Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD) Performance
SYLD total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +24.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +27.5% total return
- 5 years
- +8.3% a year
- 10 years
- +13.6% a year
- Since first price
- +12.3% a year since 2013
SYLD trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | SYLD total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +4.1% | +4.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +4.5% | +3.9% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +9.3% | +8.2% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +24.7% | +22.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +27.5% | +25.2% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +53.9%+15.5%/yr | +44.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +49.2%+8.3%/yr | +32.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +256.9%+13.6%/yr | +186.1% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionMay 14, 2013 | +377.2%+12.3%/yr | +238.1% | — | — | — |
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: SYLD vs SPY
From May 14, 2013: SYLD grew to $47,720, SPY to $57,804.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
SYLD returns by calendar year
9 of 12 full years positive. Best 2021 (+48.4%), worst 2018 (−13.5%). 2026 is year to date.
SYLD annual returns table
| Year | SYLD | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +24.7% | −6.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +3.9% | −21.9% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +3.4% | −10.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.5% | −16.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −6.1% | −20.0% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +48.4% | −13.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +13.6% | −45.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +27.0% | −11.8% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −13.5% | −23.7% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +19.9% | −4.7% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +14.9% | −11.0% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −1.4% | −11.6% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +10.3% | −9.3% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
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.
SYLD largest drawdowns
Now 1.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2020 | −45.4% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 16, 2020 | 2 months | 10 months |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −26.6% | Apr 8, 2025 | Feb 2, 2026 | 4 months | 1.2 years |
| Aug 29, 2018 | −23.7% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 7, 2019 | 4 months | 1.2 years |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −20.2% | Sep 26, 2022 | Feb 1, 2023 | 10 months | 1.2 years |
| Mar 2, 2015 | −17.0% | Feb 11, 2016 | Oct 6, 2016 | 11 months | 1.6 years |
| Feb 2, 2023 | −16.5% | May 31, 2023 | Dec 13, 2023 | 4 months | 10 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
SYLD risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +11.5% | +8.5% | +12.8% | +12.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.9% | 19.4% | 21.9% | 19.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.49 | 0.33 | 0.56 | 0.58 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.76 | 0.51 | 0.87 | 0.92 |
| Best month | +8.1% | +14.7% | +20.6% | +20.6% |
| Worst month | −9.3% | −13.7% | −25.7% | −25.7% |
| Best 12 months | +34.7% | +34.7% | +143.8% | +143.8% |
| Worst 12 months | −11.1% | −11.3% | −28.3% | −28.3% |
| Positive months | 56% | 52% | 57% | 57% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.77 | 0.90 | 1.12 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.60 | 0.73 | 0.78 | — |
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.
SYLD rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 150 | −28.3% | +9.4% | +143.8% | 68% |
| 3-year (a year) | 126 | −7.6% | +9.6% | +36.0% | 98% |
| 5-year (a year) | 102 | −1.7% | +12.7% | +23.2% | 99% |
| 10-year (a year) | 42 | +9.5% | +11.8% | +13.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2013. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
SYLD performance overview
Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD) returned +27.5% over the past year and +13.6% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2013 it has returned +12.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $47,720. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −45.4%, from Jan 16, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. SYLD finished 9 of its 12 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+48.4%) and the worst 2018 (−13.5%). Volatility has been 19.9% a year.
Related: SYLD chart, SYLD holdings, SYLD dividends, SYLD valuation. See the SYLD overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
SYLD performance FAQ
What is the SYLD return over the past year?
SYLD returned +27.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 25.2%.
What is the average annual return of SYLD?
SYLD has returned +8.3% a year over 5 years, +13.6% a year over 10 years, +12.3% a year since May 14, 2013 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in SYLD be worth?
$10,000 invested in SYLD at its first recorded close on May 14, 2013 would be worth about $47,720 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for SYLD?
The worst calendar year was 2018, with a total return of −13.5%. The best was 2021 at +48.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of SYLD?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −45.4% between January 16, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 16, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is SYLD?
Over the past 3 years SYLD had an annualized volatility of 15.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.49 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).