ALPS Clean Energy (ACES) Performance
ACES total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −20.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −25.6% total return
- 5 years
- −17.8% a year
- Since first price
- +1.2% a year since 2018
ACES trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | ACES total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −10.6% | −10.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −18.7% | −18.8% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −28.1% | −28.3% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −20.6% | −20.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −25.6% | −26.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | −13.4%−4.7%/yr | −15.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | −62.6%−17.8%/yr | −64.2% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 29, 2018 | +10.2%+1.2%/yr | +1.8% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: ACES vs SPY
From Jun 29, 2018: ACES grew to $11,025, SPY to $31,720.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
ACES returns by calendar year
3 of 7 full years positive. Best 2020 (+140.3%), worst 2022 (−28.4%). 2026 is year to date.
ACES annual returns table
| Year | ACES | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −20.6% | −40.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +25.4% | −28.1% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | −26.7% | −27.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | −20.0% | −47.2% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −28.4% | −34.1% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | −19.4% | −38.5% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +140.3% | −43.7% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +50.8% | −6.3% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
ACES largest drawdowns
Now 73.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 2021 | −79.0% | Apr 8, 2025 | not yet | 4.2 years | 5.7 years so far |
| Feb 19, 2020 | −43.7% | Mar 18, 2020 | Jul 14, 2020 | 28 days | 5 months |
| Aug 27, 2018 | −20.3% | Dec 24, 2018 | Feb 22, 2019 | 4 months | 6 months |
| Oct 9, 2020 | −10.1% | Oct 30, 2020 | Nov 9, 2020 | 21 days | 31 days |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
ACES risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | −8.1% | −15.2% | +2.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 32.3% | 36.3% | 35.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.24 | -0.37 | 0.16 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.32 | -0.49 | 0.24 |
| Best month | +17.8% | +22.5% | +27.2% |
| Worst month | −19.3% | −20.9% | −22.3% |
| Best 12 months | +73.8% | +73.8% | +173.6% |
| Worst 12 months | −26.7% | −45.4% | −45.4% |
| Positive months | 44% | 45% | 52% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.44 | 1.46 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.55 | 0.63 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
ACES rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 89 | −45.4% | −4.8% | +173.6% | 48% |
| 3-year (a year) | 65 | −30.4% | −9.4% | +50.1% | 40% |
| 5-year (a year) | 41 | −19.5% | −5.7% | +14.9% | 32% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
ACES performance overview
ALPS Clean Energy (ACES) returned −25.6% over the past year and −17.8% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +1.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $11,025. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −79.0%, from Feb 9, 2021 to Apr 8, 2025; the fund has not yet regained that high. ACES finished 3 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2020 (+140.3%) and the worst 2022 (−28.4%). Volatility has been 35.2% a year.
Related: ACES chart, ACES holdings, ACES dividends. See the ACES overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
ACES performance FAQ
What is the ACES return over the past year?
ACES returned −25.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 26.1%.
What is the average annual return of ACES?
ACES has returned −17.8% a year over 5 years, +1.2% a year since June 29, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in ACES be worth?
$10,000 invested in ACES at its first recorded close on June 29, 2018 would be worth about $11,025 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for ACES?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −28.4%. The best was 2020 at +140.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of ACES?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −79.0% between February 9, 2021 and April 8, 2025. It has not yet recovered to that high; it is 73.1% below its peak.
How volatile is ACES?
Over the past 3 years ACES had an annualized volatility of 32.3% and a Sharpe ratio of -0.24 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).