Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Alternative ETFs

AHLT vs ISMF: Correlation to the S&P 500

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, AHLT moved less with the S&P 500 than ISMF: correlation +0.47 against +0.48.

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Net assets: $131m on Jul 31, 2026 for AHL Trend ETF, and $37m on Nov 3, 2026 for iShares Managed Futures Active ETF.

At a glance
+0.47
AHLT correlation with the S&P 500
+0.48
ISMF correlation with the S&P 500
81.7%
AHLT down-week capture
35.9%
ISMF down-week capture
AHLT Fell 82% as much as the S&P 500
Fell 82% as much as the S&P 500AHLT in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, AHLT −0.88%.SPY−1.07%AHLT−0.88%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Fell 82% as much as the S&P 500AHLT in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, AHLT −0.88%.SPY−1.07%AHLT−0.88%Average week when SPY fell

AHLT in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, AHLT −0.88%.

ISMF Fell 36% as much as the S&P 500
Fell 36% as much as the S&P 500ISMF in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, ISMF −0.38%.SPY−1.07%ISMF−0.38%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Fell 36% as much as the S&P 500ISMF in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, ISMF −0.38%.SPY−1.07%ISMF−0.38%Average week when SPY fell

ISMF in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, ISMF −0.38%.

Pair scorecard

ISMF costs 0.16 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 8.4 points.

AHLT vs ISMF: Correlation to the S&P 500
MeasureAHLTISMF
Return
Total return, 1 year+19.3%+10.9%
Against its benchmark
Treasury bills, 52 weeks+3.7%
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.96%0.80%
Net assets, AHLT as of Jul 31, 2026 and ISMF as of Nov 3, 2026$131m$37m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
Risk
Beta to the S&P 500+0.58: about 0.58% for each 1%+0.31: about 0.31% for each 1%
Its average week when the S&P 500 fellfell 0.88%fell 0.38%
ETFIQ Stock Diversification Score · ISMF scores higher How much does it diversify a stock portfolio?
IQ Alternatives Score41.2AHLT50ISMF

How much it diversifies a stock portfolio, ranked against 17 systematic trend alternatives ETFs with a full year. 100 is best. How it is computed

2.9, the lowest in this set 94.2, the highest

One year of weekly moves against the S&P 500, within one strategy; it ignores what the fund returned. All alternatives ETFs ranked by it →

Method

Risk and return

Mar 21, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 84 weekly returns
AHLT ISMF
Return
Total return edge AHLT +29.9% +19.7%
Annualized edge AHLT +17.6% +11.8%
Price return edge AHLT +27.8% +12.5%
Risk
Volatility edge ISMF 14.5% 6.8%
Max drawdown edge ISMF −9.5% −3.6%
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge ISMF 0.92 1.09
Sortino edge ISMF 1.29 1.48
Calmar edge ISMF 1.85 3.30
Reading

From Mar 2025 to Oct 2026, AHLT returned more: +29.9% to +19.7%. ISMF swung less: 6.8% to 14.5%. ISMF fell less at its worst: −3.6% to −9.5%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: AHLT vs ISMF: Correlation to the S&P 500
MeasureAHLTISMFEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+29.9%+19.7%AHLTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+17.6%+11.8%AHLTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+27.8%+12.5%AHLTPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility14.5%6.8%ISMFSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation10.3%5.0%ISMFLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−9.5%−3.6%ISMFDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.921.09ISMFReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino1.291.48ISMFReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar1.853.30ISMFAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 84 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: AHLT vs ISMF: Correlation to the S&P 500
Total return
WindowAHLTISMF
3 months+2.3%−0.7%
6 months+0.3%−1.1%
1 year+19.3%+10.9%
3 years+22.1%–
Since launchNot the same days: AHLT Aug 2023 · ISMF Mar 2025+22.2%+17.9%

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Side by side

AHLT AHL Trend ETF · Managed futures fund: follows price trends in futures on stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities, and can bet on falls as well as rises ISMF iShares Managed Futures Active ETF · Managed futures fund: follows price trends in futures on stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities, and can bet on falls as well as rises
Strategy Managed futures Managed futures
Correlation with the S&P 500 +0.47 +0.48
Beta to the S&P 500 +0.58 +0.31
Down-week capture 81.7% 35.9%
Average week when the S&P 500 fell −0.88% −0.38%
The S&P 500 in those weeks −1.07% −1.07%
Total return, same 52 weeks +18.3% +10.5%
Against T-bills, percentage points +14.7 pts +6.8 pts
Expense ratio 0.96% 0.80%
First traded Aug 31, 2023 Mar 13, 2025
Net assets, AHLT as of Jul 31, 2026 and ISMF as of Nov 3, 2026 $131m $37m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

One strategy, two funds

AHLT and ISMF both run a managed futures strategy. Over the same 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, AHLT’s weekly returns had a correlation of +0.47 with the S&P 500 and ISMF’s +0.48. In the 26 weeks the index fell, by 1.07% a week on average, AHLT averaged −0.88% and ISMF −0.38%. Over the same weeks, AHLT finished 14.7 percentage points ahead of cash and ISMF finished 6.8 points ahead of cash.

Client brief:

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About each fund
AHLT

AHLT is a managed futures fund. ETFIQ measures what every alternatives fund is sold on: whether it moves differently from the stock market. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, its weekly returns had a correlation of +0.47 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of +0.58, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.58% the same way. The S&P 500 fell in 26 of those 52 weeks, by 1.07% on average. In the same weeks AHLT fell 0.88% on average, a down-week capture of 81.7%. Over the same 52 weeks AHLT returned +18.3% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 14.7 percentage points ahead of cash.

ISMF

ISMF is a managed futures fund. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, its weekly returns had a correlation of +0.48 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of +0.31, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.31% the same way. In the same weeks ISMF fell 0.38% on average, a down-week capture of 35.9%. Over the same 52 weeks ISMF returned +10.5% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 6.8 percentage points ahead of cash.

Questions people ask

Which moved less with the S&P 500, AHLT or ISMF?
Over the 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, AHLT’s weekly returns had a correlation of +0.47 with the S&P 500 and ISMF’s +0.48, so AHLT moved less with the index.
Which did better when the S&P 500 fell, AHLT or ISMF?
In the 26 weeks the S&P 500 fell, by 1.07% a week on average, AHLT averaged −0.88% and ISMF −0.38%, so ISMF returned more in those weeks.
Which earned more than cash, AHLT or ISMF?
Over the same weeks, AHLT finished 14.7 percentage points ahead of cash and ISMF finished 6.8 percentage points ahead of cash. Cash here is BIL, a fund of Treasury bills.
Which is cheaper, AHLT or ISMF?
AHLT charges 0.96% a year and ISMF charges 0.80%, so ISMF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, AHLT against ISMF, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/alternatives/ahlt-vs-ismf

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