iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF (KSA) Performance
KSA total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −6.1% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −14.9% total return
- 5 years
- −2.7% a year
- 10 years
- +7.4% a year
- Since first price
- +4.9% a year since 2015
KSA trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | KSA total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −9.4% | −9.4% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −9.2% | −9.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −12.3% | −13.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −6.1% | −7.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −14.9% | −17.2% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +1.5%+0.5%/yr | −7.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | −12.8%−2.7%/yr | −23.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +104.0%+7.4%/yr | +60.9% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 17, 2015 | +69.7%+4.9%/yr | +30.9% | — | — | — |
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: KSA vs SPY
From Sep 17, 2015: KSA grew to $16,972, SPY to $45,751.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
KSA returns by calendar year
7 of 10 full years positive. Best 2021 (+33.6%), worst 2025 (−8.2%). 2026 is year to date.
KSA annual returns table
| Year | KSA | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −6.1% | −15.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | −8.2% | −13.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | −0.2% | −11.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +15.0% | −15.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −6.1% | −27.1% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +33.6% | −10.6% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +2.7% | −33.8% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +9.3% | −20.3% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | +13.1% | −13.8% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +6.1% | −9.9% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +7.7% | −19.0% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
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.
KSA largest drawdowns
Now 25.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2019 | −40.6% | Mar 16, 2020 | Mar 10, 2021 | 10 months | 1.9 years |
| Oct 13, 2015 | −28.7% | Jan 20, 2016 | Jun 21, 2017 | 3 months | 1.7 years |
| Apr 18, 2022 | −28.1% | Mar 17, 2023 | not yet | 11 months | 4.5 years so far |
| Jul 20, 2018 | −13.8% | Oct 15, 2018 | Jan 16, 2019 | 3 months | 6 months |
| Nov 12, 2021 | −10.6% | Nov 30, 2021 | Jan 12, 2022 | 18 days | 2 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
KSA risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +0.9% | −0.2% | +8.4% | +5.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.2% | 17.8% | 18.0% | 18.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.16 | -0.13 | 0.41 | 0.29 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.23 | -0.18 | 0.64 | 0.44 |
| Best month | +9.5% | +11.3% | +14.8% | +14.8% |
| Worst month | −7.1% | −10.9% | −11.5% | −13.3% |
| Best 12 months | +13.8% | +25.7% | +54.6% | +54.6% |
| Worst 12 months | −8.6% | −20.7% | −26.6% | −26.6% |
| Positive months | 42% | 48% | 58% | 57% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.17 | 0.31 | 0.47 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.14 | 0.28 | 0.40 | — |
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.
KSA rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 122 | −26.6% | +6.4% | +54.6% | 66% |
| 3-year (a year) | 98 | −4.8% | +8.9% | +19.6% | 91% |
| 5-year (a year) | 74 | −2.4% | +9.2% | +17.7% | 97% |
| 10-year (a year) | 14 | +6.7% | +7.6% | +9.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2015. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
KSA performance overview
iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF (KSA) returned −14.9% over the past year and +7.4% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2015 it has returned +4.9% a year, turning $10,000 into about $16,972. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −40.6%, from May 3, 2019 to Mar 16, 2020, and it took 12 months to get back to the old high. KSA finished 7 of its 10 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+33.6%) and the worst 2025 (−8.2%). Volatility has been 18.2% a year.
Related: KSA chart, KSA holdings, KSA dividends. See the KSA overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
KSA performance FAQ
What is the KSA return over the past year?
KSA returned −14.9% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 17.2%.
What is the average annual return of KSA?
KSA has returned −2.7% a year over 5 years, +7.4% a year over 10 years, +4.9% a year since September 17, 2015 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in KSA be worth?
$10,000 invested in KSA at its first recorded close on September 17, 2015 would be worth about $16,972 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for KSA?
The worst calendar year was 2025, with a total return of −8.2%. The best was 2021 at +33.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of KSA?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −40.6% between May 3, 2019 and March 16, 2020. It recovered to the old high on March 10, 2021, 12 months after the bottom.
How volatile is KSA?
Over the past 3 years KSA had an annualized volatility of 15.2% and a Sharpe ratio of -0.16 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).