Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF (HELX) Performance
HELX total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +18.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +27.5% total return
- 5 years
- −3.6% a year
- Since first price
- +9.3% a year since 2020
HELX trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | HELX total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.1% | +0.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +10.3% | +10.3% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +28.7% | +28.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +18.5% | +18.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +27.5% | +27.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +64.1%+18.0%/yr | +63.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | −16.7%−3.6%/yr | −17.2% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 27, 2020 | +80.8%+9.3%/yr | +79.5% | — | — | — |
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: HELX vs SPY
From Feb 27, 2020: HELX grew to $18,085, SPY to $28,094.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
HELX returns by calendar year
3 of 5 full years positive. Best 2025 (+26.3%), worst 2022 (−37.9%). 2026 is year to date.
HELX annual returns table
| Year | HELX | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +18.5% | −18.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +26.3% | −23.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | −5.3% | −16.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +1.1% | −22.3% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −37.9% | −39.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +9.8% | −26.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
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.
HELX largest drawdowns
Now 25.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 2021 | −58.7% | Apr 8, 2025 | not yet | 3.6 years | 5.1 years so far |
| Mar 4, 2020 | −27.1% | Mar 16, 2020 | Apr 27, 2020 | 12 days | 54 days |
| Feb 12, 2021 | −26.0% | Mar 8, 2021 | Jul 30, 2021 | 24 days | 6 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
HELX risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +16.4% | −3.0% | +9.7% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 21.9% | 22.8% | 25.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.60 | -0.18 | 0.38 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.02 | -0.24 | 0.61 |
| Best month | +13.9% | +13.9% | +20.6% |
| Worst month | −10.0% | −19.4% | −19.4% |
| Best 12 months | +44.8% | +44.8% | +94.1% |
| Worst 12 months | −17.6% | −43.2% | −43.2% |
| Positive months | 61% | 52% | 56% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.89 | 0.96 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.51 | 0.66 | — |
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.
HELX rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 69 | −43.2% | +1.1% | +94.1% | 52% |
| 3-year (a year) | 45 | −17.1% | −4.7% | +19.2% | 38% |
| 5-year (a year) | 21 | −6.1% | −3.8% | +3.9% | 14% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
HELX performance overview
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF (HELX) returned +27.5% over the past year and −3.6% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +9.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $18,085. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −58.7%, from Sep 7, 2021 to Apr 8, 2025; the fund has not yet regained that high. HELX finished 3 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+26.3%) and the worst 2022 (−37.9%). Volatility has been 25.2% a year.
Related: HELX chart, HELX holdings, HELX dividends. See the HELX overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
HELX performance FAQ
What is the HELX return over the past year?
HELX returned +27.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 27.0%.
What is the average annual return of HELX?
HELX has returned −3.6% a year over 5 years, +9.3% a year since February 27, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in HELX be worth?
$10,000 invested in HELX at its first recorded close on February 27, 2020 would be worth about $18,085 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for HELX?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −37.9%. The best was 2025 at +26.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of HELX?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −58.7% between September 7, 2021 and April 8, 2025. It has not yet recovered to that high; it is 25.7% below its peak.
How volatile is HELX?
Over the past 3 years HELX had an annualized volatility of 21.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.60 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).