EasyCompare

Relative Intelligence · Computer Hardware

How Seagate Technology (STX) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on STX alone. It places STX (Seagate Technology Holdings plc) against 17 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 STX stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: STX's full trading record, from December 2002 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 STX →Chart STX vs. 17 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

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

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in STX over the past 23 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of STX over the same span and STX'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: STX began trading on December 11, 2002, so the chart cannot reach back to the dot-com bust. It covers the most recent 23 years of STX's record, starting at the end of September 2003.

Choose a period

From the end of September 2003 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. 48 of the 1,407 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of STX; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$10,000$100,000$1M$10M200320072011201520192023$10,000$100,000$1M$10M2003200920152021
  • NVDA$19M+188,297% total · +38.8% a year
  • AAPL$11M+107,372% total · +35.5% a year
  • FIX$5M+53,952% total · +31.5% a year
  • AMZN$1M+10,195% total · +22.3% a year
  • MU$814,161+8,042% total · +21.1% a year
  • STX$713,300+7,033% total · +20.4% a year
  • WDC$584,113+5,741% total · +19.3% a year
  • MRVL$328,550+3,185% total · +16.4% a year
  • MSFT$301,386+2,914% total · +16.0% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$116,093+1,061% total · +11.2% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

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. 10 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of STX; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000$100,000$200,000202120222023202420252026$10,000$100,000202120222023202420252026
  • CLS$407,013+3,970% total · +110% a year
  • FIX$236,701+2,267% total · +88.3% a year
  • BELFB$203,703+1,937% total · +82.7% a year
  • MU$153,675+1,437% total · +72.7% a year
  • BE$147,957+1,380% total · +71.4% a year
  • STX$128,799+1,188% total · +66.7% a year
  • DELL$112,363+1,024% total · +62.2% a year
  • WDC$107,081+971% total · +60.7% a year
  • MRVL$44,627+346% total · +34.9% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

STX 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: STX began trading on December 11, 2002, 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
$154B
Industry
Computer Hardware
Price history from
December 2002

Returns

Past 1 year
+217%total return
Past 3 years
+975%+121% a year
Past 5 years
+866%+57.4% a year
Past 10 years
+2,698%+39.5% a year
Best calendar year
+313%2009
Worst calendar year
−82.0%2008
Losing years
7 of 23full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
48.7%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
1.18return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−88.7%Nov 2007 to Jan 2009
From its all-time high
−38.2%below the peak

STX against the whole market

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

How does STX rank among all stocks?

This section ranks STX 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 STX 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.

MeasureSTXRankStanding
1-year return+217%30 of 3,287top 1%
3-year return+975%31 of 3,017top 1%
5-year return+866%22 of 2,893top 1%
10-year return+2,698%24 of 2,202top 1%
Volatility, 5 years48.7%1,868 of 2,893bottom 36%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years1.1827 of 2,893top 1%
Worst decline, past 10 years−57.0%760 of 2,187top 35%

What has beaten STX 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). STX sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than STX 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 STX. 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than STXSTX: +57.4% a year, volatility 48.7%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%MU: +68.1% a year, volatility 57.1%FIX: +77.0% a year, volatility 46.7%ATI: +61.8% a year, volatility 42.9%CRS: +63.9% a year, volatility 46.5%BELFB: +78.0% a year, volatility 52.1%STXSPY (S&P 500)MUFIXATICRSBELFB10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than STXSTX: +57.4% a year, volatility 48.7%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%MU: +68.1% a year, volatility 57.1%FIX: +77.0% a year, volatility 46.7%ATI: +61.8% a year, volatility 42.9%CRS: +63.9% a year, volatility 46.5%BELFB: +78.0% a year, volatility 52.1%STXSPY (S&P 500)MUFIXATIBELFB
  • Popular alternatives
  • The whole market

Is there a better investment than STX?

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

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

Screen the whole market against STX for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 6 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 STX?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
STXSeagate Technology Holdings plc · this page
+57.4%48.7%1.18−57.0%+2,698%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.580.09%
Popular alternativesbest 1 shownThe investments people most often weigh against STX. 1 of 16 passed at least one test.
MUMicron Technology, Inc. · Semiconductors
Higher return in most periods+68.1%57.1%1.20−57.6%+5,243%0.76—
The whole marketbest 4 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 4 of 3,473 passed at least one test.
FIXComfort Systems USA, Inc. · Engineering & Construction
On the frontierHigher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+77.0%46.7%1.46−49.7%+5,305%0.49—
ATIATI Inc. · Metals & Mining
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatility+61.8%42.9%1.34−82.4%+929%0.22—
CRSCarpenter Technology Corporation · Metals & Mining
On the frontierHigher return, similar volatility+63.9%46.5%1.30−74.7%+1,021%0.21—
BELFBBel Fuse Inc. · Hardware, Equipment & Parts
On the frontierHigher return, similar volatility+78.0%52.1%1.37−79.8%+872%0.38—
What these numbers mean for STX
Annual return
STX returned 57.4% 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 $96,600. 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
STX's volatility over the past 5 years was 48.7%, 2.8 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, STX's return lands within 48.7% 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
STX's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.18, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so STX 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
STX's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 57.0%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 57.0% fall takes a 133% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, STX's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.58 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 STX instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a STX holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 1 stock or fund worth at least $500 million that earned more than STX 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 STXExpense
1
ATIATI Inc. · Metals & Mining
Whole market+61.8%42.9%1.34−82.4%+929%0.22—

STX against its popular alternatives

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

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

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

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100%120%140%160%180%−40.0%−20.0%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilitySTX: 57.4% a year, volatility 48.7%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%DELL: 55.2% a year, volatility 54.4%WDC: 53.8% a year, volatility 53.5%MRVL: 29.5% a year, volatility 65.2%SIMO: 28.0% a year, volatility 55.1%QMCO: −30.2% a year, volatility 163%SMCI: 55.8% a year, volatility 89.4%MU: 68.2% a year, volatility 57.1%MSFT: 12.5% a year, volatility 28.2%NTAP: 20.9% a year, volatility 35.3%HPE: 32.9% a year, volatility 42.2%AVGO: 48.3% a year, volatility 44.5%GOOG: 19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%AMZN: 9.0% a year, volatility 36.6%VIAV: 17.9% a year, volatility 47.9%IBM: 16.6% a year, volatility 30.5%NTCT: 7.0% a year, volatility 33.4%STXSPY (S&P 500)MRVLSIMOQMCOSMCIMUNTAPHPEAVGOGOOGVIAVNTCT0.0%50.0%100%150%200%−40.0%−20.0%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilitySTX: 57.4% a year, volatility 48.7%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%DELL: 55.2% a year, volatility 54.4%WDC: 53.8% a year, volatility 53.5%MRVL: 29.5% a year, volatility 65.2%SIMO: 28.0% a year, volatility 55.1%QMCO: −30.2% a year, volatility 163%SMCI: 55.8% a year, volatility 89.4%MU: 68.2% a year, volatility 57.1%MSFT: 12.5% a year, volatility 28.2%NTAP: 20.9% a year, volatility 35.3%HPE: 32.9% a year, volatility 42.2%AVGO: 48.3% a year, volatility 44.5%GOOG: 19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%AMZN: 9.0% a year, volatility 36.6%VIAV: 17.9% a year, volatility 47.9%IBM: 16.6% a year, volatility 30.5%NTCT: 7.0% a year, volatility 33.4%STXSPY (S&P 500)DELLMRVLSIMOQMCOSMCIMUNTAPAVGOGOOGNTCT
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
MU Micron Technology, Inc.+68.2%57.1%
STX This pageSeagate Technology Holdings plc+57.4%48.7%
SMCI Super Micro Computer, Inc.+55.8%89.4%
DELL Dell Technologies Inc.+55.2%54.4%
WDC Western Digital Corporation+53.8%53.5%
AVGO Broadcom Inc.+48.3%44.5%
HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company+32.9%42.2%
MRVL Marvell Technology, Inc.+29.5%65.2%
SIMO Silicon Motion Technology Corporation+28.0%55.1%
NTAP NetApp, Inc.+20.9%35.3%
GOOG Alphabet Inc.+19.0%32.0%
VIAV Viavi Solutions Inc.+17.9%47.9%
IBM International Business Machines Corporation+16.6%30.5%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation+12.5%28.2%
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.+9.0%36.6%
NTCT NetScout Systems, Inc.+7.0%33.4%
QMCO Quantum Corporation−30.2%163%
Open these 18 in EasyCompare

Has STX consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

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

A green cell means the alternative earned more than STX 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
STX Seagate Technology Holdings plc (this page)—−23.0%−15.8%+25.3%+136%+217%+975%+866%+2,698%48.7%1.18−57.0%—$154B—
MU QualifiedMicron Technology, Inc.5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather−14.2%+3.6%+99.9%+184%+334%+1,246%+1,244%+5,243%57.1%1.20−57.6%—$1.0T—
DELL Computer HardwareDell Technologies Inc.4/5 short1/3 long−19.6%+21.3%+127%+265%+217%+636%+800%+3,701%54.4%1.08−59.6%—$294B—
WDC Computer HardwareWestern Digital Corporation1/5 short1/3 long−18.7%−25.2%−2.6%+94.3%+200%+1,030%+759%+911%53.5%1.07−70.5%—$136B—
MRVL SemiconductorsMarvell Technology, Inc.4/5 short0/3 long−6.6%+23.4%+62.7%+169%+181%+390%+264%+1,874%65.2%0.72−61.9%—$211B—
SNDK Computer HardwareSandisk Corporation4/5 short0/3 long−22.7%−1.8%+49.5%+396%+822%—————−56.5%—$197B—
MSFT Software - InfrastructureMicrosoft Corporation3/5 short0/3 long+6.0%+32.5%+27.7%+13.2%+3.8%+66.6%+80.3%+946%28.2%0.56−37.1%—$3.9T—
NTAP Computer HardwareNetApp, Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+6.2%+30.6%+97.7%+99.3%+81.9%+198%+159%+691%35.3%0.71−58.1%—$41B—
SIMO SemiconductorsSilicon Motion Technology Corporation3/5 short0/3 long−20.6%−15.2%+54.7%+130%+125%+320%+243%+494%55.1%0.71−56.5%—$7.2B—
HPE Computer HardwareHewlett Packard Enterprise Company3/5 short0/3 long−9.1%+26.3%+103%+135%+150%+296%+315%+483%42.2%0.89−56.9%—$74B—
QMCO Computer HardwareQuantum Corporation3/5 short0/3 long−27.2%+72.8%+164%+171%+83.5%+86.2%−83.4%−85.8%163%0.42−98.7%—$748M—
AVGO SemiconductorsBroadcom Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−7.8%−11.4%−16.0%−3.3%−3.5%+305%+617%+2,380%44.5%1.11−48.3%—$1.6T—
SMCI Computer HardwareSuper Micro Computer, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−21.2%+36.3%+12.7%+4.9%−41.0%+30.6%+817%+1,383%89.4%0.94−84.8%—$21B—
GOOG Internet Content & InformationAlphabet Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−4.1%−4.2%+0.4%+6.9%+31.2%+148%+138%+752%32.0%0.71−44.6%—$4.1T—
AMZN Specialty RetailAmazon.com, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+1.6%+5.1%+5.8%+16.0%+21.3%+110%+53.8%+548%36.6%0.42−56.1%—$2.8T—
VIAV Communication EquipmentViavi Solutions Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−4.1%−11.9%−22.2%+91.3%+164%+359%+127%+376%47.9%0.58−62.9%—$8.5B—
IBM Information Technology ServicesInternational Business Machines Corporation2/5 short0/3 long+4.3%+14.4%−3.3%−15.3%−12.5%+93.5%+116%+151%30.5%0.66−41.1%—$228B—
NTCT Software - InfrastructureNetScout Systems, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−0.6%−6.8%+18.0%+44.1%+46.1%+72.8%+40.5%+32.8%33.4%0.37−54.0%—$2.8B—
Open these 18 in EasyCompare

How did STX do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2003, along with where STX ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with STX and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Note: STX began trading on December 11, 2002, so the table starts with 2003, 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 STX; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places STX among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of STX20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003
STX This pageSeagate Technology Holdings plc—+225%+4.1%+69.1%−51.4%+87.5%+10.2%+62.1%−2.9%+13.4%+13.4%−42.4%+22.5%+89.7%+95.5%+12.9%−17.4%+313%−82.0%−2.2%+34.4%+17.8%−6.9%+77.7%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 7 of 233 of 1713 of 176 of 1714 of 172 of 1711 of 176 of 178 of 1711 of 1712 of 1612 of 159 of 154 of 151 of 154 of 1513 of 152 of 1412 of 149 of 133 of 134 of 125 of 115 of 11
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF9 of 23+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%
MU Micron Technology, Inc.10 of 23+240%−1.0%+71.9%−45.9%+24.2%+39.8%+69.5%−22.8%+87.6%+54.7%−59.5%+60.9%+243%+0.8%−21.6%−24.1%+301%−63.6%−48.0%+4.9%+7.8%−8.3%+38.2%
DELL Dell Technologies Inc.6 of 9+11.2%+53.0%+95.9%−26.6%+51.3%+42.6%+5.1%+8.6%+47.8%——————————————
WDC Western Digital Corporation11 of 23+284%+13.9%+66.0%−51.6%+17.7%−10.9%+77.1%−51.9%+19.8%+17.5%−44.3%+34.0%+101%+39.1%−8.7%−23.2%+286%−62.1%+47.7%+10.0%+71.7%−8.2%+84.5%
MRVL Marvell Technology, Inc.12 of 23−22.8%+83.8%+63.7%−57.5%+84.6%+80.3%+65.7%−23.6%+56.9%+60.5%−37.8%+2.5%+102%−46.7%−25.3%−10.6%+211%−52.3%−27.1%−31.6%+58.1%+87.1%+101%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation12 of 23+15.6%+12.9%+58.2%−28.0%+52.5%+42.5%+57.6%+20.8%+40.8%+15.1%+22.7%+27.5%+44.3%+5.8%−4.5%−6.5%+60.5%−44.4%+20.8%+15.8%−1.0%+9.2%+6.2%
NTAP NetApp, Inc.12 of 23−5.9%+34.2%+51.1%−32.9%+42.5%+10.9%+7.4%+9.7%+59.9%+36.6%−34.7%+2.5%+23.5%−7.5%−34.0%+60.0%+146%−44.0%−36.4%+45.4%−18.7%+62.5%+105%
SIMO Silicon Motion Technology Corporation9 of 20+76.9%−8.9%−4.9%−30.4%+102%−1.8%+51.7%−33.1%+27.1%+37.6%+35.4%+72.5%+4.6%−30.5%+381%+24.5%+48.8%−87.1%+12.1%+32.3%———
HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company3 of 10+15.5%+29.1%+9.7%+4.5%+37.4%−21.9%+23.7%−5.7%+8.6%+54.2%—————————————
QMCO Quantum Corporation6 of 23−88.0%+672%−68.0%−80.3%−9.8%−17.5%+271%−64.5%−15.4%−10.5%−47.2%+46.7%−3.2%−48.3%−35.5%+27.0%+714%−86.6%+16.0%−23.9%+16.4%−16.0%+16.9%
AVGO Broadcom Inc.10 of 16+50.6%+110%+104%−13.3%+56.5%+45.0%+29.0%+2.2%+48.2%+23.6%+46.1%+93.4%+70.0%+12.0%+3.0%+55.4%———————
SMCI Super Micro Computer, Inc.11 of 18−4.0%+7.2%+246%+87.0%+38.5%+32.1%+73.9%−34.0%−25.6%+14.7%−29.8%+103%+68.6%−35.0%+36.5%+3.6%+75.3%−17.5%—————
GOOG Alphabet Inc.10 of 21+65.4%+35.6%+58.8%−38.7%+65.2%+31.0%+29.1%−1.0%+35.6%+1.7%+44.5%−6.0%+58.5%+9.5%+8.8%−4.2%+101%−55.5%+50.2%+11.1%+115%——
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.11 of 23+5.2%+44.4%+80.9%−49.6%+2.4%+76.3%+23.0%+28.4%+56.0%+10.9%+118%−22.2%+59.0%+45.0%−3.9%+33.7%+163%−44.7%+135%−16.5%+6.8%−16.0%+178%
VIAV Viavi Solutions Inc.6 of 23+76.4%+0.3%−4.2%−40.4%+17.6%−0.1%+49.3%+15.0%+6.9%+34.3%−21.9%+5.5%−3.8%+29.3%−27.9%+75.7%+125%−72.5%−20.2%−11.7%−25.6%−12.9%+47.3%
IBM International Business Machines Corporation9 of 23+38.2%+39.3%+21.9%+10.6%+16.6%−1.2%+23.6%−22.6%−4.9%+25.2%−11.4%−12.4%−0.2%+5.9%+27.4%+14.2%+58.7%−20.8%+12.8%+19.8%−15.8%+7.2%+20.5%
NTCT NetScout Systems, Inc.8 of 23+24.9%−1.3%−32.5%−1.7%+20.6%+13.9%+1.9%−22.4%−3.3%+2.6%−16.0%+23.5%+13.9%+47.7%−23.5%+57.4%+69.6%−32.5%+53.8%+52.3%−21.9%−8.2%+74.7%
Open these 18 in EasyCompare

Risk and diversification

How STX 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 STX's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents STX's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 2002, 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: STX began trading on December 11, 2002, 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 STX fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringSTX fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
2008 financial crisis−88.7%−43.4%Nov 2007Jan 200914 monthsFeb 20123.1 years
2015 China and oil sell-off−70.0%+2.0%Dec 2014May 201617 monthsMar 201822 months
No named crash−65.8%+3.0%Oct 2003Aug 200410 monthsNov 20073.3 years
2022 bear market−57.0%−21.4%Jan 2022Nov 202210 monthsJun 202419 months
No named crash−41.5%+2.8%Jun 2026Oct 20264 monthsNot yet—

How did STX do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far STX, 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: STX began trading on December 11, 2002, 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 STX.

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
STX This pageSeagate Technology Holdings plc—−5.2%−54.0%−25.6%−25.4%−8.4%−48.9%−34.8%−0.5%−88.7%Not yet trading
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF7 of 9−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
MU Micron Technology, Inc.2 of 9−5.3%−49.6%−42.5%−36.6%−8.8%−49.4%−46.5%−2.0%−84.2%−87.8%
DELL Dell Technologies Inc.2 of 5−5.7%−43.6%−45.9%−28.6%−7.4%—————
WDC Western Digital Corporation3 of 9−6.8%−52.4%−58.0%−41.8%−6.0%−53.0%−35.4%−1.1%−75.2%−76.5%
MRVL Marvell Technology, Inc.5 of 9−12.0%−56.8%−31.6%−26.1%−7.5%−37.6%−23.1%0.0%−74.3%—
MSFT Microsoft Corporation7 of 9−2.0%−31.0%−27.7%−18.2%−7.4%−14.4%−14.1%−2.6%−57.9%−62.9%
NTAP NetApp, Inc.5 of 9−5.4%−34.3%−34.2%−36.6%−7.3%−38.4%−34.2%−4.7%−67.6%−96.2%
SIMO Silicon Motion Technology Corporation3 of 9−7.3%−38.1%−36.8%−40.2%−12.4%−19.2%−30.8%−1.5%−92.4%—
HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company1 of 5−7.2%−30.5%−45.3%−27.4%−9.6%—————
QMCO Quantum Corporation0 of 9−16.8%−80.8%−74.1%−55.2%−35.8%−62.8%−46.4%−4.8%−97.4%−91.2%
AVGO Broadcom Inc.7 of 8−2.8%−34.3%−46.8%−15.2%−4.5%−21.6%−26.7%0.0%——
SMCI Super Micro Computer, Inc.5 of 9−12.8%−31.2%−42.6%−45.6%−9.7%−32.4%−22.7%0.0%−64.3%—
GOOG Alphabet Inc.6 of 9−3.9%−35.0%−30.8%−18.9%−9.9%−12.7%−21.1%−1.1%−65.3%—
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.7 of 9−3.4%−39.6%−22.7%−33.2%−7.1%−30.6%−20.7%−2.9%−65.3%−91.8%
VIAV Viavi Solutions Inc.5 of 9−3.0%−27.2%−37.5%−26.5%−3.0%−27.6%−41.5%−4.5%−86.0%−98.8%
IBM International Business Machines Corporation6 of 9−2.0%−16.7%−37.3%−29.1%−6.3%−23.3%−14.6%−1.5%−44.3%−58.3%
NTCT NetScout Systems, Inc.6 of 9−2.2%−20.9%−31.6%−22.7%−3.6%−53.6%−30.9%−2.7%−61.0%−89.1%
Open these 18 in EasyCompare

How closely does STX 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 STX 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 STX's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
STX This pageSeagate Technology Holdings plc169%88%1.931.58
DELL Dell Technologies Inc.154%43%3.591.13
AVGO Broadcom Inc.158%86%1.851.19
MU Micron Technology, Inc.204%114%1.791.75
MRVL Marvell Technology, Inc.167%116%1.441.68
MSFT Microsoft Corporation127%91%1.390.96
VIAV Viavi Solutions Inc.98%76%1.300.97
GOOG Alphabet Inc.132%110%1.201.12
HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company116%102%1.141.31
SMCI Super Micro Computer, Inc.189%168%1.121.74
SIMO Silicon Motion Technology Corporation126%116%1.091.41
WDC Western Digital Corporation171%163%1.051.87
NTAP NetApp, Inc.147%147%1.001.38
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.134%139%0.961.31
IBM International Business Machines Corporation89%121%0.730.95
NTCT NetScout Systems, Inc.60%97%0.620.71
QMCO Quantum Corporation95%267%0.362.65
Open these 17 in EasyCompare

What diversifies STX?

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

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202220182015201020082007200480/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
STX Seagate Technology Holdings plc (this page)1.00+866%1.18−51.4%−2.9%−42.4%−17.4%−82.0%−2.2%−6.9%55.1%+66.7%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.22+119%1.48+3.8%−5.2%—————44.6%+58.0%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.24+225%1.34+6.0%−19.8%+7.7%−1.8%−20.8%−7.4%—44.8%+60.6%
EMLP Broad MarketFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund0.20+101%1.04+10.4%−8.7%−25.3%————44.8%+57.6%
HDV Dividend & IncomeiShares Core High Dividend ETF0.21+83.3%1.00+7.1%−3.0%−0.3%————44.8%+56.7%
FTLS Broad MarketFirst Trust Long/Short Equity ETF0.49+62.9%0.99−5.6%−4.8%+4.7%————45.0%+56.1%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.45+85.0%0.96−5.1%−9.5%+4.1%————45.2%+56.9%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.18+126%0.96−0.8%−1.9%−10.7%+29.3%+4.9%+30.4%—44.9%+58.6%
XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF-0.01+177%0.93+64.4%−18.2%−21.5%+21.9%−39.0%+36.8%+33.8%44.4%+60.6%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202220182015201020082007200480/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
STX Seagate Technology Holdings plc (this page)1.00+866%1.18−51.4%−2.9%−42.4%−17.4%−82.0%−2.2%−6.9%55.1%+66.7%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.00+479%1.55+54.1%−24.5%+12.6%+21.4%−39.6%−9.8%−4.7%44.4%+64.1%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.0.45+3,143%1.47+1.3%−16.3%−6.0%+2.8%−20.5%−25.7%−6.4%50.5%+78.5%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.49+1,636%1.46+17.0%+0.8%+67.7%+8.7%−15.2%+2.1%+40.0%49.2%+73.6%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation-0.08+413%1.44+51.8%−28.4%−4.5%+13.8%−40.4%+29.7%−1.4%44.0%+63.5%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.10+690%1.41+86.6%−8.2%+17.4%————45.2%+66.6%
Open these 14 in EasyCompare

Common questions

What was STX's worst drawdown?

STX's deepest decline since it began trading in 2002 was 88.7%, from November 2007 to January 2009. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high. Because STX launched in December 2002, that record does not include the dot-com bust.

What were STX's best and worst years?

Over 23 full calendar years, STX's best year was 2009, when it returned 313%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -82.0%.

Is there a better investment than STX?

Among STX's popular alternatives, MU was ahead of STX in most short and long periods. Few investments have done better on both counts: only one of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than STX with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them ATI.

Is STX more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. STX's volatility over the past 5 years was 48.7%, 2.8 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, STX's return lands within 48.7% 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 STX's Sharpe ratio?

STX's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.18, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so STX 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 STX with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, STX's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.58 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 STX instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a STX holding.

What are the best alternatives to STX?

Of the 17 popular alternatives we compared, one outperformed STX in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: MU.

Did STX outperform the S&P 500?

STX finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 14 of 23 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +225%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did STX do in stock market crashes?

STX fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in two of the nine major crashes it has traded through, and further in seven. The clearest case was the 2015 China and oil sell-off, when STX fell 48.9% and the S&P 500 fell 12.8%.

What diversifies STX?

These had a low correlation with STX over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.22), DXJ (correlation 0.24) and EMLP (correlation 0.20); among large stocks, CAH (correlation -0.00), CLS (correlation 0.45) and FIX (correlation 0.49). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to STX