Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA) Performance
AQWA total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +0.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −4.3% total return
- 5 years
- +4.0% a year
- Since first price
- +5.2% a year since 2021
AQWA trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | AQWA total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +2.6% | +2.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −0.6% | −0.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −4.3% | −4.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +0.5% | −0.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −4.3% | −5.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +42.7%+12.6%/yr | +36.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +21.5%+4.0%/yr | +12.6% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionApr 12, 2021 | +32.3%+5.2%/yr | +22.3% | — | — | — |
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: AQWA vs SPY
From Apr 12, 2021: AQWA grew to $13,229, SPY to $19,867.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
AQWA returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2023 (+20.1%), worst 2022 (−19.9%). 2026 is year to date.
AQWA annual returns table
| Year | AQWA | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +0.5% | −14.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +13.1% | −10.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +4.3% | −8.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.1% | −14.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −19.9% | −28.8% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
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.
AQWA largest drawdowns
Now 9.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2021 | −29.4% | Oct 14, 2022 | Mar 4, 2024 | 9 months | 2.2 years |
| Oct 16, 2024 | −14.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | May 16, 2025 | 6 months | 7 months |
| Feb 26, 2026 | −14.1% | Oct 7, 2026 | not yet | 7 months | 8 months so far |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
AQWA risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +9.7% | +3.9% | +4.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.4% | 17.6% | 17.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.14 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.62 | 0.14 | 0.20 |
| Best month | +10.6% | +10.6% | +10.6% |
| Worst month | −8.8% | −10.9% | −10.9% |
| Best 12 months | +31.9% | +31.9% | +31.9% |
| Worst 12 months | −6.1% | −21.0% | −21.0% |
| Positive months | 56% | 53% | 54% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.64 | 0.86 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.52 | 0.77 | — |
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.
AQWA rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 55 | −21.0% | +6.9% | +31.9% | 71% |
| 3-year (a year) | 31 | +0.1% | +9.9% | +17.8% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 7 | +3.5% | +4.3% | +6.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
AQWA performance overview
Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA) returned −4.3% over the past year and +4.0% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +5.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $13,229. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −29.4%, from Dec 31, 2021 to Oct 14, 2022, and it took 1.4 years to get back to the old high. AQWA finished 3 of its 4 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+20.1%) and the worst 2022 (−19.9%). Volatility has been 17.4% a year.
Related: AQWA chart, AQWA holdings, AQWA dividends, AQWA valuation. See the AQWA overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
AQWA performance FAQ
What is the AQWA return over the past year?
AQWA returned −4.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 5.8%.
What is the average annual return of AQWA?
AQWA has returned +4.0% a year over 5 years, +5.2% a year since April 12, 2021 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in AQWA be worth?
$10,000 invested in AQWA at its first recorded close on April 12, 2021 would be worth about $13,229 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for AQWA?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −19.9%. The best was 2023 at +20.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of AQWA?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −29.4% between December 31, 2021 and October 14, 2022. It recovered to the old high on March 4, 2024, 1.4 years after the bottom.
How volatile is AQWA?
Over the past 3 years AQWA had an annualized volatility of 15.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.40 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).