, KB's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.51 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 KB instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a KB holding.

### What are the best alternatives to KB?

Of the 19 popular alternatives we compared, two outperformed KB in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: CIB and BAP.

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

KB finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in nine of 25 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +56.6%, against +17.7% for the index.

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

KB fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in one of the nine major crashes it has traded through, and further in seven. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when KB fell 84.0% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

### What diversifies KB?

These had a low correlation with KB over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.40), PJUL (correlation 0.49) and SMH (correlation 0.34); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.23), CLS (correlation 0.39) and FIX (correlation 0.38). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/smfg)
- [Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/mufg)
- [Mizuho Financial Group (MFG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/mfg)
- [Itaú Unibanco Holding (ITUB) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/itub)
- [HSBC Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/hsbc)
- [Barclays (BCS) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/bcs)
- [Banco Bradesco (BBD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/bbd)
- [Banco Santander (Brasil) (BSBR) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/bsbr)
- [ICICI Bank (IBN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ibn)
- [HDFC Bank (HDB) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/hdb)
- [Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/schd)
- [NVIDIA (NVDA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/nvda)

## Explore further

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