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Relative Intelligence · Environmental Services

How Republic Services (RSG) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on RSG alone. It places RSG (Republic Services, Inc.) against 10 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 RSG stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: RSG's full trading record, from July 1998 through September 2026. 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 RSG →Chart RSG vs. 10 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

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

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in RSG over the past 28 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of RSG over the same span and RSG'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.

Choose a period

From the end of September 1998 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. 299 of the 1,106 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of RSG; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 2 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$1,000$10,000$100,000$1M199820032008201320182023$1,000$10,000$100,000$1M19982005201220192026
  • CLH$3M+25,969% total · +22.0% a year
  • EPD$513,562+5,036% total · +15.1% a year
  • VMI$508,279+4,983% total · +15.1% a year
  • WAB$321,610+3,116% total · +13.2% a year
  • WTS$275,643+2,656% total · +12.6% a year
  • RSG$258,256+2,483% total · +12.3% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$121,630+1,116% total · +9.3% a year
  • WM$77,239+672% total · +7.6% a year
  • CWST$23,632+136% total · +3.1% a year
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From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 964 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of RSG; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$0$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000$50,000$60,000202120222023202420252026$0$20,000$40,000$60,000202120222023202420252026
  • CAH$49,682+397% total · +37.8% a year
  • WAB$34,242+242% total · +27.9% a year
  • CLH$29,868+199% total · +24.5% a year
  • SDCI$27,610+176% total · +22.5% a year
  • FFLC$21,980+120% total · +17.1% a year
  • WTS$21,898+119% total · +17.0% a year
  • VMI$20,517+105% total · +15.5% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • RSG$18,545+85.5% total · +13.1% a year
  • CWST$10,581+5.8% total · +1.1% a year
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RSG 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.

The company

Market value
$71B
Industry
Waste Management
Price history from
July 1998

Returns

Past 1 year
+7.1%total return
Past 3 years
+66.1%+18.4% a year
Past 5 years
+91.5%+13.9% a year
Past 10 years
+446%+18.5% a year
Best calendar year
+47.0%2021
Worst calendar year
−22.7%1999
Losing years
4 of 27full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
18.5%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
0.80return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−66.0%Jul 1998 to Oct 1999
From its all-time high
−8.2%below the peak

RSG against the whole market

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

How does RSG rank among all stocks?

This section ranks RSG 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 RSG 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.

MeasureRSGRankStanding
1-year return+7.1%1,689 of 3,287bottom 50%
3-year return+66.1%1,311 of 3,017top 43%
5-year return+91.5%732 of 2,893top 25%
10-year return+446%351 of 2,202top 16%
Volatility, 5 years18.5%54 of 2,893top 2%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years0.80290 of 2,893top 10%
Worst decline, past 10 years−34.0%57 of 2,187top 3%

What has beaten RSG 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). RSG sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than RSG 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 RSG; faint dots are 6 more of the 8 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.

10.0%12.5%15.0%17.5%20.0%22.5%25.0%27.5%30.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than RSGEPD: +16.4% a year, volatility 17.1%PVAL: +16.1% a year, volatility 15.1%IOO: +15.7% a year, volatility 17.2%EMLP: +14.9% a year, volatility 14.5%MLPA: +15.2% a year, volatility 17.2%TPYP: +16.9% a year, volatility 17.3%RSG: +13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%WTS: +15.3% a year, volatility 28.4%WAB: +25.6% a year, volatility 26.2%FFLC: +15.7% a year, volatility 16.8%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%SDCI: +20.6% a year, volatility 18.4%GLD: +17.7% a year, volatility 18.9%LVHI: +17.0% a year, volatility 11.1%XOM: +27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%ABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%HDV: +12.9% a year, volatility 13.0%RSGSPY (S&P 500)WTSWABFFLCCAHSDCIGLDLVHIXOMABBVHDV10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than RSGEPD: +16.4% a year, volatility 17.1%PVAL: +16.1% a year, volatility 15.1%IOO: +15.7% a year, volatility 17.2%EMLP: +14.9% a year, volatility 14.5%MLPA: +15.2% a year, volatility 17.2%TPYP: +16.9% a year, volatility 17.3%RSG: +13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%WTS: +15.3% a year, volatility 28.4%WAB: +25.6% a year, volatility 26.2%FFLC: +15.7% a year, volatility 16.8%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%SDCI: +20.6% a year, volatility 18.4%GLD: +17.7% a year, volatility 18.9%LVHI: +17.0% a year, volatility 11.1%XOM: +27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%ABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%HDV: +12.9% a year, volatility 13.0%RSGSPY (S&P 500)WTSWABFFLCCAHSDCIGLDLVHIXOMABBVHDV
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than RSG?

Investments that beat RSG 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 RSG 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 RSG'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 RSG 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 RSG'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× RSG's volatility counts as better.

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

Screen the whole market against RSG for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 11 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 RSG?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
RSGRepublic Services, Inc. · this page
+13.9%18.5%0.80−34.0%+446%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.330.09%
Popular alternativesbest 1 shownThe investments people most often weigh against RSG. 1 of 10 passed at least one test.
WTSWatts Water Technologies, Inc. · Industrial Machinery
Higher return in most periods+15.3%28.4%0.65−44.1%+539%0.42—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 1 shownEverything else in Environmental Services and the categories next to it (Infrastructure, Water Utilities, Industrial Machinery, Engineering & Construction), plus RSG's specific themes. 1 of 66 passed at least one test.
WABWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation · Industrial Machinery
Higher return in most periods+25.6%26.2%1.00−64.1%+264%0.31—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 106 of 3,558 passed at least one test.
FFLCFidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETF · Broad Market
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+15.7%16.8%0.95−19.7%—0.260.38%
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
On the frontierHigher return in most periods+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%0.42—
SDCIUSCF SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Strategy No K-1 Fund · Bonds
On the frontierHigher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+20.6%18.4%1.12−45.7%—0.040.80%
GLDSPDR Gold Shares · Gold
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+17.7%18.9%0.96−26.4%+213%0.150.40%
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Equity
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatility+17.0%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.350.40%
XOMExxonmobil Holdings Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+27.1%26.5%1.04−61.0%+214%0.03—
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · Pharmaceuticals
Higher return in most periods+26.1%23.4%1.11−45.1%+603%0.23—
HDViShares Core High Dividend ETF · US Dividend Equity
Similar return, lower volatility+12.9%13.0%1.00−37.0%+172%0.420.08%
What these numbers mean for RSG
Annual return
RSG returned 13.9% 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 $19,100. 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
RSG's volatility over the past 5 years was 18.5%, 1.1 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, RSG's return lands within 18.5% 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
RSG's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.80, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so RSG 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
RSG's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 34.0%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 34.0% fall takes a 51.6% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, RSG's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.33 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against RSG instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a RSG holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 8 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than RSG 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 RSGExpense
1
FFLCFidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+15.7%16.8%0.95−19.7%—0.260.38%
2
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Equity
Whole market+17.0%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.350.40%
3
EPDEnterprise Products Partners L.P. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+16.4%17.1%0.98−58.1%+178%0.38—
4
PVALPutnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+16.1%15.1%1.07−41.3%—0.400.56%
5
IOOiShares Global 100 ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+15.7%17.2%0.94−31.4%+361%0.220.40%
6
EMLPFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund · Energy Infrastructure
Whole market+14.9%14.5%1.04−43.6%+150%0.510.95%
7
MLPAGlobal X - MLP ETF · Energy
Whole market+15.2%17.2%0.91−74.3%+80.0%0.330.77%
8
TPYPTortoise North American Pipeline ETF · Energy
Whole market+16.9%17.3%0.99−51.9%+184%0.480.40%

RSG against its popular alternatives

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

How do RSG'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 RSG, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than RSG 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%−40.0%−30.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityRSG: 13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%CWST: 2.8% a year, volatility 28.1%VMI: 13.8% a year, volatility 32.7%WM: 9.3% a year, volatility 19.2%GFL: 2.1% a year, volatility 30.2%WCN: 6.1% a year, volatility 20.0%XYL: −2.5% a year, volatility 26.5%AWK: −2.8% a year, volatility 23.1%CLNE: −31.5% a year, volatility 63.6%WTS: 15.3% a year, volatility 28.4%CLH: 23.1% a year, volatility 28.6%RSGSPY (S&P 500)CWSTVMIWMWCNXYLAWKCLNEWTSCLH10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%−40.0%−30.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityRSG: 13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%CWST: 2.8% a year, volatility 28.1%VMI: 13.8% a year, volatility 32.7%WM: 9.3% a year, volatility 19.2%GFL: 2.1% a year, volatility 30.2%WCN: 6.1% a year, volatility 20.0%XYL: −2.5% a year, volatility 26.5%AWK: −2.8% a year, volatility 23.1%CLNE: −31.5% a year, volatility 63.6%WTS: 15.3% a year, volatility 28.4%CLH: 23.1% a year, volatility 28.6%RSGSPY (S&P 500)CWSTWMGFLWCNXYLAWKCLNECLH
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
CLH Clean Harbors, Inc.+23.1%28.6%
WTS Watts Water Technologies, Inc.+15.3%28.4%
RSG This pageRepublic Services, Inc.+13.9%18.5%
VMI Valmont Industries, Inc.+13.8%32.7%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
WM Waste Management, Inc.+9.3%19.2%
WCN Waste Connections, Inc.+6.1%20.0%
CWST Casella Waste Systems, Inc.+2.8%28.1%
GFL GFL Environmental Inc.+2.1%30.2%
XYL Xylem Inc.−2.5%26.5%
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.−2.8%23.1%
CLNE Clean Energy Fuels Corp.−31.5%63.6%
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Has RSG consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares RSG 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 RSG helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than RSG 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
RSG Republic Services, Inc. (this page)—+9.3%+6.0%+12.5%+11.8%+7.1%+66.1%+91.5%+446%18.5%0.80−34.0%—$71B—
WTS QualifiedWatts Water Technologies, Inc.3/5 short3/3 long+2.1%+5.3%+22.3%+29.2%+28.1%+113%+104%+539%28.4%0.65−44.1%—$12B—
CLH Waste ManagementClean Harbors, Inc.2/5 short3/3 long+1.6%+2.0%+4.2%+29.9%+30.0%+102%+183%+588%28.6%0.88−64.5%—$17B—
CWST Waste ManagementCasella Waste Systems, Inc.2/5 short1/3 long+6.9%−0.5%+17.0%−5.7%+8.3%+22.6%+14.7%+740%28.1%0.24−37.7%—$5.8B—
VMI ConglomeratesValmont Industries, Inc.1/5 short1/3 long−3.8%−14.2%+10.3%+10.0%+10.9%+98.7%+91.1%+288%32.7%0.56−48.9%—$8.7B—
WM Waste ManagementWaste Management, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+11.9%−2.6%+4.3%+7.5%+9.4%+54.9%+56.2%+344%19.2%0.56−30.1%—$93B—
GFL Waste ManagementGFL Environmental Inc.1/5 short0/3 long+4.0%+13.7%+12.9%+3.9%−2.2%+48.6%+11.1%—30.2%0.22−42.6%—$16B—
WCN Waste ManagementWaste Connections, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+9.0%−0.6%+6.5%−2.0%−1.8%+27.0%+34.2%+270%20.0%0.40−31.6%—$43B—
XYL Industrial - MachineryXylem Inc.0/5 short0/3 long−2.1%−12.6%−12.1%−22.5%−27.4%+18.7%−11.7%+143%26.5%0.04−46.7%—$25B—
AWK Regulated WaterAmerican Water Works Company, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+1.4%+2.3%+3.3%+6.4%−4.1%+26.2%−13.1%+131%23.1%-0.01−37.1%—$27B—
CLNE Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingClean Energy Fuels Corp.0/5 short0/3 long−21.5%−37.8%−41.8%−37.5%−53.1%−64.5%−85.0%−68.5%63.6%-0.28−92.9%—$298M—
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How did RSG do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1999, along with where RSG ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with RSG and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

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

InvestmentYears ahead of RSG202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999
RSG This pageRepublic Services, Inc.—+6.5%+23.0%+29.6%−6.2%+47.0%+9.5%+26.6%+8.8%+21.0%+32.9%+12.4%+24.8%+16.6%+10.0%−5.1%+8.3%+18.0%−18.9%+17.6%+9.9%+13.6%+32.4%+22.8%+5.1%+16.3%+20.6%−22.7%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 4 of 276 of 115 of 113 of 115 of 112 of 118 of 108 of 102 of 106 of 107 of 104 of 102 of 106 of 104 of 105 of 98 of 94 of 95 of 83 of 76 of 73 of 74 of 74 of 75 of 73 of 63 of 64 of 6
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF13 of 27+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%+5.1%+15.9%+4.8%+10.7%+28.2%−21.6%−11.7%−9.8%+20.4%
WTS Watts Water Technologies, Inc.15 of 27+36.8%−1.6%+43.6%−24.1%+60.6%+23.1%+56.2%−14.1%+17.9%+32.8%−20.8%+3.5%+45.4%+27.2%−5.3%+20.0%+26.0%−14.8%−26.6%+37.0%−5.1%+46.9%+43.1%+6.4%+9.8%−3.8%−9.5%
CLH Clean Harbors, Inc.14 of 27+1.9%+31.9%+52.9%+14.4%+31.1%−11.3%+73.8%−8.9%−2.6%+33.6%−13.3%−19.9%+9.0%−13.7%+51.6%+41.0%−6.0%+22.7%+6.8%+68.0%+90.9%+69.3%−42.7%+360%+89.8%+42.5%−16.7%
CWST Casella Waste Systems, Inc.11 of 27−7.4%+23.8%+7.8%−7.1%+37.9%+34.6%+61.6%+23.8%+85.5%+108%+48.0%−30.3%+32.4%−31.6%−9.7%+76.4%−1.5%−68.7%+6.6%−4.4%−12.6%+6.9%+54.0%−40.0%+70.4%−54.0%−49.1%
VMI Valmont Industries, Inc.15 of 27+32.2%+32.5%−28.7%+33.1%+44.4%+18.6%+36.5%−32.4%+18.9%+34.4%−15.4%−14.0%+9.9%+51.4%+3.1%+14.0%+28.9%−30.7%+61.5%+67.2%+34.8%+10.1%+21.0%+36.3%−20.0%+16.2%+17.6%
WM Waste Management, Inc.11 of 27+10.5%+14.3%+16.2%−4.5%+43.8%+5.5%+30.4%+5.3%+24.5%+36.4%+7.1%+18.2%+37.8%+7.6%−7.7%+13.3%+6.3%+4.8%−8.7%+24.3%+4.3%+3.7%+29.2%−28.1%+15.0%+61.5%−63.1%
GFL GFL Environmental Inc.1 of 5−3.5%+29.3%+18.2%−22.4%+29.9%——————————————————————
WCN Waste Connections, Inc.12 of 24+2.9%+15.7%+13.5%−2.0%+33.8%+13.9%+23.2%+5.5%+36.2%+41.5%+30.7%+3.1%+32.3%+5.1%+23.6%+26.0%+8.9%+7.6%+17.6%+25.1%+4.9%+41.0%+1.8%+27.5%———
XYL Xylem Inc.5 of 14+18.8%+2.6%+4.8%−6.6%+18.9%+30.9%+19.6%−1.0%+39.5%+37.6%−2.6%+11.6%+29.8%+7.1%—————————————
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.9 of 17+7.4%−3.5%−11.7%−17.9%+24.8%+26.9%+37.8%+1.3%+29.0%+23.6%+14.9%+29.4%+16.1%+20.5%+30.1%+17.2%+11.9%——————————
CLNE Clean Energy Fuels Corp.3 of 18−16.3%−34.5%−26.4%−15.2%−22.0%+236%+36.0%−15.3%−29.0%−20.6%−28.0%−61.2%+3.5%−0.1%−10.0%−10.2%+155%−60.1%—————————
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Risk and diversification

How RSG 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 RSG's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents RSG's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 1998, 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.

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

DuringRSG fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
No named crash−66.0%+10.4%Jul 1998Oct 199915 monthsApr 20044.5 years
2008 financial crisis−54.1%−43.6%Aug 2008Mar 20097 monthsMay 20112.2 years
Covid crash−34.0%−33.6%Feb 2020Mar 20201 monthNov 20208 months
2011 euro debt crisis−24.3%−16.2%May 2011Aug 20113 monthsJan 201317 months
No named crash−22.5%+26.2%Jun 2025May 202611 monthsNot yet—

How did RSG do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far RSG, 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.

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

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
RSG This pageRepublic Services, Inc.—−1.0%−15.1%−33.8%−10.6%−9.2%−8.8%−18.2%−0.4%−53.4%−34.4%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF1 of 10−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
WTS Watts Water Technologies, Inc.2 of 10−6.9%−39.4%−32.0%−26.1%−9.1%−24.6%−31.1%−3.4%−49.9%−35.1%
CLH Clean Harbors, Inc.1 of 10−5.8%−26.6%−64.5%−34.9%−8.7%−26.9%−18.4%0.0%−48.7%−56.8%
CWST Casella Waste Systems, Inc.1 of 10−3.5%−28.1%−34.5%−26.6%−4.2%−27.9%−29.2%−4.1%−96.2%−71.7%
VMI Valmont Industries, Inc.1 of 10−5.9%−17.6%−44.1%−25.8%−5.3%−17.0%−29.6%−2.7%−67.9%−37.8%
WM Waste Management, Inc.5 of 10−0.9%−16.8%−29.5%−10.7%−8.6%−6.7%−21.7%−0.7%−41.5%−32.9%
GFL GFL Environmental Inc.0 of 2−3.0%−34.4%————————
WCN Waste Connections, Inc.4 of 9−1.6%−20.6%−29.6%−11.6%−6.7%−11.1%−12.7%−1.7%−45.0%—
XYL Xylem Inc.1 of 6−3.8%−37.9%−35.9%−24.2%−7.2%−12.9%————
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.4 of 8−3.3%−28.9%−31.1%−11.8%−5.9%−6.8%−13.4%−3.2%——
CLNE Clean Energy Fuels Corp.1 of 9−5.3%−50.1%−62.6%−40.7%−2.7%−64.6%−38.7%−12.9%−82.4%—
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How closely does RSG 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 RSG 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 RSG's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
RSG This pageRepublic Services, Inc.71%34%2.110.55
CWST Casella Waste Systems, Inc.106%68%1.550.85
WM Waste Management, Inc.68%44%1.540.62
WCN Waste Connections, Inc.65%47%1.370.60
WTS Watts Water Technologies, Inc.102%80%1.281.02
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.48%45%1.070.44
CLH Clean Harbors, Inc.126%118%1.061.27
VMI Valmont Industries, Inc.105%115%0.911.27
XYL Xylem Inc.90%123%0.731.03
CLNE Clean Energy Fuels Corp.85%233%0.371.89
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What diversifies RSG?

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 RSG's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing RSG 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 RSG lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% RSG and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202220112008199980/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
RSG Republic Services, Inc. (this page)1.00+91.5%0.80−6.2%−5.1%−18.9%−22.7%18.3%+13.2%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.35+119%1.48+3.8%———15.4%+14.1%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.24+225%1.34+6.0%−16.1%−20.8%—15.5%+16.1%
HDV Dividend & IncomeiShares Core High Dividend ETF0.42+83.3%1.00+7.1%———16.1%+13.2%
MLPX EnergyGlobal X - MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF0.44+135%0.97+21.5%———16.7%+14.9%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF0.05+323%0.97−33.5%+6.8%−44.7%—16.6%+19.0%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.40+85.0%0.96−5.1%———15.7%+13.5%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.15+126%0.96−0.8%+9.6%+4.9%—15.6%+14.6%
SPMO Broad MarketInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF0.27+136%0.93−10.4%———16.3%+15.3%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202220112008199980/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
RSG Republic Services, Inc. (this page)1.00+91.5%0.80−6.2%−5.1%−18.9%−22.7%18.3%+13.2%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.42+479%1.55+54.1%+8.1%−39.6%−36.8%17.6%+18.3%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.-0.19+3,143%1.47+1.3%−24.4%−20.5%+350%17.0%+32.1%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.19+1,636%1.46+17.0%−17.0%−15.2%−58.7%18.6%+27.3%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.41+413%1.44+51.8%+11.8%−40.4%−71.3%17.4%+17.7%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.15+690%1.41+86.6%———16.9%+20.6%
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Common questions

What was RSG's worst drawdown?

RSG's deepest decline since it began trading in 1998 was 66.0%, from July 1998 to October 1999. It took about four years from the low to climb back to its old high.

What were RSG's best and worst years?

Over 27 full calendar years, RSG's best year was 2021, when it returned 47.0%. Its worst was 1999, with a return of -22.7%.

Is there a better investment than RSG?

Among RSG's popular alternatives, WTS was ahead of RSG in most short and long periods, though with much bigger swings (28.4% volatility against 18.5%). Looking beyond its popular alternatives, WAB (industrial machinery) was ahead of RSG in most short and long periods, though with much bigger swings (26.2% volatility against 18.5%).

Is RSG more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. RSG's volatility over the past 5 years was 18.5%, 1.1 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, RSG's return lands within 18.5% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is RSG's Sharpe ratio?

RSG's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.80, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so RSG 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 RSG with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, RSG's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.33 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against RSG instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a RSG holding.

What are the best alternatives to RSG?

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

Did RSG outperform the S&P 500?

RSG finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 14 of 27 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +6.4%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did RSG do in stock market crashes?

RSG fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in seven of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in one. The clearest case was the dot-com bust, when RSG fell 34.4% and the S&P 500 fell 47.5%.

What diversifies RSG?

These had a low correlation with RSG over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.35), DXJ (correlation 0.24) and HDV (correlation 0.42); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.42), CLS (correlation -0.19) and FIX (correlation 0.19). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to RSG

Other stocks and ETFs