AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (CWS) Performance
CWS total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −1.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −2.5% total return
- 5 years
- +7.0% a year
- 10 years
- +11.1% a year
- Since first price
- +10.8% a year since 2016
CWS trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | CWS total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.4% | −0.4% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −2.3% | −2.3% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −0.7% | −0.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −1.9% | −1.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −2.5% | −2.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +36.4%+10.9%/yr | +34.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +40.3%+7.0%/yr | +37.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +187.1%+11.1%/yr | +172.0% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 21, 2016 | +182.1%+10.8%/yr | +167.3% | — | — | — |
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: CWS vs SPY
From Sep 21, 2016: CWS grew to $28,210, SPY to $41,234.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
CWS returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2019 (+31.0%), worst 2022 (−10.4%). 2026 is year to date.
CWS annual returns table
| Year | CWS | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −1.9% | −11.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +6.4% | −13.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +9.8% | −9.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +25.1% | −13.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −10.4% | −23.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +22.2% | −6.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +17.1% | −33.8% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +31.0% | −4.3% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −5.9% | −18.4% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +20.9% | −4.2% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
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.
CWS largest drawdowns
Now 8.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −33.8% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 12, 2020 | 33 days | 6 months |
| Dec 31, 2021 | −24.9% | Jun 16, 2022 | Jun 15, 2023 | 5 months | 1.5 years |
| Sep 13, 2018 | −18.4% | Dec 24, 2018 | May 6, 2019 | 3 months | 8 months |
| Nov 29, 2024 | −16.6% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jan 12, 2026 | 4 months | 1.1 years |
| Aug 1, 2023 | −13.1% | Oct 27, 2023 | Dec 1, 2023 | 3 months | 4 months |
| Jan 16, 2026 | −11.9% | Mar 30, 2026 | Aug 4, 2026 | 2 months | 7 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
CWS risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +8.8% | +7.8% | +10.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.1% | 17.4% | 16.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.35 | 0.31 | 0.57 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.53 | 0.50 | 0.89 |
| Best month | +11.9% | +11.9% | +11.9% |
| Worst month | −9.0% | −9.0% | −12.6% |
| Best 12 months | +37.2% | +37.2% | +46.5% |
| Worst 12 months | −2.8% | −11.5% | −11.5% |
| Positive months | 56% | 53% | 60% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.86 | 0.92 | 0.92 |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.71 | 0.83 | 0.86 |
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.
CWS rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 110 | −11.5% | +10.3% | +46.5% | 84% |
| 3-year (a year) | 86 | +4.4% | +11.8% | +23.3% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 62 | +6.8% | +11.9% | +16.9% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 2 | +10.8% | +11.0% | +11.1% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
CWS performance overview
AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (CWS) returned −2.5% over the past year and +11.1% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +10.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $28,210. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −33.8%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. CWS finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+31.0%) and the worst 2022 (−10.4%). Volatility has been 16.3% a year.
Related: CWS chart, CWS holdings, CWS dividends, CWS valuation. See the CWS overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
CWS performance FAQ
What is the CWS return over the past year?
CWS returned −2.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 2.8%.
What is the average annual return of CWS?
CWS has returned +7.0% a year over 5 years, +11.1% a year over 10 years, +10.8% a year since September 21, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in CWS be worth?
$10,000 invested in CWS at its first recorded close on September 21, 2016 would be worth about $28,210 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for CWS?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −10.4%. The best was 2019 at +31.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of CWS?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −33.8% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 12, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is CWS?
Over the past 3 years CWS had an annualized volatility of 15.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.35 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).