BetterThanSPY

Relative Intelligence · Industrial Machinery

How Emerson Electric (EMR) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on EMR alone. It places EMR (Emerson Electric Co.) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where EMR stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: EMR's full trading record, from October 1986 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 22, 2026.

Data as of October 22, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against EMR →Chart EMR vs. 20 alternatives →

This page answers the following questions about EMR

Key findings

Not AI-generated

These key findings are generated by our proprietary relative intelligence engine, directly from the data on this page.

How much would $10,000 in EMR have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in EMR over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of EMR over the same span and EMR's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Choose a period

From the end of September 1997 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 478 of the 1,042 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of EMR; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$1,000$10,000$100,000199720022007201220172022$1,000$10,000$100,00019972004201120182025
  • AME$869,262+8,593% total · +16.6% a year
  • ETN$538,468+5,285% total · +14.7% a year
  • PH$505,227+4,952% total · +14.5% a year
  • LNG$451,390+4,414% total · +14.0% a year
  • ITT$446,521+4,365% total · +14.0% a year
  • TER$161,859+1,519% total · +10.1% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$132,907+1,229% total · +9.3% a year
  • XOM$124,235+1,142% total · +9.1% a year
  • EMR$115,655+1,057% total · +8.8% a year
  • FLS$106,282+963% total · +8.5% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 1,033 of the 3,630 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of EMR; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$0$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000$50,000202120222023202420252026$0$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000$50,000202120222023202420252026
  • TER$37,422+274% total · +30.2% a year
  • PH$36,392+264% total · +29.5% a year
  • XOM$32,965+230% total · +26.9% a year
  • ETN$31,102+211% total · +25.5% a year
  • LNG$28,953+190% total · +23.7% a year
  • ITT$24,779+148% total · +19.9% a year
  • KEYS$22,159+122% total · +17.2% a year
  • AME$20,638+106% total · +15.6% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • EMR$18,174+81.7% total · +12.7% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

EMR at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

The company

Market value
$89B
Industry
Industrial - Machinery
Price history from
October 1986

Returns

Past 1 year
+25.1%total return
Past 3 years
+87.4%+23.3% a year
Past 5 years
+83.1%+12.9% a year
Past 10 years
+307%+15.1% a year
Best calendar year
+40.8%2000
Worst calendar year
−33.6%2008
Losing years
8 of 29full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
27.7%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
0.58return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−56.1%Jun 2008 to Mar 2009
From its all-time high
−2.1%below the peak

EMR against the whole market

Where EMR ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does EMR rank among all stocks?

This section ranks EMR on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how EMR stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureEMRRankStanding
1-year return+25.1%1,134 of 3,282top 35%
3-year return+87.4%1,071 of 3,016top 36%
5-year return+83.1%805 of 2,897top 28%
10-year return+307%571 of 2,201top 26%
Volatility, 5 years27.7%531 of 2,897top 18%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years0.58741 of 2,897top 26%
Worst decline, past 10 years−50.8%485 of 2,184top 22%

What has beaten EMR on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). EMR sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than EMR with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to EMR; faint dots are 91 more of the 159 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,641 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than EMRABBV: +25.5% a year, volatility 23.4%KO: +15.2% a year, volatility 16.8%PM: +21.3% a year, volatility 23.4%CSCO: +16.9% a year, volatility 26.1%MCK: +37.8% a year, volatility 25.1%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%TD: +16.5% a year, volatility 20.0%CBOE: +22.0% a year, volatility 25.1%IX: +18.3% a year, volatility 25.4%WELL: +27.0% a year, volatility 23.8%VLUE: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.4%MSGS: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.7%PGR: +21.8% a year, volatility 25.7%RSPT: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.1%DIVB: +14.6% a year, volatility 15.5%RSG: +14.1% a year, volatility 18.6%ETR: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.4%IUS: +14.7% a year, volatility 14.9%VFMF: +14.5% a year, volatility 17.6%THFF: +16.2% a year, volatility 26.2%NXTG: +16.1% a year, volatility 19.1%IOO: +15.6% a year, volatility 17.2%WMT: +21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%PPA: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.9%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%MO: +18.3% a year, volatility 21.4%E: +23.7% a year, volatility 25.6%MFC: +23.3% a year, volatility 24.0%BMO: +14.0% a year, volatility 21.4%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%LVHI: +16.9% a year, volatility 11.1%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%QQQ: +14.2% a year, volatility 23.0%NVS: +17.4% a year, volatility 20.7%MRK: +16.1% a year, volatility 24.8%CCEP: +20.4% a year, volatility 23.3%AMGN: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.9%TJX: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.3%GLD: +17.1% a year, volatility 19.0%KOF: +22.4% a year, volatility 24.7%PAA: +28.4% a year, volatility 25.6%CB: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.4%COR: +23.6% a year, volatility 22.8%MNST: +17.4% a year, volatility 24.9%CIBR: +14.5% a year, volatility 26.2%MSI: +15.2% a year, volatility 23.6%ORLY: +15.8% a year, volatility 23.4%PCAR: +17.7% a year, volatility 26.2%DYNF: +14.4% a year, volatility 17.5%PAGP: +27.8% a year, volatility 26.0%SDCI: +21.1% a year, volatility 18.4%ATO: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.5%WRB: +18.6% a year, volatility 22.9%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%SPMO: +18.1% a year, volatility 20.9%AVLV: +13.9% a year, volatility 16.9%PVAL: +15.9% a year, volatility 15.1%NI: +15.5% a year, volatility 20.3%PKG: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.9%DTM: +25.0% a year, volatility 25.2%PNW: +14.6% a year, volatility 19.9%PAVE: +14.6% a year, volatility 21.7%FDL: +14.6% a year, volatility 14.5%AIRR: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.9%ACT: +20.7% a year, volatility 24.4%EMLP: +15.2% a year, volatility 14.5%GCOW: +14.4% a year, volatility 13.6%CRAK: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.9%WTM: +15.4% a year, volatility 23.6%MPLX: +24.0% a year, volatility 18.8%FRDM: +16.8% a year, volatility 22.9%SPUS: +14.8% a year, volatility 19.5%CHCO: +15.1% a year, volatility 22.8%FFLC: +15.5% a year, volatility 16.8%DBJP: +20.9% a year, volatility 19.3%HSBC: +32.8% a year, volatility 25.9%EWJV: +15.1% a year, volatility 18.2%DGT: +13.9% a year, volatility 15.1%IDOG: +14.1% a year, volatility 15.6%CVX: +19.7% a year, volatility 25.2%SHEL: +21.4% a year, volatility 24.8%RTX: +18.7% a year, volatility 24.4%TTE: +18.8% a year, volatility 25.8%BTI: +19.4% a year, volatility 22.0%WMB: +25.2% a year, volatility 24.1%CM: +19.5% a year, volatility 21.6%BNY: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.4%EPD: +16.3% a year, volatility 17.1%KMI: +20.1% a year, volatility 22.3%CTAS: +17.1% a year, volatility 23.1%AFL: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.8%EMR: +12.9% a year, volatility 27.7%SPY (S&P 500): +12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%AME: +13.5% a year, volatility 22.2%ETN: +19.7% a year, volatility 32.2%XOM: +27.5% a year, volatility 26.5%PH: +26.0% a year, volatility 28.9%LNG: +23.4% a year, volatility 30.2%ITT: +16.0% a year, volatility 29.9%GWW: +26.7% a year, volatility 24.9%FAST: +16.2% a year, volatility 24.6%CMI: +19.3% a year, volatility 29.0%WAB: +25.2% a year, volatility 26.3%SNA: +14.1% a year, volatility 23.4%AIT: +27.2% a year, volatility 30.4%RY: +17.5% a year, volatility 18.2%ALL: +17.9% a year, volatility 26.2%THG: +15.2% a year, volatility 22.9%VGT: +18.1% a year, volatility 26.1%AAPL: +19.1% a year, volatility 28.0%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%EWT: +19.8% a year, volatility 24.3%JNJ: +13.5% a year, volatility 18.0%CAH: +41.7% a year, volatility 24.7%EMRSPY (S&P 500)AMEETNXOMPHLNGITTGWWFASTCMIWABSNAAITRYALLTHGVGTTRVEWTCAH10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than EMRABBV: +25.5% a year, volatility 23.4%KO: +15.2% a year, volatility 16.8%PM: +21.3% a year, volatility 23.4%CSCO: +16.9% a year, volatility 26.1%MCK: +37.8% a year, volatility 25.1%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%TD: +16.5% a year, volatility 20.0%CBOE: +22.0% a year, volatility 25.1%IX: +18.3% a year, volatility 25.4%WELL: +27.0% a year, volatility 23.8%VLUE: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.4%MSGS: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.7%PGR: +21.8% a year, volatility 25.7%RSPT: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.1%DIVB: +14.6% a year, volatility 15.5%RSG: +14.1% a year, volatility 18.6%ETR: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.4%IUS: +14.7% a year, volatility 14.9%VFMF: +14.5% a year, volatility 17.6%THFF: +16.2% a year, volatility 26.2%NXTG: +16.1% a year, volatility 19.1%IOO: +15.6% a year, volatility 17.2%WMT: +21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%PPA: +16.2% a year, volatility 18.9%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%MO: +18.3% a year, volatility 21.4%E: +23.7% a year, volatility 25.6%MFC: +23.3% a year, volatility 24.0%BMO: +14.0% a year, volatility 21.4%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%LVHI: +16.9% a year, volatility 11.1%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%QQQ: +14.2% a year, volatility 23.0%NVS: +17.4% a year, volatility 20.7%MRK: +16.1% a year, volatility 24.8%CCEP: +20.4% a year, volatility 23.3%AMGN: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.9%TJX: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.3%GLD: +17.1% a year, volatility 19.0%KOF: +22.4% a year, volatility 24.7%PAA: +28.4% a year, volatility 25.6%CB: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.4%COR: +23.6% a year, volatility 22.8%MNST: +17.4% a year, volatility 24.9%CIBR: +14.5% a year, volatility 26.2%MSI: +15.2% a year, volatility 23.6%ORLY: +15.8% a year, volatility 23.4%PCAR: +17.7% a year, volatility 26.2%DYNF: +14.4% a year, volatility 17.5%PAGP: +27.8% a year, volatility 26.0%SDCI: +21.1% a year, volatility 18.4%ATO: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.5%WRB: +18.6% a year, volatility 22.9%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%SPMO: +18.1% a year, volatility 20.9%AVLV: +13.9% a year, volatility 16.9%PVAL: +15.9% a year, volatility 15.1%NI: +15.5% a year, volatility 20.3%PKG: +16.6% a year, volatility 25.9%DTM: +25.0% a year, volatility 25.2%PNW: +14.6% a year, volatility 19.9%PAVE: +14.6% a year, volatility 21.7%FDL: +14.6% a year, volatility 14.5%AIRR: +17.5% a year, volatility 25.9%ACT: +20.7% a year, volatility 24.4%EMLP: +15.2% a year, volatility 14.5%GCOW: +14.4% a year, volatility 13.6%CRAK: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.9%WTM: +15.4% a year, volatility 23.6%MPLX: +24.0% a year, volatility 18.8%FRDM: +16.8% a year, volatility 22.9%SPUS: +14.8% a year, volatility 19.5%CHCO: +15.1% a year, volatility 22.8%FFLC: +15.5% a year, volatility 16.8%DBJP: +20.9% a year, volatility 19.3%HSBC: +32.8% a year, volatility 25.9%EWJV: +15.1% a year, volatility 18.2%DGT: +13.9% a year, volatility 15.1%IDOG: +14.1% a year, volatility 15.6%CVX: +19.7% a year, volatility 25.2%SHEL: +21.4% a year, volatility 24.8%RTX: +18.7% a year, volatility 24.4%TTE: +18.8% a year, volatility 25.8%BTI: +19.4% a year, volatility 22.0%WMB: +25.2% a year, volatility 24.1%CM: +19.5% a year, volatility 21.6%BNY: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.4%EPD: +16.3% a year, volatility 17.1%KMI: +20.1% a year, volatility 22.3%CTAS: +17.1% a year, volatility 23.1%AFL: +19.5% a year, volatility 20.8%EMR: +12.9% a year, volatility 27.7%SPY (S&P 500): +12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%AME: +13.5% a year, volatility 22.2%ETN: +19.7% a year, volatility 32.2%XOM: +27.5% a year, volatility 26.5%PH: +26.0% a year, volatility 28.9%LNG: +23.4% a year, volatility 30.2%ITT: +16.0% a year, volatility 29.9%GWW: +26.7% a year, volatility 24.9%FAST: +16.2% a year, volatility 24.6%CMI: +19.3% a year, volatility 29.0%WAB: +25.2% a year, volatility 26.3%SNA: +14.1% a year, volatility 23.4%AIT: +27.2% a year, volatility 30.4%RY: +17.5% a year, volatility 18.2%ALL: +17.9% a year, volatility 26.2%THG: +15.2% a year, volatility 22.9%VGT: +18.1% a year, volatility 26.1%AAPL: +19.1% a year, volatility 28.0%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%EWT: +19.8% a year, volatility 24.3%JNJ: +13.5% a year, volatility 18.0%CAH: +41.7% a year, volatility 24.7%EMRSPY (S&P 500)ETNXOMPHLNGITTGWWFASTCMIWABAITRYTHGVGTTRVEWTJNJCAH
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than EMR?

Investments that beat EMR over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat EMR over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks EMR's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than EMR follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than EMR's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× EMR's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than EMR's.

Screen the whole market against EMR for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 21 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with EMR?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
EMREmerson Electric Co. · this page
+12.9%27.7%0.58−50.8%+307%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.5%17.2%0.78−33.7%+316%0.670.09%
Popular alternativesbest 6 shownThe investments people most often weigh against EMR. 6 of 20 passed at least one test.
AMEAMETEK, Inc. · Electronic Instruments
Similar return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+13.5%22.2%0.68−42.7%+466%0.70—
ETNEaton Corporation plc · Electrical Equipment
Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+19.7%32.2%0.72−44.5%+636%0.68—
XOMExxonmobil Holdings Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Higher return, similar volatility+27.5%26.5%1.05−61.0%+216%0.32—
PHParker-Hannifin Corporation · Industrial Machinery
Higher return, similar volatility+26.0%28.9%0.95−54.7%+755%0.60—
LNGCheniere Energy, Inc. · Oil & Gas
Higher return, similar volatility+23.4%30.2%0.85−57.5%+635%0.11—
ITTITT Inc. · Industrial Machinery
Higher return, similar volatility+16.0%29.9%0.65−49.5%+509%0.64—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 6 shownEverything else in Industrial Machinery and the categories next to it (Water Infrastructure, Industrial Distribution), plus EMR's specific themes. 10 of 94 passed at least one test.
GWWW.W. Grainger, Inc. · Industrial Distribution
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+26.7%24.9%1.08−41.6%+670%0.52—
FASTFastenal Company · Industrial Distribution
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+16.2%24.6%0.74−30.7%+582%0.36—
CMICummins Inc. · Industrial Machinery
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+19.3%29.0%0.76−44.0%+429%0.59—
WABWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation · Industrial Machinery
Higher return, lower volatility+25.2%26.3%0.99−64.1%+258%0.60—
SNASnap-on Incorporated · Industrial Machinery
Higher return, lower volatility+14.1%23.4%0.68−47.4%+185%0.49—
AITApplied Industrial Technologies, Inc. · Industrial Distribution
Higher return, similar volatility+27.2%30.4%0.95−59.3%+717%0.62—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 524 of 3,540 passed at least one test.
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+17.5%18.2%0.98−40.0%+361%0.29—
ALLThe Allstate Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+17.9%26.2%0.76−41.4%+377%0.08—
THGThe Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+15.2%22.9%0.73−40.1%+309%0.16—
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+18.1%26.1%0.77−35.1%+753%0.510.09%
AAPLApple Inc. · Computer Hardware
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+19.1%28.0%0.77−38.5%+1,194%0.25—
TRVThe Travelers Companies, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+22.4%22.3%1.02−46.3%+360%0.29—
EWTiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF · International Equity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+19.8%24.3%0.87−38.9%+448%0.360.59%
JNJJohnson & Johnson · Pharmaceuticals
Similar return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+13.5%18.0%0.80−27.4%+209%0.23—
What these numbers mean for EMR
Annual return
EMR returned 12.9% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.5% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $18,300. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
EMR's volatility over the past 5 years was 27.7%, 1.6 times the S&P 500's 17.2%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, EMR's return lands within 27.7% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
EMR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.58, against 0.78 for the S&P 500, so EMR earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
EMR's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 50.8%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 50.8% fall takes a 103% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, EMR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.67 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against EMR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a EMR holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 159 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than EMR with less volatility

Out of 3,641 tested over 5 years. The strongest 100 are listed, best first, with funds that hold the same thing listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with EMRExpense
1
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
Whole market+17.5%18.2%0.98−40.0%+361%0.29—
2
ALLThe Allstate Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+17.9%26.2%0.76−41.4%+377%0.08—
3
THGThe Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.2%22.9%0.73−40.1%+309%0.16—
4
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · Specialty Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+25.5%23.4%1.09−45.1%+600%0.09—
5
KOThe Coca-Cola Company · Nonalcoholic Beverages
Whole market+15.2%16.8%0.93−37.0%+205%0.25—
6
PMPhilip Morris International Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+21.3%23.4%0.94−42.9%+240%0.26—
7
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Whole market+16.9%26.1%0.73−42.0%+361%0.47—
8
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+37.8%25.1%1.41−38.1%+582%0.35—
9
GILDGilead Sciences, Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+22.8%24.9%0.95−30.5%+202%0.28—
10
TDThe Toronto-Dominion Bank · Banks
Whole market+16.5%20.0%0.87−42.0%+319%0.34—
11
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+18.1%26.1%0.77−35.1%+753%0.510.09%
12
CBOECboe Global Markets, Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+22.0%25.1%0.92−43.2%+481%0.22—
13
IXORIX Corporation · Diversified Financials
Whole market+18.3%25.4%0.79−42.5%+286%0.42—
14
TRVThe Travelers Companies, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+22.4%22.3%1.02−46.3%+360%0.29—
15
EWTiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF · International Equity
Whole market+19.8%24.3%0.87−38.9%+448%0.360.59%
16
GWWW.W. Grainger, Inc. · Industrial Distribution
Same or nearby category+26.7%24.9%1.08−41.6%+670%0.52—
17
WELLWelltower Inc. · Healthcare REITs
Whole market+27.0%23.8%1.13−63.3%+378%0.28—
18
VLUEiShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+16.2%18.4%0.91−39.5%+286%0.590.15%
19
MSGSMadison Square Garden Sports Corp. · Entertainment
Whole market+17.5%25.7%0.76−41.6%+395%0.36—
20
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+41.7%24.7%1.54−46.1%+345%0.27—
21
FASTFastenal Company · Industrial Distribution
Same or nearby category+16.2%24.6%0.74−30.7%+582%0.36—
22
PGRThe Progressive Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+21.8%25.7%0.90−30.3%+849%0.04—
23
RSPTInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.6%25.1%0.74−33.7%+559%0.560.40%
24
DIVBiShares Core Dividend ETF · High Dividend Yield
Whole market+14.6%15.5%0.96−36.9%—0.660.05%
25
RSGRepublic Services, Inc. · Waste Management
Whole market+14.1%18.6%0.80−34.0%+461%0.16—
26
ETREntergy Corporation · Electric Utilities
Whole market+19.8%22.4%0.92−42.0%+326%0.29—
27
IUSInvesco RAFI Strategic US ETF · US Total Market
Whole market+14.7%14.9%1.00−34.7%—0.700.19%
28
VFMFVanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF · US Multifactor Equity
Whole market+14.5%17.6%0.86−41.3%—0.700.18%
29
THFFFirst Financial Corporation · Regional Banks
Whole market+16.2%26.2%0.71−42.8%+164%0.27—
30
NXTGFirst Trust Indxx NextG ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.1%19.1%0.88−33.6%+323%0.450.70%
31
IOOiShares Global 100 ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+15.6%17.2%0.94−31.4%+357%0.620.40%
32
WMTWalmart Inc. · Discount Retail
Whole market+21.1%22.6%0.97−25.7%+521%0.41—
33
PPAInvesco Aerospace & Defense ETF · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+16.2%18.9%0.89−43.9%+341%0.690.58%
34
JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co. · Banks
Whole market+17.3%24.3%0.78−43.6%+534%0.51—
35
MOAltria Group, Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+18.3%21.4%0.90−53.7%+133%0.26—
36
EEni S.p.A. · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+23.7%25.6%0.96−61.4%+283%0.27—
37
MFCManulife Financial Corporation · Life Insurance
Whole market+23.3%24.0%1.00−57.5%+386%0.44—
38
BMOBank of Montreal · Banks
Whole market+14.0%21.4%0.72−51.0%+304%0.46—
39
DXJWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund · Japan Equity
Whole market+26.6%19.1%1.34−39.1%+415%0.430.48%
40
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Dividend Equity
Whole market+16.9%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.450.40%
41
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation · Discount Retail
Whole market+17.4%22.9%0.82−31.4%+692%0.35—
42
QQQInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 · US Large-Cap Growth
Whole market+14.2%23.0%0.69−35.1%+531%0.510.18%
43
NVSNovartis AG · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+17.4%20.7%0.89−26.8%+234%0.21—
44
MRKMerck & Co., Inc. · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+16.1%24.8%0.73−43.4%+245%0.15—
45
CCEPCoca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC · Food & Beverages
Whole market+20.4%23.3%0.92−48.8%+294%0.37—
46
AMGNAmgen Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+20.1%24.9%0.86−24.9%+280%0.25—
47
TJXThe TJX Companies, Inc. · Apparel Retail
Whole market+19.8%22.3%0.93−42.5%+357%0.37—
48
GLDSPDR Gold Shares · Gold
Whole market+17.1%19.0%0.93−26.4%+206%0.090.40%
49
KOFCoca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. · Food & Beverages
Whole market+22.4%24.7%0.95−55.1%+119%0.28—
50
PAAPlains All American Pipeline, L.P. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+28.4%25.6%1.11−87.9%+66.5%0.42—
51
CBChubb Limited · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.8%20.4%0.82−42.6%+256%0.23—
52
CORCencora, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+23.6%22.8%1.05−32.4%+403%0.39—
53
MNSTMonster Beverage Corporation · Nonalcoholic Beverages
Whole market+17.4%24.9%0.77−30.4%+278%0.27—
54
CIBRFirst Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF · Cybersecurity
Whole market+14.5%26.2%0.65−33.9%+461%0.300.58%
55
MSIMotorola Solutions, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Whole market+15.2%23.6%0.72−32.8%+639%0.38—
56
ORLYO'Reilly Automotive, Inc. · Specialty Retail
Whole market+15.8%23.4%0.75−42.0%+394%0.30—
57
PCARPACCAR Inc · Commercial Vehicles
Whole market+17.7%26.2%0.76−37.9%+314%0.62—
58
DYNFiShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF · US Multifactor Equity
Whole market+14.4%17.5%0.86−34.7%—0.640.26%
59
PAGPPlains GP Holdings LP · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+27.8%26.0%1.08−88.0%+60.3%0.43—
60
SDCIUSCF SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Strategy No K-1 Fund · Broad Commodities
Whole market+21.1%18.4%1.14−45.7%—0.230.80%
61
ATOAtmos Energy Corporation · Gas Utilities
Whole market+15.9%18.5%0.90−32.9%+207%0.31—
62
WRBW. R. Berkley Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+18.6%22.9%0.86−45.3%+466%0.16—
63
DFIVDimensional - International Value ETF · International Large-Cap Value
Whole market+14.8%16.4%0.93−25.4%—0.510.27%
64
SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF · US Momentum Equity
Whole market+18.1%20.9%0.91−30.9%+485%0.620.13%
65
AVLVAvantis U.S. Large Cap Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+13.9%16.9%0.86−19.5%—0.720.15%
66
PVALPutnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+15.9%15.1%1.06−41.3%—0.710.56%
67
NINiSource Inc · Gas Utilities
Whole market+15.5%20.3%0.81−30.9%+166%0.40—
68
PKGPackaging Corporation of America · Packaging
Whole market+16.6%25.9%0.72−38.2%+302%0.43—
69
DTMDT Midstream, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+25.0%25.2%1.02−23.6%—0.50—
70
PNWPinnacle West Capital Corporation · Electric Utilities
Whole market+14.6%19.9%0.79−39.3%+110%0.32—
71
PAVEGlobal X - U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF · Infrastructure Equity
Whole market+14.6%21.7%0.74−44.1%—0.750.47%
72
FDLFirst Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund · High Dividend Yield
Whole market+14.6%14.5%1.02−41.4%+207%0.500.43%
73
AIRRFirst Trust RBA American Industrial RenaissanceTM ETF · US Industrials
Whole market+17.5%25.9%0.76−42.4%+392%0.700.69%
74
ACTEnact Holdings Inc. · Insurance
Whole market+20.7%24.4%0.90−20.2%—0.24—
75
EMLPFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund · Energy Infrastructure
Whole market+15.2%14.5%1.06−43.6%+155%0.590.95%
76
GCOWPacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+14.4%13.6%1.06−37.6%+170%0.450.60%
77
CRAKVanEck Oil Refiners ETF · Oil Refining
Whole market+19.5%20.9%0.96−58.8%+325%0.440.61%
78
WTMWhite Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. · Insurance
Whole market+15.4%23.6%0.73−40.2%+174%0.24—
79
MPLXMPLX Lp · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+24.0%18.8%1.25−75.2%+337%0.48—
80
FRDMFreedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF · Emerging Markets Equity
Whole market+16.8%22.9%0.80−40.5%—0.430.49%
81
SPUSSP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Whole market+14.8%19.5%0.81−30.8%—0.600.45%
82
CHCOCity Holding Company · Regional Banks
Whole market+15.1%22.8%0.73−32.3%+272%0.40—
83
FFLCFidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETF · Active Core Equity
Whole market+15.5%16.8%0.94−19.7%—0.710.38%
84
DBJPXtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF · Japan Equity
Whole market+20.9%19.3%1.09−31.3%+339%0.430.45%
85
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc · Banks
Whole market+32.8%25.9%1.23−62.3%+314%0.21—
86
EWJViShares MSCI Japan Value ETF · Japan Equity
Whole market+15.1%18.2%0.87−30.1%—0.480.15%
87
DGTState Street SPDR Global Dow ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+13.9%15.1%0.95−34.4%+260%0.610.50%
88
IDOGALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF · International Dividend Equity
Whole market+14.1%15.6%0.93−37.3%+180%0.400.50%
89
CVXChevron Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+19.7%25.2%0.84−55.8%+243%0.49—
90
SHELShell plc · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+21.4%24.8%0.91−67.2%+236%0.21—
91
RTXRTX Corporation · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+18.7%24.4%0.83−52.0%+319%0.34—
92
TTETotalEnergies SE · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+18.8%25.8%0.80−59.6%+237%0.17—
93
BTIBritish American Tobacco p.l.c. · Tobacco
Whole market+19.4%22.0%0.92−56.1%+110%0.30—
94
WMBThe Williams Companies, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+25.2%24.1%1.06−68.1%+291%0.45—
95
CMCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce · Banks
Whole market+19.5%21.6%0.94−47.3%+409%0.37—
96
BNYBank of New York Mellon Corp · Banks
Whole market+22.8%24.4%0.97−50.5%+332%0.46—
97
EPDEnterprise Products Partners L.P. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+16.3%17.1%0.98−58.1%+178%0.46—
98
KMIKinder Morgan, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+20.1%22.3%0.94−55.1%+159%0.51—
99
CTASCintas Corporation · Business Services
Whole market+17.1%23.1%0.80−48.4%+834%0.54—
100
AFLAflac Incorporated · Life Insurance
Whole market+19.5%20.8%0.97−54.9%+344%0.29—

EMR against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against EMR, compared period by period and year by year.

How do EMR's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at EMR, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than EMR with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%50.0%55.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityEMR: 12.9% a year, volatility 27.7%SPY (S&P 500): 12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%KEYS: 12.1% a year, volatility 34.8%AME: 13.5% a year, volatility 22.2%GNRC: −16.8% a year, volatility 54.6%XOM: 27.5% a year, volatility 26.5%PTC: 8.6% a year, volatility 35.0%NOVT: −4.1% a year, volatility 41.4%ROK: 7.8% a year, volatility 32.4%CGNX: −7.8% a year, volatility 45.2%IR: 6.6% a year, volatility 30.5%LNG: 23.4% a year, volatility 30.2%TER: 22.1% a year, volatility 54.5%PH: 26.0% a year, volatility 28.9%ETN: 19.7% a year, volatility 32.2%ITT: 16.0% a year, volatility 29.9%FLS: 14.9% a year, volatility 36.7%LIN: 11.7% a year, volatility 20.9%DOV: 4.2% a year, volatility 25.2%FTV: 1.8% a year, volatility 25.5%ITW: 7.0% a year, volatility 21.4%HON: 2.5% a year, volatility 22.7%EMRSPY (S&P 500)KEYSGNRCXOMPTCNOVTROKCGNXIRLNGTERPHETNITTFLSDOVFTVITWHON10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityEMR: 12.9% a year, volatility 27.7%SPY (S&P 500): 12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%KEYS: 12.1% a year, volatility 34.8%AME: 13.5% a year, volatility 22.2%GNRC: −16.8% a year, volatility 54.6%XOM: 27.5% a year, volatility 26.5%PTC: 8.6% a year, volatility 35.0%NOVT: −4.1% a year, volatility 41.4%ROK: 7.8% a year, volatility 32.4%CGNX: −7.8% a year, volatility 45.2%IR: 6.6% a year, volatility 30.5%LNG: 23.4% a year, volatility 30.2%TER: 22.1% a year, volatility 54.5%PH: 26.0% a year, volatility 28.9%ETN: 19.7% a year, volatility 32.2%ITT: 16.0% a year, volatility 29.9%FLS: 14.9% a year, volatility 36.7%LIN: 11.7% a year, volatility 20.9%DOV: 4.2% a year, volatility 25.2%FTV: 1.8% a year, volatility 25.5%ITW: 7.0% a year, volatility 21.4%HON: 2.5% a year, volatility 22.7%EMRSPY (S&P 500)KEYSGNRCXOMPTCNOVTROKCGNXIRLNGTERPHETNITTFLSDOVFTVITWHON
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
XOM Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation+27.5%26.5%
PH Parker-Hannifin Corporation+26.0%28.9%
LNG Cheniere Energy, Inc.+23.4%30.2%
TER Teradyne, Inc.+22.1%54.5%
ETN Eaton Corporation plc+19.7%32.2%
ITT ITT Inc.+16.0%29.9%
FLS Flowserve Corporation+14.9%36.7%
AME AMETEK, Inc.+13.5%22.2%
EMR This pageEmerson Electric Co.+12.9%27.7%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.5%17.2%
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.+12.1%34.8%
LIN Linde plc+11.7%20.9%
PTC PTC Inc.+8.6%35.0%
ROK Rockwell Automation, Inc.+7.8%32.4%
ITW Illinois Tool Works Inc.+7.0%21.4%
IR Ingersoll Rand Inc.+6.6%30.5%
DOV Dover Corporation+4.2%25.2%
HON Honeywell International Inc.+2.5%22.7%
FTV Fortive Corporation+1.8%25.5%
NOVT Novanta Inc.−4.1%41.4%
CGNX Cognex Corporation−7.8%45.2%
GNRC Generac Holdings Inc.−16.8%54.6%
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Has EMR consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares EMR with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than EMR helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than EMR over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
EMR Emerson Electric Co. (this page)—+4.0%+15.2%+13.1%+19.4%+25.1%+87.4%+83.1%+307%27.7%0.58−50.8%—$89B—
LNG QualifiedCheniere Energy, Inc.3/5 short2/3 long+5.1%+7.6%+12.0%+46.1%+29.1%+74.6%+187%+635%30.2%0.85−57.5%—$59B—
TER SemiconductorsTeradyne, Inc.2/5 short3/3 long−22.6%−16.4%−19.8%+48.9%+123%+243%+171%+1,379%54.5%0.64−59.1%—$48B—
PH Industrial - MachineryParker-Hannifin Corporation0/5 short3/3 long−7.4%−7.8%−6.0%+0.5%+21.5%+151%+218%+755%28.9%0.95−54.7%—$113B—
ETN Electrical Equipment & PartsEaton Corporation plc0/5 short3/3 long−16.6%−9.1%−10.4%+13.7%+3.5%+96.0%+146%+636%32.2%0.72−44.5%—$143B—
ITT Industrial - MachineryITT Inc.0/5 short3/3 long−9.8%−2.3%−12.9%+8.7%+10.2%+107%+110%+509%29.9%0.65−49.5%—$17B—
KEYS Hardware, Equipment & PartsKeysight Technologies, Inc.2/5 short2/3 long−10.3%−4.9%−8.1%+50.8%+89.2%+156%+76.8%+843%34.8%0.50−42.6%—$53B—
AME Electrical Equipment & PartsAMETEK, Inc.1/5 short2/3 long−2.7%+0.9%+3.9%+14.7%+29.9%+72.8%+88.1%+466%22.2%0.68−42.7%—$55B—
GNRC Industrial - MachineryGenerac Holdings Inc.1/5 short2/3 long−8.8%−11.9%−12.0%+33.3%+2.7%+113%−60.0%+407%54.6%-0.06−83.8%—$11B—
FLS Industrial - MachineryFlowserve Corporation1/5 short2/3 long−10.6%−0.9%−17.6%−3.4%+32.4%+94.4%+101%+89.6%36.7%0.56−64.8%—$8.6B—
XOM Oil & Gas IntegratedExxonmobil Holdings Corporation5/5 short1/3 long+12.3%+16.1%+20.8%+48.2%+59.8%+79.7%+236%+216%26.5%1.05−61.0%—$733B—
PTC Software - ApplicationPTC Inc.3/5 short1/3 long+38.6%+71.5%+38.0%+14.1%−4.4%+42.5%+51.4%+321%35.0%0.41−54.4%—$21B—
LIN Chemicals - SpecialtyLinde plc2/5 short1/3 long+9.8%+0.7%+3.9%+20.1%+15.0%+45.1%+73.8%+404%20.9%0.64−32.6%—$235B—
NOVT Hardware, Equipment & PartsNovanta Inc.1/5 short1/3 long−5.2%−5.9%+2.6%+23.0%+17.3%−0.2%−18.8%+672%41.4%0.11−46.7%—$5.2B—
ROK Industrial - MachineryRockwell Automation, Inc.0/5 short1/3 long−0.8%−7.2%+4.8%+7.4%+22.6%+66.9%+45.7%+325%32.4%0.40−45.1%—$47B—
DOV Industrial - MachineryDover Corporation1/5 short0/3 long+4.8%−8.6%−9.1%+0.6%+17.8%+51.0%+22.9%+312%25.2%0.29−45.2%—$26B—
CGNX Hardware, Equipment & PartsCognex Corporation1/5 short0/3 long−7.4%−12.6%+1.3%+48.4%+18.7%+53.9%−33.6%+116%45.2%0.04−74.6%—$9.2B—
FTV Hardware, Equipment & PartsFortive Corporation1/5 short0/3 long+7.3%−0.2%−1.1%+8.8%+22.9%+15.3%+9.4%+104%25.5%0.20−52.6%—$18B—
ITW Industrial - MachineryIllinois Tool Works Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+3.9%+2.6%+5.9%+14.0%+13.2%+34.9%+40.0%+213%21.4%0.42−37.9%—$80B—
HON ConglomeratesHoneywell International Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+3.0%−6.0%−4.6%+7.7%+9.0%+30.5%+13.2%+163%22.7%0.22−43.0%—$69B—
IR Industrial - MachineryIngersoll Rand Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+0.4%−11.3%−11.4%−7.0%−5.0%+25.3%+37.6%—30.5%0.36−49.1%—$29B—
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How did EMR do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where EMR ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with EMR and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of EMR; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places EMR among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of EMR20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997
EMR This pageEmerson Electric Co.—+8.9%+29.7%+3.8%+5.7%+18.2%+8.6%+31.6%−11.9%+29.1%+21.0%−19.7%−9.6%+36.1%+17.3%−16.3%+37.8%+20.7%−33.6%+31.5%+20.7%+9.2%+11.0%+31.4%−8.3%−25.7%+40.8%−3.0%+9.2%+19.1%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 4 of 299 of 214 of 2117 of 213 of 2116 of 2117 of 2117 of 2114 of 2115 of 2012 of 1914 of 1916 of 1814 of 1811 of 1817 of 1810 of 1714 of 178 of 177 of 175 of 178 of 1712 of 1712 of 179 of 1714 of 171 of 1713 of 165 of 1611 of 16
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF13 of 29+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%+16.0%+1.9%+15.1%+26.4%−36.8%+5.1%+15.9%+4.8%+10.7%+28.2%−21.6%−11.7%−9.8%+20.4%+28.7%+33.5%
LNG Cheniere Energy, Inc.13 of 29−8.7%+27.2%+15.0%+49.3%+69.5%−1.7%+3.2%+9.9%+29.9%+11.2%−47.1%+63.3%+130%+116%+57.5%+128%−15.1%−91.3%+13.0%−22.4%+16.9%+444%+815%+28.0%−58.6%−16.1%−27.9%−51.5%−48.1%
TER Teradyne, Inc.17 of 29+54.4%+16.5%+24.8%−46.4%+36.8%+76.8%+119%−24.4%+65.8%+24.3%+5.8%+13.4%+4.3%+23.9%−2.9%+30.9%+154%−59.1%−30.9%+2.7%−14.7%−32.9%+95.6%−56.8%−19.1%−43.6%+211%+32.5%+31.3%
PH Parker-Hannifin Corporation18 of 29+39.5%+39.6%+60.8%−6.9%+18.3%+34.8%+40.7%−24.0%+44.3%+47.6%−23.1%+2.0%+53.9%+13.7%−10.1%+62.7%+29.4%−42.5%+48.6%+18.0%−11.8%+28.9%+31.2%+2.1%+5.7%−12.5%+59.3%−27.5%+80.2%
ETN Eaton Corporation plc19 of 29−2.8%+39.5%+56.2%−7.2%+46.7%+31.0%+42.8%−10.0%+21.5%+33.8%−20.7%−8.2%+44.2%+28.6%−11.8%+64.0%+33.3%−47.1%+31.6%+14.4%−5.4%+36.5%+41.1%+7.6%+40.8%+6.0%+5.3%−19.0%+30.7%
ITT ITT Inc.18 of 29+22.5%+20.8%+48.9%−19.5%+33.9%+5.5%+54.6%−8.6%+40.1%+7.6%−9.1%−5.9%+87.4%+23.4%−1.5%+6.7%+10.0%−29.6%+17.1%+11.3%+22.5%+14.8%+23.3%+21.3%+31.9%+17.8%−14.7%+28.4%+30.7%
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.7 of 11+26.5%+1.0%−7.0%−17.2%+56.3%+28.7%+65.3%+49.2%+13.8%+29.1%−16.1%——————————————————
AME AMETEK, Inc.20 of 29+14.7%+10.0%+18.8%−4.3%+22.3%+22.2%+48.3%−5.9%+50.0%−8.6%+2.5%+0.5%+41.0%+34.6%+7.9%+54.8%+27.6%−35.1%+47.9%+13.0%+20.0%+48.9%+26.4%+21.4%+23.7%+37.7%−13.6%−16.8%+22.4%
GNRC Generac Holdings Inc.9 of 15−12.0%+20.0%+28.4%−71.4%+54.8%+126%+102%+0.4%+21.6%+36.9%−36.3%−17.4%+118%+162%+73.3%——————————————
FLS Flowserve Corporation16 of 29+22.5%+41.9%+37.3%+3.1%−15.0%−23.9%+33.7%−8.2%−11.2%+16.0%−28.6%−23.4%+62.6%+49.6%−15.6%+27.6%+86.1%−45.8%+92.3%+27.4%+43.8%+32.0%+41.0%−44.4%+24.3%+25.8%+6.1%−39.5%+5.0%
XOM Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation14 of 29+16.0%+11.3%−6.3%+87.4%+57.6%−36.2%+7.2%−15.1%−3.8%+19.9%−12.8%−6.0%+20.1%+4.7%+18.7%+10.1%−12.6%−13.1%+24.3%+39.1%+11.8%+28.1%+20.7%−8.9%−7.5%+10.2%+12.7%+22.5%+28.3%
PTC PTC Inc.14 of 29−5.3%+5.1%+45.8%−0.9%+1.3%+59.7%−9.7%+36.4%+31.3%+33.6%−5.5%+3.6%+57.2%+23.3%−18.9%+37.9%+29.2%−29.1%−0.9%+18.2%+3.6%+49.4%+56.4%−67.7%−41.9%−50.3%+66.6%−31.4%−7.8%
LIN Linde plc18 of 29+3.2%+3.2%+27.7%−4.4%+33.4%+25.9%+39.1%+3.0%+35.1%+17.5%−19.0%+1.6%+21.3%+4.5%+14.2%+21.5%+38.4%−31.8%+52.0%+14.0%+21.8%+17.3%+34.4%+5.9%+26.3%−10.3%+44.4%−20.7%−1.6%
NOVT Novanta Inc.14 of 26−22.1%−9.3%+23.9%−22.9%+49.1%+33.7%+40.4%+26.0%+138%+54.2%−7.5%+31.0%+29.8%−15.3%−3.3%+305%+52.6%−93.8%−4.6%−10.8%−5.4%−2.5%+95.2%−28.8%+5.9%−8.6%———
ROK Rockwell Automation, Inc.20 of 29+38.4%−6.2%+22.6%−24.8%+41.2%+26.2%+37.9%−21.8%+48.9%+34.5%−5.5%−3.9%+43.8%+17.2%+4.5%+56.1%+50.9%−51.9%+14.9%+4.7%+21.3%+41.8%+76.5%+20.0%−11.3%+5.5%+168%−1.9%+37.1%
DOV Dover Corporation19 of 29+5.2%+23.4%+15.2%−24.3%+45.7%+11.5%+65.8%−11.0%+37.7%+25.4%−12.4%−8.8%+49.5%+15.7%+1.4%+43.7%+30.3%−26.9%−4.4%+22.9%−1.8%+7.2%+38.7%−20.1%−7.3%−9.7%+25.4%+2.5%+44.6%
CGNX Cognex Corporation15 of 29+1.2%−13.4%−10.8%−39.1%−2.9%+47.7%+45.5%−36.5%+92.9%+89.5%−17.9%+8.3%+107%+7.1%+22.8%+68.0%+22.5%−24.5%−14.2%−19.7%+9.1%−0.7%+54.2%−28.0%+15.6%−43.2%+95.1%−26.7%+46.9%
FTV Fortive Corporation4 of 9−1.9%+2.3%+15.1%−15.4%+8.1%+11.2%+13.3%−6.1%+35.4%————————————————————
ITW Illinois Tool Works Inc.17 of 29−0.4%−1.0%+21.6%−8.5%+23.6%+16.4%+45.6%−22.1%+38.9%+35.0%+0.1%+15.0%+41.4%+33.6%−10.0%+14.4%+41.4%−32.7%+18.0%+7.1%−3.7%+11.7%+31.1%−2.9%+15.2%−10.6%+17.6%−2.6%+51.9%
HON Honeywell International Inc.15 of 29−6.3%+10.2%+0.1%+5.0%−0.2%+23.1%+36.9%−7.5%+35.2%+14.3%+4.9%+10.6%+45.8%+18.5%+3.8%+37.8%+21.9%−45.9%+37.5%+23.1%+6.6%+7.3%+41.6%−28.0%−27.7%−17.2%+31.0%+15.1%+16.7%
IR Ingersoll Rand Inc.4 of 8−12.3%+17.1%+48.2%−15.4%+35.9%+27.0%+92.8%−35.3%—————————————————————
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Risk and diversification

How EMR has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were EMR's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents EMR's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 1986, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Green means EMR fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringEMR fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
2008 financial crisis−56.1%−50.7%Jun 2008Mar 20099 monthsOct 201019 months
Covid crash−50.8%−32.2%Jan 2020Mar 20202 monthsNov 20208 months
Dot-com bust−43.6%−40.2%Dec 2000Oct 200222 monthsSep 20052.9 years
Dot-com bust−40.6%+4.1%May 1999Mar 200010 monthsAug 20005 months
2015 China and oil sell-off−35.9%+6.2%Dec 2013Jan 20162.1 yearsFeb 201713 months

How did EMR do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far EMR, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than EMR.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
EMR This pageEmerson Electric Co.—−4.3%−25.4%−47.2%−28.8%−5.9%−15.9%−25.8%0.0%−56.1%−43.6%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF7 of 10−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
LNG Cheniere Energy, Inc.5 of 10−1.3%−17.8%−46.1%−21.3%−5.1%−66.5%−62.4%0.0%−97.7%−84.4%
TER Teradyne, Inc.3 of 10−1.9%−56.6%−34.8%−24.6%−10.7%−18.3%−28.2%−2.5%−79.2%−93.4%
PH Parker-Hannifin Corporation2 of 10−8.4%−27.3%−54.7%−25.6%−8.1%−23.7%−30.4%−3.5%−66.9%−36.5%
ETN Eaton Corporation plc3 of 10−4.5%−26.3%−44.5%−26.0%−6.7%−22.3%−34.6%−1.4%−68.5%−31.6%
ITT ITT Inc.4 of 10−7.7%−37.8%−46.4%−25.9%−8.7%−25.4%−28.3%−3.4%−52.4%−20.6%
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.3 of 6−2.6%−33.8%−17.7%−18.0%−6.7%−37.2%————
AME AMETEK, Inc.5 of 10−3.7%−26.4%−42.0%−22.1%−6.7%−21.9%−30.3%−1.2%−53.3%−34.9%
GNRC Generac Holdings Inc.3 of 8−6.8%−54.8%−33.1%−21.8%−5.6%−16.2%−24.4%−4.0%——
FLS Flowserve Corporation0 of 10−7.1%−33.4%−58.5%−35.3%−9.4%−26.6%−36.7%−3.6%−73.1%−76.8%
XOM Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation7 of 10−3.1%−20.5%−47.9%−23.6%−10.0%−15.0%−19.6%−0.3%−33.7%−33.6%
PTC PTC Inc.4 of 10−4.3%−20.4%−45.3%−27.8%−4.9%−24.9%−33.9%−3.0%−66.1%−94.5%
LIN Linde plc6 of 10−5.3%−22.8%−32.3%−11.9%−7.2%−16.6%−15.4%−0.6%−51.8%−33.5%
NOVT Novanta Inc.2 of 10−4.0%−36.2%−29.5%−25.6%−12.6%−19.6%−38.9%−0.7%−96.0%−91.4%
ROK Rockwell Automation, Inc.3 of 10−5.4%−43.8%−42.4%−27.5%−7.9%−23.6%−37.5%−1.4%−74.7%−42.0%
DOV Dover Corporation2 of 10−5.9%−35.6%−45.0%−25.1%−6.8%−20.9%−32.8%−1.5%−58.2%−54.1%
CGNX Cognex Corporation2 of 10−2.8%−48.0%−27.5%−40.7%−12.3%−26.4%−30.6%−4.7%−64.5%−78.8%
FTV Fortive Corporation2 of 5−4.7%−27.4%−45.3%−26.8%−8.2%—————
ITW Illinois Tool Works Inc.6 of 10−2.9%−28.0%−37.9%−19.3%−8.4%−14.0%−29.0%−1.1%−54.9%−30.8%
HON Honeywell International Inc.5 of 10−1.4%−22.7%−42.2%−22.1%−6.8%−14.4%−25.3%−1.8%−62.2%−65.8%
IR Ingersoll Rand Inc.0 of 5−8.0%−34.3%−49.1%−34.4%−7.6%—————
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How closely does EMR move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares EMR with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than EMR's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
EMR This pageEmerson Electric Co.124%153%0.811.39
LNG Cheniere Energy, Inc.79%30%2.650.77
KEYS Keysight Technologies, Inc.121%71%1.701.08
ETN Eaton Corporation plc114%80%1.431.16
TER Teradyne, Inc.167%121%1.371.53
LIN Linde plc90%73%1.230.76
PH Parker-Hannifin Corporation141%126%1.111.43
AME AMETEK, Inc.111%101%1.101.15
NOVT Novanta Inc.155%156%0.991.38
ITT ITT Inc.135%138%0.981.42
GNRC Generac Holdings Inc.129%133%0.971.45
XOM Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation78%83%0.940.76
ROK Rockwell Automation, Inc.122%138%0.881.46
DOV Dover Corporation114%133%0.851.27
PTC PTC Inc.105%127%0.831.12
ITW Illinois Tool Works Inc.94%116%0.811.04
HON Honeywell International Inc.90%118%0.771.00
CGNX Cognex Corporation126%182%0.691.58
FTV Fortive Corporation88%133%0.661.10
FLS Flowserve Corporation119%188%0.631.49
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What diversifies EMR?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with EMR's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing EMR with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which EMR lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% EMR and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe2018201520142011200820022001199980/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
EMR Emerson Electric Co. (this page)1.00+83.1%0.58−11.9%−19.7%−9.6%−16.3%−33.6%−8.3%−25.7%−3.0%28.4%+12.7%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.45+119%1.48−5.2%———————23.6%+14.1%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.43+225%1.34−19.8%+7.7%+8.1%−16.1%−20.8%———23.9%+16.0%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF0.43+304%0.94−9.1%−0.3%+30.2%+6.8%−44.7%−47.0%−14.6%—26.5%+18.3%
XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF0.45+178%0.94−18.2%−21.5%−8.7%+2.8%−39.0%−14.8%−18.2%+18.1%25.4%+15.4%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.09+120%0.93−1.9%−10.7%−2.2%+9.6%+4.9%———23.3%+14.6%
AMLP EnergyAlerian MLP ETF0.48+114%0.90−12.6%−25.7%+4.8%+10.2%————24.7%+14.4%
EUFN InternationaliShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF0.37+130%0.88−23.1%−4.7%−9.7%−26.6%————24.5%+14.9%
EWT TechnologyiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF0.36+147%0.87−9.9%−12.9%+7.0%−21.8%−45.3%−24.4%+2.1%—25.0%+15.2%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe2018201520142011200820022001199980/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
EMR Emerson Electric Co. (this page)1.00+83.1%0.58−11.9%−19.7%−9.6%−16.3%−33.6%−8.3%−25.7%−3.0%28.4%+12.7%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.27+471%1.54−24.5%+12.6%+23.0%+8.1%−39.6%−8.3%−2.5%−36.8%24.6%+18.3%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.0.47+2,780%1.43−16.3%−6.0%+12.9%−24.4%−20.5%−65.1%−25.6%+350%30.1%+30.2%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.35+397%1.41−28.4%−4.5%+29.3%+11.8%−40.4%−27.2%+4.9%−71.3%24.9%+17.6%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.34+660%1.39−8.2%+17.4%+0.4%—————25.6%+20.2%
PBR Oil & Gas IntegratedPetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras0.13+721%1.32+27.7%−41.1%−45.1%−32.1%−55.6%−32.0%−1.9%—24.8%+20.3%
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Common questions

What was EMR's worst drawdown?

EMR's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 56.1%, from June 2008 to March 2009. It took 19 months from the low to climb back to its old high.

What were EMR's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, EMR's best year was 2000, when it returned 40.8%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -33.6%.

Is there a better investment than EMR?

Among EMR's popular alternatives, AME matched EMR's return over the past 5 years (13.5% a year against 12.9%) with 20% less volatility. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, GWW (industrial distribution) and FAST (industrial distribution) earned more than EMR with less volatility over the past 5 years. GWW returned 26.7% a year at 24.9% volatility, against 12.9% a year at 27.7%.

Is EMR more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. EMR's volatility over the past 5 years was 27.7%, 1.6 times the S&P 500's 17.2%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, EMR's return lands within 27.7% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is EMR's Sharpe ratio?

EMR's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.58, against 0.78 for the S&P 500, so EMR earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is EMR with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, EMR's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.67 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against EMR instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a EMR holding.

What are the best alternatives to EMR?

Of the 20 popular alternatives we compared, one outperformed EMR in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: LNG.

Did EMR outperform the S&P 500?

EMR finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 14 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +8.9%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did EMR do in stock market crashes?

EMR fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in three of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in seven. The clearest case was the Covid crash, when EMR fell 47.2% and the S&P 500 fell 33.7%.

What diversifies EMR?

These had a low correlation with EMR over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.45), DXJ (correlation 0.43) and SMH (correlation 0.43); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.27), CLS (correlation 0.47) and MCK (correlation 0.35). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to EMR

Other stocks and ETFs