ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX) Performance
ARKX total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +3.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −1.7% total return
- 5 years
- +8.1% a year
- Since first price
- +7.2% a year since 2021
ARKX trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | ARKX total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −8.7% | −8.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −3.6% | −3.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −9.9% | −9.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +3.0% | +3.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −1.7% | −1.7% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +126.9%+31.4%/yr | +126.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +47.8%+8.1%/yr | +47.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionMar 30, 2021 | +47.0%+7.2%/yr | +47.0% | — | — | — |
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: ARKX vs SPY
From Mar 30, 2021: ARKX grew to $14,700, SPY to $20,718.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
ARKX returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2025 (+48.5%), worst 2022 (−34.3%). 2026 is year to date.
ARKX annual returns table
| Year | ARKX | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +3.0% | −21.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +48.5% | −25.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +26.7% | −12.2% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +24.4% | −18.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −34.3% | −36.8% | −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.
ARKX largest drawdowns
Now 20.9% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2021 | −43.6% | Oct 14, 2022 | Jan 21, 2025 | 1.1 years | 3.4 years |
| Jan 24, 2025 | −25.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 6, 2025 | 2 months | 4 months |
| May 28, 2026 | −21.8% | Jul 29, 2026 | not yet | 2 months | 5 months so far |
| Jan 16, 2026 | −20.4% | Mar 30, 2026 | May 22, 2026 | 2 months | 4 months |
| Oct 8, 2025 | −19.4% | Nov 20, 2025 | Jan 6, 2026 | 43 days | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
ARKX risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +32.3% | +10.3% | +8.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 29.1% | 28.7% | 27.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.96 | 0.36 | 0.31 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.82 | 0.58 | 0.49 |
| Best month | +24.5% | +24.5% | +24.5% |
| Worst month | −12.9% | −14.6% | −14.6% |
| Best 12 months | +93.6% | +93.6% | +93.6% |
| Worst 12 months | +11.7% | −36.8% | −36.8% |
| Positive months | 61% | 53% | 53% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.67 | 1.39 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.71 | 0.76 | — |
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.
ARKX rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 56 | −36.8% | +11.5% | +93.6% | 66% |
| 3-year (a year) | 32 | −10.8% | +21.0% | +40.0% | 72% |
| 5-year (a year) | 8 | +7.4% | +9.5% | +12.9% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
ARKX performance overview
ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX) returned −1.7% over the past year and +8.1% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +7.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $14,700. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −43.6%, from Sep 2, 2021 to Oct 14, 2022, and it took 2.3 years to get back to the old high. ARKX finished 3 of its 4 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+48.5%) and the worst 2022 (−34.3%). Volatility has been 27.7% a year.
Related: ARKX chart, ARKX holdings. See the ARKX overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
ARKX performance FAQ
What is the ARKX return over the past year?
ARKX returned −1.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 1.7%.
What is the average annual return of ARKX?
ARKX has returned +8.1% a year over 5 years, +7.2% a year since March 30, 2021 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in ARKX be worth?
$10,000 invested in ARKX at its first recorded close on March 30, 2021 would be worth about $14,700 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for ARKX?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −34.3%. The best was 2025 at +48.5%.
What is the biggest drawdown of ARKX?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −43.6% between September 2, 2021 and October 14, 2022. It recovered to the old high on January 21, 2025, 2.3 years after the bottom.
How volatile is ARKX?
Over the past 3 years ARKX had an annualized volatility of 29.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.96 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).