Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Alternative ETFs

HELO vs THEQ: Correlation to the S&P 500

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, HELO moved less with the S&P 500 than THEQ: correlation +0.95 against +0.99.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $4.9bn for JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF and $38m for T. Rowe Price Hedged Equity ETF.

At a glance
+0.95
HELO correlation with the S&P 500
+0.99
THEQ correlation with the S&P 500
60.7%
HELO down-week capture
72.3%
THEQ down-week capture
HELO Fell 61% as much as the S&P 500
Fell 61% as much as the S&P 500HELO in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, HELO −0.65%.SPY−1.07%HELO−0.65%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Fell 61% as much as the S&P 500HELO in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, HELO −0.65%.SPY−1.07%HELO−0.65%Average week when SPY fell

HELO in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, HELO −0.65%.

THEQ Fell 72% as much as the S&P 500
Fell 72% as much as the S&P 500THEQ in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, THEQ −0.77%.SPY−1.07%THEQ−0.77%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Fell 72% as much as the S&P 500THEQ in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, THEQ −0.77%.SPY−1.07%THEQ−0.77%Average week when SPY fell

THEQ in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, THEQ −0.77%.

Pair scorecard

THEQ costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.9 points; HELO is far larger, $4.9bn against $38m.

HELO vs THEQ: Correlation to the S&P 500
MeasureHELOTHEQ
Return
Total return, 1 year+7.2%+9.1%
Against its benchmark
Treasury bills, 52 weeks+3.7%
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.50%0.46%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$4.9bn$38m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
Risk
Beta to the S&P 500+0.59: about 0.59% for each 1%+0.69: about 0.69% for each 1%
Its average week when the S&P 500 fellfell 0.65%fell 0.77%
ETFIQ Stock Diversification Score · HELO scores higher How much does it diversify a stock portfolio?
IQ Alternatives Score38.7HELO19.3THEQ

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

Window by window

Window by window: HELO vs THEQ: Correlation to the S&P 500
Total returnvs its benchmark
WindowHELOTHEQHELOTHEQ
3 months+0.2%−0.3%+0.3 pts vs VOO0.0 pts vs IWV
6 months+3.1%+3.0%−1.9 pts vs VOO−1.9 pts vs IWV
1 year+7.2%+9.1%−7.6 pts vs VOO−5.7 pts vs IWV
3 years+40.1%–−43.2 pts vs VOO–
Since launchNot the same days: HELO Sep 2023 · THEQ Mar 2025+42.5%+22.4%−43.9 pts vs VOO−14.5 pts vs IWV

– means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

HELO JPMorgan Hedged Equity Laddered Overlay ETF · Hedged equity fund: owns stocks and pays for protection against a fall, most often with put options THEQ T. Rowe Price Hedged Equity ETF · Hedged equity fund: owns stocks and pays for protection against a fall, most often with put options
Strategy Hedged equity Hedged equity
Correlation with the S&P 500 +0.95 +0.99
Beta to the S&P 500 +0.59 +0.69
Down-week capture 60.7% 72.3%
Average week when the S&P 500 fell −0.65% −0.77%
The S&P 500 in those weeks −1.07% −1.07%
Total return, same 52 weeks +7.0% +9.0%
Against T-bills, percentage points +3.4 pts +5.3 pts
Expense ratio 0.50% 0.46%
First traded Sep 29, 2023 Mar 27, 2025
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $4.9bn $38m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

One strategy, two funds

HELO and THEQ both run a hedged equity strategy. Over the same 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, HELO’s weekly returns had a correlation of +0.95 with the S&P 500 and THEQ’s +0.99. In the 26 weeks the index fell, by 1.07% a week on average, HELO averaged −0.65% and THEQ −0.77%. Over the same weeks, HELO finished 3.4 percentage points ahead of cash and THEQ finished 5.3 points ahead of cash.

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About each fund
HELO

HELO 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 +0.95 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of +0.59, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.59% the same way. The S&P 500 fell in 26 of those 52 weeks, by 1.07% on average. In the same weeks HELO fell 0.65% on average, a down-week capture of 60.7%. Over the same 52 weeks HELO returned +7.0% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 3.4 percentage points ahead of cash.

THEQ

THEQ is a hedged equity fund. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, its weekly returns had a correlation of +0.99 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of +0.69, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.69% the same way. In the same weeks THEQ fell 0.77% on average, a down-week capture of 72.3%. Over the same 52 weeks THEQ returned +9.0% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 5.3 percentage points ahead of cash.

Questions people ask

Which moved less with the S&P 500, HELO or THEQ?
Over the 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, HELO’s weekly returns had a correlation of +0.95 with the S&P 500 and THEQ’s +0.99, so HELO moved less with the index.
Which did better when the S&P 500 fell, HELO or THEQ?
In the 26 weeks the S&P 500 fell, by 1.07% a week on average, HELO averaged −0.65% and THEQ −0.77%, so HELO returned more in those weeks.
Which earned more than cash, HELO or THEQ?
Over the same weeks, HELO finished 3.4 percentage points ahead of cash and THEQ finished 5.3 percentage points ahead of cash. Cash here is BIL, a fund of Treasury bills.
Which is cheaper, HELO or THEQ?
HELO charges 0.50% a year and THEQ charges 0.46%, so THEQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, HELO against THEQ, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/alternatives/helo-vs-theq

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