# How ING Groep (ING) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: BetterThanSPY research, https://betterthanspy.com/research/ing
> Data as of October 22, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on ING alone. It places ING (ING Groep N.V.) 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 ING stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: ING's full trading record, from May 1994 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 22, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** ING has outpaced the market, rising 15.5% over the past 6 months against 8.0% for the S&P 500 and 7.8% for the Nasdaq 100. Its bank peers were far apart over the past 6 months, from MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, up 25.1%) to HSBC (up 2.6%).
- **Stock or market?:** ING fell 2.7% over the past 3 months, 3.9 points ahead of the banks ETF EUFN (iShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF), which fell 6.6%. The S&P 500 rose 2.5%. Its bank peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: BNS (Bank of Nova Scotia) rose 7.6%, while HSBC fell 10.5%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** Over the past year, ING rose 41.5% against 15.6% for the S&P 500 and 16.9% for the Nasdaq 100. The same gap shows up over 3 years (203% against 88.4%).
- **Long term:** ING turned $10,000 into $43,000 over the past decade, against $41,600 in the S&P 500. ING's 10-year return of 330% puts it ahead of 76% of the stocks worth at least $300 million with that much history. The S&P 500 returned 316%.
- **In a crash:** Across seven sell-offs, ING has typically fallen 1.9 times as far as the S&P 500. The Covid crash took 56.9% off ING, against 33.7% for the S&P 500, and more than bank peers such as HSBC (20.5%).
- **Diversification:** Against the S&P 500, ING has a correlation of 0.43 over 5 years, more closely than 59% of stocks worth at least $300 million. Next to an index fund it is some diversification, but not a hedge.
- **Better options**
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** PBAM (Private Bancorp of America, regional banks) and NECB (Northeast Community Bancorp, regional banks) earned more than ING with less volatility over the past 5 years. PBAM returned 27.5% a year at 18.9% volatility, against 24.3% a year at 31.2%.
  - **Whole market:** Few investments have done better on both counts: only 19 of the 3,641 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than ING with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them XOM (Exxonmobil), ABBV (AbbVie) and HSBC.

## How much would $10,000 in ING have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in ING over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of ING over the same span and ING's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in ING at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $45,632 by September 2026, less than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of ING, and RY finished highest, at $442,765.

## ING 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.

- ING's deepest decline since it began trading in 1994 was 93.0%, from October 2007 to March 2009. It took about 16 years from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, ING's best was 2025, when it returned 91.3%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 69.6%. It lost money in 11 of those years.
- ING is 13.0% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Financials (Banks - Diversified)
- Trading since: May 18, 1994
- Market value: $92B
- Volatility (5 years): 31.2%; Sharpe ratio: 0.86
- Worst decline ever: −93.0%, from October 12, 2007 to March 5, 2009; back at its high by August 8, 2025

| Period | ING total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | −10.9% |
| 3 months | −2.7% |
| 6 months | +15.5% |
| year to date | +17.1% |
| 1 year | +41.5% |
| 3 years | +203% |
| 5 years | +196% |
| 10 years | +330% |

## ING against the whole market

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

### How does ING rank among all stocks?

This section ranks ING on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- On return for the risk taken (the Sharpe ratio), ING ranks in the top 7% of the 2,897 stocks worth at least $300 million.

| Measure | ING | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +41.5% | 718 of 3,282 (top 22%) |
| 3-year return | +203% | 393 of 3,016 (top 14%) |
| 5-year return | +196% | 316 of 2,897 (top 11%) |
| 10-year return | +330% | 521 of 2,201 (top 24%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 31.2% | 841 of 2,897 (top 30%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.86 | 213 of 2,897 (top 8%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −74.4% | 1,441 of 2,184 (top 66%) |

### What has beaten ING 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).

- 17 stocks and two ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than ING over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is fewer than 1% of the 3,641 screened. Few investments beat it on both counts.
- Among those with at least half ING's swings, CAH has the best return for its risk: 41.7% a year at 24.7% volatility, 21% less than ING's 31.2%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.54 against 0.86 for ING.
- Among ING's popular alternatives, HSBC, SMFG and MUFG are in the region. HSBC earned 32.8% a year against 24.3% a year for ING, at 25.9% volatility, 17% less than ING's 31.2%.

### Is there a better investment than ING?

The table below lists investments that beat ING 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.

- Among ING's popular alternatives, MUFG, SMFG and HSBC earned more than ING with less volatility over the past 5 years. MUFG returned 33.5% a year at 29.4% volatility, against 24.3% a year at 31.2%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, PBAM (regional banks) and NECB (regional banks) earned more than ING with less volatility over the past 5 years. PBAM returned 27.5% a year at 18.9% volatility, against 24.3% a year at 31.2%.
- Few investments have done better on both counts: only 19 of the 3,641 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than ING with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them XOM, ABBV and HSBC.

The 15 strongest of 19 investments that beat ING over the past 5 years, out of 3,641 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with ING | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ING: ING Groep N.V. (this page) |  | +24.3% | 31.2% | 0.86 | −74.4% | +330% |  |  |
| [ABBV](https://betterthanspy.com/research/abbv): AbbVie Inc. | Specialty Pharmaceuticals | +25.5% | 23.4% | 1.09 | −45.1% | +600% | 0.09 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [MCK](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mck): McKesson Corporation | Health Care Distribution | +37.8% | 25.1% | 1.41 | −38.1% | +582% | -0.05 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [CAH](https://betterthanspy.com/research/cah): Cardinal Health, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +41.7% | 24.7% | 1.54 | −46.1% | +345% | -0.02 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| NHC: National HealthCare Corporation | Health Care Facilities | +31.2% | 28.6% | 1.10 | −35.3% | +385% | 0.13 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [GWW](https://betterthanspy.com/research/gww): W.W. Grainger, Inc. | Industrial Distribution | +26.7% | 24.9% | 1.08 | −41.6% | +670% | 0.14 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [MUFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mufg): Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | Banks | +33.5% | 29.4% | 1.14 | −54.9% | +485% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [SMFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/smfg): Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. | Banks | +34.0% | 29.4% | 1.15 | −47.6% | +470% | 0.42 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| CASY: Casey's General Stores, Inc. | Convenience Stores | +30.8% | 29.4% | 1.06 | −36.1% | +560% | 0.16 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| [XOM](https://betterthanspy.com/research/xom): Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation | Integrated Oil & Gas | +27.5% | 26.5% | 1.05 | −61.0% | +216% | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [WELL](https://betterthanspy.com/research/well): Welltower Inc. | Healthcare REITs | +27.0% | 23.8% | 1.13 | −63.3% | +378% | 0.34 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| CW: Curtiss-Wright Corporation | Aerospace & Defense | +29.5% | 28.8% | 1.05 | −48.7% | +486% | 0.19 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [HSBC](https://betterthanspy.com/research/hsbc): HSBC Holdings plc | Banks | +32.8% | 25.9% | 1.23 | −62.3% | +314% | 0.63 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | Japan Equity | +26.6% | 19.1% | 1.34 | −39.1% | +415% | 0.30 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| BLX: Bladex, Inc. | Banks | +31.0% | 25.9% | 1.18 | −68.5% | +278% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| EPU: iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF | International Equity | +28.1% | 24.9% | 1.12 | −51.0% | +258% | 0.48 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |

## ING against its popular alternatives

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

### How do ING'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.

- Five of the 21 popular alternatives, led by SMFG, MFG and MUFG, were both more rewarding and calmer than ING over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- Over the past 5 years, ING returned 24.3% a year, more than the S&P 500's 12.5%, with higher volatility (31.2% against 17.2%).

### Has ING consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares ING with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Four of the 21 popular alternatives, led by MFG, MUFG and SMFG, outperformed ING in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- MFG outperformed ING in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- HSBC, BBVA and SMFG earned more for the risk they took than ING (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in their worst decline of the past 10 years.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of ING | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ING: ING Groep N.V. (this page) | +41.5% | +203% | +196% | +330% |  |  | 0.86 |
| [MFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mfg): Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. | +52.4% | +214% | +330% | +343% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 1.11 |
| [MUFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mufg): Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | +44.6% | +185% | +325% | +485% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 1.14 |
| [SMFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/smfg): Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. | +54.8% | +181% | +332% | +470% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 1.15 |
| [CM](https://betterthanspy.com/research/cm): Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | +46.1% | +265% | +144% | +409% | 4/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.94 |
| NWG: NatWest Group plc | +18.2% | +273% | +238% | +488% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.89 |
| [BBVA](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bbva): Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. | +35.8% | +275% | +418% | +515% | 0/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 1.16 |
| [UBS](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ubs): UBS Group AG | +26.3% | +115% | +204% | +363% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.89 |
| [SAN](https://betterthanspy.com/research/san): Banco Santander, S.A. | +34.9% | +301% | +297% | +307% | 0/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.99 |
| [V](https://betterthanspy.com/research/v): Visa Inc. | +20.9% | +83.1% | +86.1% | +435% | 4/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.66 |
| [MA](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ma): Mastercard Incorporated | +11.5% | +68.0% | +81.9% | +551% | 3/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.62 |
| [RY](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ry): Royal Bank of Canada | +41.5% | +176% | +124% | +361% | 3/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.98 |
| [HSBC](https://betterthanspy.com/research/hsbc): HSBC Holdings plc | +44.7% | +199% | +313% | +314% | 3/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 1.23 |
| [JPM](https://betterthanspy.com/research/jpm): JPMorgan Chase & Co. | +16.6% | +154% | +122% | +534% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.78 |
| [BCS](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bcs): Barclays PLC | +9.3% | +240% | +132% | +232% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.67 |
| [DB](https://betterthanspy.com/research/db): Deutsche Bank AG | −1.7% | +240% | +167% | +161% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.71 |
| [TD](https://betterthanspy.com/research/td): The Toronto-Dominion Bank | +59.4% | +147% | +114% | +319% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.87 |
| [BNS](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bns): The Bank of Nova Scotia | +51.5% | +165% | +86.2% | +191% | 5/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.73 |
| [BMO](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bmo): Bank of Montreal | +40.2% | +150% | +92.4% | +304% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.72 |
| IXG: iShares Global Financials ETF | +16.9% | +106% | +78.9% | +221% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.77 |
| [EFA](https://betterthanspy.com/research/efa): iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | +13.0% | +70.1% | +50.0% | +138% | 2/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.57 |
| [LYG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/lyg): Lloyds Banking Group plc | +20.6% | +207% | +147% | +215% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.73 |

### How did ING do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where ING ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- ING finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 14 of its 29 full calendar years.
- Among its popular alternatives, MA came out ahead of ING most often, in 13 of the 19 years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, ING finished in the top quarter in nine of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in seven. In 2025, it ranked 6 of 22.

| Year | ING | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +91.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +12.2% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +32.0% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −4.4% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +55.4% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | −21.6% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +20.6% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −39.4% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +36.7% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +11.1% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How ING 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 ING's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- In all five of ING's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: ING fell 49.6% from September to October 1995, while the S&P 500 rose 0.1%.
- The slowest recovery came after ING fell 93.0% from October 2007 to March 2009; it did not regain that peak until August 2025, 16 years later.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −93.0% | October 12, 2007 | March 5, 2009 | August 8, 2025 | −54.7% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −74.4% | January 3, 2001 | March 12, 2003 | December 1, 2005 | −38.2% | dot-com bust |
| −50.7% | July 20, 1998 | October 1, 1998 | November 3, 2000 | −16.4% |  |
| −49.6% | September 27, 1995 | October 4, 1995 | May 21, 1997 | +0.1% |  |
| −22.5% | July 9, 1997 | November 26, 1997 | February 23, 1998 | +5.3% |  |

### How did ING do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far ING, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- ING fell further than the S&P 500 in nine of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when ING fell 93.0% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.
- Among its popular alternatives, HSBC held up best, falling less than ING in all ten crashes they both traded through.

| Crash | Dates | ING fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −66.4% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −93.0% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −3.6% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −47.4% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −35.4% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −5.8% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −24.1% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −56.9% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −43.4% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −10.7% | −3.4% |

### How closely does ING 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.

- 16 of the 21 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than ING's 0.88, led by MUFG, SMFG and MFG.
- BBVA took just 97% of the S&P 500's losses, against 155% for ING, while still keeping 121% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, ING captured 136% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 155% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 1.36. It amplified the market's moves in both directions.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ING: ING Groep N.V. (this page) | 136% | 155% | 1.36 |
| [MFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mfg): Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. | 75.0% | 42.0% | 0.54 |
| [MUFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mufg): Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | 84.0% | 42.0% | 0.66 |
| [SMFG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/smfg): Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. | 84.0% | 43.0% | 0.65 |
| [CM](https://betterthanspy.com/research/cm): Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | 108% | 106% | 1.07 |
| NWG: NatWest Group plc | 128% | 124% | 1.13 |
| [BBVA](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bbva): Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. | 121% | 97.0% | 1.11 |
| [UBS](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ubs): UBS Group AG | 116% | 120% | 1.18 |
| [SAN](https://betterthanspy.com/research/san): Banco Santander, S.A. | 101% | 92.0% | 1.02 |
| [V](https://betterthanspy.com/research/v): Visa Inc. | 93.0% | 79.0% | 0.87 |
| [MA](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ma): Mastercard Incorporated | 105% | 88.0% | 0.95 |
| [RY](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ry): Royal Bank of Canada | 97.0% | 88.0% | 0.88 |
| [HSBC](https://betterthanspy.com/research/hsbc): HSBC Holdings plc | 79.0% | 53.0% | 0.58 |
| [JPM](https://betterthanspy.com/research/jpm): JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 117% | 103% | 1.09 |
| [BCS](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bcs): Barclays PLC | 113% | 131% | 1.26 |
| [DB](https://betterthanspy.com/research/db): Deutsche Bank AG | 102% | 118% | 1.21 |
| [TD](https://betterthanspy.com/research/td): The Toronto-Dominion Bank | 89.0% | 80.0% | 0.88 |
| [BNS](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bns): The Bank of Nova Scotia | 97.0% | 120% | 1.05 |
| [BMO](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bmo): Bank of Montreal | 104% | 112% | 1.12 |
| IXG: iShares Global Financials ETF | 92.0% | 102% | 0.95 |
| [EFA](https://betterthanspy.com/research/efa): iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 76.0% | 92.0% | 0.81 |
| [LYG](https://betterthanspy.com/research/lyg): Lloyds Banking Group plc | 106% | 130% | 1.20 |

### What diversifies ING?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in ING into MCK would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 19% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+28.9% for ING alone, +31.7% for the mix).
- MCK made money in eight of the 11 calendar years in which ING lost money.
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, EMLP and SMH have moved largely independently of ING over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.34 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with ING | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in ING's 11 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.30 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 4 of 11 |
| EMLP: First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund | 0.31 | +103% | 14.5% | 1.06 | 2 of 11 |
| [SMH](https://betterthanspy.com/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.34 | +304% | 37.0% | 0.94 | 6 of 11 |
| [XLE](https://betterthanspy.com/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.30 | +178% | 25.5% | 0.94 | 5 of 11 |
| [GLD](https://betterthanspy.com/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.21 | +120% | 19.0% | 0.93 | 6 of 11 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.32 | +130% | 20.9% | 0.91 | 1 of 11 |
| AMLP: Alerian MLP ETF | 0.23 | +114% | 18.9% | 0.90 | 3 of 11 |
| EWT: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 0.42 | +147% | 24.3% | 0.87 | 6 of 11 |

## Common questions

### What was ING's worst drawdown?

ING's deepest decline since it began trading in 1994 was 93.0%, from October 2007 to March 2009. It took about 16 years from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were ING's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, ING's best year was 2025, when it returned 91.3%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -69.6%.

### Is there a better investment than ING?

Among ING's popular alternatives, MUFG, SMFG and HSBC earned more than ING with less volatility over the past 5 years. MUFG returned 33.5% a year at 29.4% volatility, against 24.3% a year at 31.2%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, PBAM (regional banks) and NECB (regional banks) earned more than ING with less volatility over the past 5 years. PBAM returned 27.5% a year at 18.9% volatility, against 24.3% a year at 31.2%.

### Is ING more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. ING's volatility over the past 5 years was 31.2%, 1.8 times the S&P 500's 17.2%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, ING's return lands within 31.2% 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 ING's Sharpe ratio?

ING's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.86, against 0.78 for the S&P 500, so ING earned more 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 ING with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, ING's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.43 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 ING instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a ING holding.

### What are the best alternatives to ING?

Of the 21 popular alternatives we compared, four outperformed ING in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: MFG, MUFG and SMFG.

### Did ING outperform the S&P 500?

ING finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 14 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +91.3%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did ING do in stock market crashes?

ING fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in one of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in nine. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when ING fell 93.0% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

### What diversifies ING?

These had a low correlation with ING over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.30), EMLP (correlation 0.31) and SMH (correlation 0.34); among large stocks, CAH (correlation -0.02), CLS (correlation 0.17) and MCK (correlation -0.05). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [Mizuho Financial Group (MFG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mfg)
- [Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mufg)
- [Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/smfg)
- [Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/cm)
- [Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/bbva)
- [UBS Group (UBS) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ubs)
- [Banco Santander (SAN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/san)
- [Visa (V) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/v)
- [Mastercard (MA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ma)
- [Royal Bank of Canada (RY) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ry)
- [HSBC Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/hsbc)
- [JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://betterthanspy.com/research/jpm)

## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://betterthanspy.com/research/ing
- All research pages: https://betterthanspy.com/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against ING live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=ING