iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) Performance
EWU total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +9.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +15.3% total return
- 5 years
- +11.3% a year
- 10 years
- +8.6% a year
- Since first price
- +6.0% a year since 1996
EWU trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | EWU total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.9% | +0.9% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +1.8% | +1.8% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.0% | +1.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +9.6% | +8.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +15.3% | +11.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +73.1%+20.1%/yr | +54.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +71.2%+11.3%/yr | +40.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +128.5%+8.6%/yr | +56.2% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +158.9%+6.5%/yr | +43.6% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +128.7%+4.2%/yr | +4.5% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| 30 years | +422.3%+5.7%/yr | +69.7% | +1,693.8%+10.1%/yr | — | — |
| Since inceptionMar 18, 1996 | +502.3%+6.0%/yr | +92.0% | — | — | — |
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: EWU vs SPY
From Mar 18, 1996: EWU grew to $60,230, SPY to $196,507.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
EWU returns by calendar year
18 of 29 full years positive. Best 2009 (+36.2%), worst 2008 (−46.5%). 2026 is year to date.
EWU annual returns table
| Year | EWU | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +9.6% | −9.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +34.9% | −12.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +6.7% | −8.7% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +12.4% | −10.0% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −4.4% | −24.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +18.2% | −7.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −11.8% | −42.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +21.3% | −11.2% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −14.3% | −21.1% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +21.5% | −3.6% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | −1.2% | −15.5% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −7.0% | −18.0% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | −7.6% | −17.5% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +19.5% | −9.0% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +15.3% | −14.1% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | −3.9% | −22.9% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +10.2% | −20.4% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +36.2% | −30.3% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −46.5% | −55.0% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | +6.4% | −13.4% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
| 2006 | +30.4% | −12.7% | +15.8% | +7.1% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | +5.9% | −8.4% | +4.8% | +1.6% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | +18.4% | −7.3% | +10.7% | +10.5% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | +34.8% | −15.1% | +28.2% | +49.7% | — |
| 2002 | −15.3% | −25.0% | −21.6% | −37.4% | — |
| 2001 | −13.9% | −29.0% | −11.8% | −33.3% | — |
| 2000 | −13.6% | −18.4% | −9.7% | −36.1% | — |
| 1999 | +11.9% | −10.7% | +20.4% | — | — |
| 1998 | +19.5% | −23.7% | +28.7% | — | — |
| 1997 | +18.4% | −8.5% | +33.5% | — | — |
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.
EWU largest drawdowns
Now 3.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2007 | −64.0% | Mar 9, 2009 | Apr 30, 2014 | 1.4 years | 6.5 years |
| Jan 3, 2000 | −46.8% | Mar 12, 2003 | Feb 14, 2005 | 3.2 years | 5.1 years |
| Jan 26, 2018 | −43.3% | Mar 23, 2020 | May 7, 2021 | 2.2 years | 3.3 years |
| Jul 3, 2014 | −29.3% | Feb 11, 2016 | Jan 17, 2018 | 1.6 years | 3.5 years |
| Feb 9, 2022 | −24.9% | Sep 27, 2022 | Apr 13, 2023 | 8 months | 1.2 years |
| Apr 14, 1998 | −23.7% | Oct 5, 1998 | Jan 6, 1999 | 6 months | 9 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
EWU risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.2% | +11.9% | +7.9% | +6.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.2% | 14.5% | 15.6% | 16.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.17 | 0.60 | 0.42 | — |
| Sortino ratio | 1.96 | 0.93 | 0.60 | — |
| Best month | +6.2% | +12.4% | +16.1% | +17.1% |
| Worst month | −6.4% | −9.3% | −18.5% | −19.8% |
| Best 12 months | +36.7% | +36.7% | +42.3% | +59.9% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.7% | −15.0% | −24.5% | −51.9% |
| Positive months | 69% | 62% | 62% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.38 | 0.60 | 0.75 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.43 | 0.64 | 0.73 | — |
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.
EWU rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 356 | −51.9% | +9.3% | +59.9% | 63% |
| 3-year (a year) | 332 | −16.8% | +5.6% | +26.0% | 68% |
| 5-year (a year) | 308 | −8.7% | +2.9% | +21.0% | 73% |
| 10-year (a year) | 248 | −3.4% | +3.8% | +9.3% | 93% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 1996. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
EWU performance overview
iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) returned +15.3% over the past year and +8.6% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 1996 it has returned +6.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $60,230. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −64.0%, from Oct 31, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009, and it took 5.1 years to get back to the old high. EWU finished 18 of its 29 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2009 (+36.2%) and the worst 2008 (−46.5%). Volatility has been 16.4% a year.
Related: EWU chart, EWU holdings, EWU dividends. See the EWU overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
EWU performance FAQ
What is the EWU return over the past year?
EWU returned +15.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 11.5%.
What is the average annual return of EWU?
EWU has returned +11.3% a year over 5 years, +8.6% a year over 10 years, +6.0% a year since March 18, 1996 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in EWU be worth?
$10,000 invested in EWU at its first recorded close on March 18, 1996 would be worth about $60,230 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for EWU?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −46.5%. The best was 2009 at +36.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of EWU?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −64.0% between October 31, 2007 and March 9, 2009. It recovered to the old high on April 30, 2014, 5.1 years after the bottom.
How volatile is EWU?
Over the past 3 years EWU had an annualized volatility of 11.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.17 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).