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ALTY vs. USO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

ALTY vs. USO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ALTY (Global X Alternative Income ETF) and USO (United States Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - ALTY is a Global Allocation fund tracking the Indxx SuperDividend Alternatives Index, while USO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, ALTY returned 6.16%/yr vs 4.07%/yr for USO. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ALTY charges 0.50%/yr vs 0.86%/yr for USO.

Performance

ALTY vs. USO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Global X Alternative Income ETF (ALTY) and United States Oil Fund LP (USO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ALTY achieves a 6.19% return, which is significantly lower than USO's 103.67% return. Over the past 10 years, ALTY has outperformed USO with an annualized return of 6.16%, while USO has yielded a comparatively lower 4.07% annualized return.

ALTY

1D
-0.33%
1M
0.31%
YTD
6.19%
6M
6.51%
1Y
15.73%
3Y*
11.40%
5Y*
5.55%
10Y*
6.16%

USO

1D
2.62%
1M
-4.57%
YTD
103.67%
6M
99.35%
1Y
101.55%
3Y*
29.98%
5Y*
24.41%
10Y*
4.07%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ALTY vs. USO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
ALTY
Global X Alternative Income ETF		6.19%11.07%10.88%10.58%-11.92%23.08%-12.82%21.44%-6.18%10.82%
USO
United States Oil Fund LP		103.67%-8.46%13.35%-4.94%28.97%64.68%-67.79%32.61%-19.57%2.47%

Correlation

The correlation between ALTY and USO is -0.16, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.16

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.01

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.15

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.21

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 15, 2015

0.21

The correlation between ALTY and USO shifts across timeframes, from -0.16 (1 year) to 0.21 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

Global X Alternative Income ETF

United States Oil Fund LP

Often compared with ALTY:
ALTY vs. GWPAXALTY vs. SDEMALTY vs. DFEALTY vs. MVRLALTY vs. SPYALTY vs. RFEMALTY vs. DIV
Often compared with USO:
USO vs. XLEUSO vs. BNOUSO vs. UCOUSO vs. USLUSO vs. OILKUSO vs. DBOUSO vs. WTI

Return for Risk

ALTY vs. USO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
ALTY
ALTY Risk / Return Rank: 8282
Overall Rank
ALTY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8383
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ALTY Sortino Ratio Rank: 8484
Sortino Ratio Rank
ALTY Omega Ratio Rank: 8686
Omega Ratio Rank
ALTY Calmar Ratio Rank: 7272
Calmar Ratio Rank
ALTY Martin Ratio Rank: 8282
Martin Ratio Rank
USO
USO Risk / Return Rank: 6666
Overall Rank
USO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6969
Sharpe Ratio Rank
USO Sortino Ratio Rank: 6060
Sortino Ratio Rank
USO Omega Ratio Rank: 6161
Omega Ratio Rank
USO Calmar Ratio Rank: 8787
Calmar Ratio Rank
USO Martin Ratio Rank: 5454
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

ALTY vs. USO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Global X Alternative Income ETF (ALTY) and United States Oil Fund LP (USO). 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.

ALTYUSODifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

2.73

2.31

+0.42

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

3.82

2.89

+0.93

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.54

1.38

+0.15

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

3.64

5.01

-1.37

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

16.84

9.42

+7.42

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ALTY vs. USO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ALTY Sharpe Ratio is 2.73, which is comparable to the USO Sharpe Ratio of 2.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ALTY and USO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

ALTYUSODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.73

2.31

+0.42

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.53

0.68

-0.16

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.37

0.10

+0.27

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.33

-0.18

+0.51

Drawdowns

ALTY vs. USO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ALTY drawdown since its inception was -51.47%, smaller than the maximum USO drawdown of -98.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ALTY and USO.

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Drawdown Indicators

ALTYUSODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-51.47%

-98.19%

+46.72%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-4.34%

-20.39%

+16.05%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-10.08%

-26.05%

+15.97%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-18.48%

-36.23%

+17.75%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-51.47%

-86.75%

+35.28%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.37%

-85.01%

+84.64%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-6.75%

-75.30%

+68.55%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

0.94%

10.82%

-9.88%

Volatility

ALTY vs. USO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Global X Alternative Income ETF (ALTY) is 1.41%, while United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a volatility of 14.87%. This indicates that ALTY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than USO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

ALTYUSODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

1.41%

14.87%

-13.46%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

4.38%

38.23%

-33.85%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

5.79%

44.20%

-38.41%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

10.61%

36.06%

-25.45%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

16.58%

39.00%

-22.42%

ALTY vs. USO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ALTY has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is lower than USO's 0.86% expense ratio.

Dividends

ALTY vs. USO - Dividend Comparison

ALTY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.08%, while USO has not paid dividends to shareholders.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
ALTY
Global X Alternative Income ETF		8.08%7.50%7.88%7.31%7.66%6.88%9.20%8.74%8.49%7.52%8.20%4.21%
USO
United States Oil Fund LP		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

ALTY and USO have a correlation of -0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

USO has higher volatility (14.87%) compared to ALTY (1.41%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ALTY dropped -51.47% vs USO's -98.19%.

On 10-year performance, ALTY leads with 6.16% vs 4.07% for USO. On fees, ALTY is cheaper at 0.50% per year. On volatility, ALTY has been the lower-risk option at 1.41%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, ALTY has performed better with a 6.16% return vs 4.07%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

ALTY is cheaper with a 0.50% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.

ALTY has the higher dividend yield at 8.08%, compared with 0.00% for USO.

ALTY is categorized as Global Allocation, while USO is Oil & Gas. ALTY tracks Indxx SuperDividend Alternatives Index, while USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: Global X and USCF. Their fees differ too: 0.50% for ALTY and 0.86% for USO.

ALTY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.73 vs 2.31), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

Portfolio Optimizer

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