AIO vs. BST

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (AIO) and BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (BST).

AIO is managed by Virtus. It was launched on Oct 29, 2019.

Performance

AIO vs. BST - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (AIO) and BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (BST). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AIO vs. BST - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
AIO Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund	0.42%	0.48%	54.48%	19.27%	-28.06%	13.51%	46.27%	1.05%
BST BlackRock Science and Technology Trust	-8.64%	23.65%	17.96%	30.07%	-38.28%	-0.35%	69.27%	10.75%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AIO achieves a 0.42% return, which is significantly higher than BST's -8.64% return.

AIO

• 1D: 1.47%
• 1M: -6.35%
• YTD: 0.42%
• 6M: -2.34%
• 1Y: 18.31%
• 3Y*: 19.00%
• 5Y*: 7.62%
• 10Y*: —

BST

• 1D: 3.50%
• 1M: -8.97%
• YTD: -8.64%
• 6M: -6.04%
• 1Y: 22.64%
• 3Y*: 14.09%
• 5Y*: 0.29%
• 10Y*: 16.73%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

AIO vs. BST — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AIO

AIO Risk / Return Rank: 38
AIO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
AIO Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
AIO Omega Ratio Rank: 38
AIO Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
AIO Martin Ratio Rank: 36

BST

BST Risk / Return Rank: 73
BST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
BST Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
BST Omega Ratio Rank: 72
BST Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
BST Martin Ratio Rank: 76

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AIO vs. BST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (AIO) and BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (BST). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AIO	BST	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.80	1.03	-0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.25	1.54	-0.29
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.22	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.02	1.36	-0.34
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.74	4.44	-0.69
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AIO vs. BST - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AIO Sharpe Ratio is 0.80, which is comparable to the BST Sharpe Ratio of 1.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AIO and BST, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AIO	BST	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.80	1.03	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.35	0.01	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.66	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.50	0.55	-0.05

Correlation

The correlation between AIO and BST is 0.72, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AIO vs. BST - Dividend Comparison

AIO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 13.97%, more than BST's 11.56% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AIO Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund	13.97%	13.75%	7.30%	10.34%	11.12%	19.97%	9.31%	0.54%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
BST BlackRock Science and Technology Trust	11.56%	10.36%	8.21%	8.91%	10.57%	5.38%	3.85%	10.52%	6.41%	4.80%	6.69%	6.93%

Drawdowns

AIO vs. BST - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AIO drawdown since its inception was -44.88%, smaller than the maximum BST drawdown of -47.72%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AIO and BST.

Drawdown Indicators

	AIO	BST	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-44.88%	-47.72%	+2.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.46%	-15.31%	-0.15%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.39%	-47.72%	+10.33%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-47.72%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.10%	-12.35%	+4.25%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.22%	-13.14%	+1.92%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.21%	4.70%	-0.49%

Volatility

AIO vs. BST - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (AIO) is 6.44%, while BlackRock Science and Technology Trust (BST) has a volatility of 7.49%. This indicates that AIO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BST based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AIO	BST	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.44%	7.49%	-1.05%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.65%	13.67%	-0.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.22%	22.03%	+1.19%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.03%	23.46%	-1.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.03%	25.59%	+1.44%