Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Alternative ETFs

CAOS vs SHDG: Correlation to the S&P 500

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, CAOS moved less with the S&P 500 than SHDG: correlation −0.15 against +0.90.

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Net assets: $728m on Nov 3, 2026 for Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF, and $161m on Jul 31, 2026 for Soundwatch Hedged Equity ETF.

At a glance
−0.15
CAOS correlation with the S&P 500
+0.90
SHDG correlation with the S&P 500
−3.3%
CAOS down-week capture
70.4%
SHDG down-week capture
CAOS Rose when the S&P 500 fell
Rose when the S&P 500 fellCAOS in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, CAOS +0.04%.SPY−1.07%CAOS+0.04%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Rose when the S&P 500 fellCAOS in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, CAOS +0.04%.SPY−1.07%CAOS+0.04%Average week when SPY fell

CAOS in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, CAOS +0.04%.

SHDG Fell 70% as much as the S&P 500
Fell 70% as much as the S&P 500SHDG in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, SHDG −0.75%.SPY−1.07%SHDG−0.75%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Fell 70% as much as the S&P 500SHDG in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, SHDG −0.75%.SPY−1.07%SHDG−0.75%Average week when SPY fell

SHDG in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, SHDG −0.75%.

Pair scorecard

CAOS costs 0.28 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.3 points.

CAOS vs SHDG: Correlation to the S&P 500
MeasureCAOSSHDG
Return
Total return, 1 year+1.3%+5.6%
Against its benchmark
Treasury bills, 52 weeks+3.7%
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.63%0.91%
Net assets, CAOS as of Nov 3, 2026 and SHDG as of Jul 31, 2026$728m$161m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
Risk
Beta to the S&P 500−0.01: about 0.01% for each 1%+0.60: about 0.60% for each 1%
Its average week when the S&P 500 fellrose 0.04%fell 0.75%
ETFIQ Stock Diversification Score · CAOS scores higher How much does it diversify a stock portfolio?
IQ Alternatives Score84CAOS47.7SHDG

How much it diversifies a stock portfolio, ranked against 22 equity hedged alternatives ETFs with a full year. 100 is best. How it is computed

4.5, the lowest in this set 95.5, 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 17, 2023 to Oct 30, 2026 · 189 weekly returns
CAOS SHDG
Return
Total return edge SHDG +21.5% +58.6%
Annualized edge SHDG +5.5% +13.5%
Price return edge SHDG +21.5% +55.0%
Risk
Volatility edge CAOS 2.7% 10.0%
Max drawdown edge CAOS −2.5% −13.9%
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge SHDG 0.29 0.86
Sortino edge SHDG 0.56 1.29
Calmar edge CAOS 2.23 0.97
Reading

From Mar 2023 to Oct 2026, SHDG returned more: +58.6% to +21.5%. CAOS swung less: 2.7% to 10.0%. CAOS fell less at its worst: −2.5% to −13.9%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: CAOS vs SHDG: Correlation to the S&P 500
MeasureCAOSSHDGEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+21.5%+58.6%SHDGPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+5.5%+13.5%SHDGTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+21.5%+55.0%SHDGPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility2.7%10.0%CAOSSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation1.4%6.7%CAOSLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−2.5%−13.9%CAOSDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.290.86SHDGReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.561.29SHDGReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar2.230.97CAOSAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 189 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: CAOS vs SHDG: Correlation to the S&P 500
Total returnvs its benchmark
WindowCAOSSHDGCAOSSHDG
3 months+1.0%+0.6%not measured+0.7 pts vs VOO
6 months+0.8%+4.0%not measured−1.0 pts vs VOO
1 year+1.3%+5.6%not measured−9.2 pts vs VOO
3 years+10.5%+46.8%not measured−36.5 pts vs VOO
Since launchNot the same days: CAOS Mar 2023 · SHDG Oct 2022+18.5%+67.7%not measured−46.2 pts vs VOO

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Side by side

CAOS Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF · Hedged equity fund: owns stocks and pays for protection against a fall, most often with put options SHDG Soundwatch Hedged Equity ETF · Hedged equity fund: owns stocks and pays for protection against a fall, most often with put options
Issuer Alpha Architect Soundwatch
Strategy Hedged equity Hedged equity
Correlation with the S&P 500 −0.15 +0.90
Beta to the S&P 500 −0.01 +0.60
Down-week capture −3.3% 70.4%
Average week when the S&P 500 fell +0.04% −0.75%
The S&P 500 in those weeks −1.07% −1.07%
Total return, same 52 weeks +1.3% +5.2%
Against T-bills, percentage points −2.3 pts +1.6 pts
Expense ratio 0.63% 0.91%
First traded Mar 6, 2023 Oct 24, 2022
Net assets, CAOS as of Nov 3, 2026 and SHDG as of Jul 31, 2026 $728m $161m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

One strategy, two funds

CAOS and SHDG both run a hedged equity strategy. Over the same 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, CAOS’s weekly returns had a correlation of −0.15 with the S&P 500 and SHDG’s +0.90. In the 26 weeks the index fell, by 1.07% a week on average, CAOS averaged +0.04% and SHDG −0.75%. Over the same weeks, CAOS finished 2.3 percentage points behind cash and SHDG finished 1.6 points ahead of cash.

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About each fund
CAOS

CAOS is a hedged equity 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 −0.15 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of −0.01, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.01% the other way. The S&P 500 fell in 26 of those 52 weeks, by 1.07% on average. In the same weeks CAOS rose 0.04% on average, a down-week capture of −3.3%. Over the same 52 weeks CAOS returned +1.3% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 2.3 percentage points behind cash.

SHDG

SHDG is a hedged equity fund. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, its weekly returns had a correlation of +0.90 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of +0.60, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.60% the same way. In the same weeks SHDG fell 0.75% on average, a down-week capture of 70.4%. Over the same 52 weeks SHDG returned +5.2% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 1.6 percentage points ahead of cash.

Questions people ask

Which moved less with the S&P 500, CAOS or SHDG?
Over the 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, CAOS’s weekly returns had a correlation of −0.15 with the S&P 500 and SHDG’s +0.90, so CAOS moved less with the index.
Which did better when the S&P 500 fell, CAOS or SHDG?
In the 26 weeks the S&P 500 fell, by 1.07% a week on average, CAOS averaged +0.04% and SHDG −0.75%, so CAOS returned more in those weeks.
Which earned more than cash, CAOS or SHDG?
Over the same weeks, CAOS finished 2.3 percentage points behind cash and SHDG finished 1.6 percentage points ahead of cash. Cash here is BIL, a fund of Treasury bills.
Which is cheaper, CAOS or SHDG?
CAOS charges 0.63% a year and SHDG charges 0.91%, so CAOS is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, CAOS against SHDG, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/alternatives/caos-vs-shdg

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