EWY vs SPY: which was the better investment?
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF against SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from May 12, 2000 to Jul 15, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Did EWY beat SPY?
Yes — measured from May 12, 2000 to Jul 15, 2026 with dividends reinvested, EWY came out ahead: $123,087 versus $84,106 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 10.1% annual return against 8.5%.
What would $10,000 in EWY be worth today?
$10,000 invested in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) on May 12, 2000 would be worth about $123,087 as of Jul 15, 2026, a total return of 1130.9% (10.1% per year). The same $10,000 in SPY would be worth $84,106.
Which was riskier — EWY or SPY?
EWY swung with an annualized volatility of 33.4% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -74.1%; SPY ran at 19.1% volatility with a -55.2% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.24 for EWY vs 0.34 for SPY.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering May 12, 2000 through Jul 15, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with EWY vs SPY. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.