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BDCZ vs. USO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

BDCZ vs. USO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

BDCZ (ETRACS MVIS Business Development Companies Index ETN) and USO (United States Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - BDCZ is a Financials Equities fund tracking the BDCZ-US - MVIS US Business Development Companies 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, BDCZ returned 6.23%/yr vs 4.07%/yr for USO. At a 0.15 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. BDCZ charges 0.85%/yr vs 0.86%/yr for USO.

Performance

BDCZ vs. USO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ETRACS MVIS Business Development Companies Index ETN (BDCZ) 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, BDCZ achieves a -7.98% return, which is significantly lower than USO's 103.67% return. Over the past 10 years, BDCZ has outperformed USO with an annualized return of 6.23%, while USO has yielded a comparatively lower 4.07% annualized return.

BDCZ

1D
-2.73%
1M
-7.44%
YTD
-7.98%
6M
-8.99%
1Y
-10.32%
3Y*
4.75%
5Y*
3.38%
10Y*
6.23%

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)

BDCZ vs. USO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
BDCZ
ETRACS MVIS Business Development Companies Index ETN		-7.98%-3.72%12.22%25.31%-9.12%33.97%-10.95%26.00%-7.64%0.40%
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 BDCZ and USO is -0.09, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

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

-0.09

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

0.03

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

0.14

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

0.16

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 12, 2015

0.15

The correlation between BDCZ and USO shifts across timeframes, from -0.09 (1 year) to 0.16 (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.

ETRACS MVIS Business Development Companies Index ETN

United States Oil Fund LP

Often compared with BDCZ:
BDCZ vs. BIZDBDCZ vs. MLPRBDCZ vs. MTCIXBDCZ vs. PBDCBDCZ vs. FEQIXBDCZ vs. HYGBDCZ vs. SMH
Often compared with USO:
USO vs. XLEUSO vs. BNOUSO vs. UCOUSO vs. USLUSO vs. OILKUSO vs. DBOUSO vs. WTI

Return for Risk

BDCZ vs. USO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
BDCZ
BDCZ Risk / Return Rank: 44
Overall Rank
BDCZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
Sharpe Ratio Rank
BDCZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
Sortino Ratio Rank
BDCZ Omega Ratio Rank: 44
Omega Ratio Rank
BDCZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
Calmar Ratio Rank
BDCZ Martin Ratio Rank: 44
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.

BDCZ vs. USO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ETRACS MVIS Business Development Companies Index ETN (BDCZ) 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.

BDCZUSODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
-0.51
2.31

-2.82

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
-0.59
2.89

-3.48

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

0.93

1.38

-0.45

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.52

5.01

-5.53

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-0.95

9.42

-10.36

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

BDCZ vs. USO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BDCZ Sharpe Ratio is -0.51, which is lower than the USO Sharpe Ratio of 2.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BDCZ 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

BDCZUSODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.51

2.31

-2.82

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.19

0.68

-0.49

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.29

0.10

+0.18

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.27

-0.18

+0.45

Drawdowns

BDCZ vs. USO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BDCZ drawdown since its inception was -55.63%, smaller than the maximum USO drawdown of -98.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BDCZ and USO.

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Drawdown Indicators

BDCZUSODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-55.63%

-98.19%

+42.56%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-19.95%

-20.39%

+0.44%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-20.77%

-26.05%

+5.28%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-23.12%

-36.23%

+13.11%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-55.63%

-86.75%

+31.12%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-17.27%

-85.01%

+67.74%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-7.86%

-75.30%

+67.44%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

10.94%

10.82%

+0.12%

Volatility

BDCZ vs. USO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for ETRACS MVIS Business Development Companies Index ETN (BDCZ) is 8.37%, while United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a volatility of 14.87%. This indicates that BDCZ 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

BDCZUSODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

8.37%

14.87%

-6.50%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

17.17%

38.23%

-21.06%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

20.42%

44.20%

-23.78%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

17.80%

36.06%

-18.26%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

21.73%

39.00%

-17.27%

BDCZ vs. USO - Expense Ratio Comparison

BDCZ has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is lower than USO's 0.86% expense ratio.

Dividends

BDCZ vs. USO - Dividend Comparison

BDCZ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.28%, while USO has not paid dividends to shareholders.

PositionTTM2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
BDCZ
ETRACS MVIS Business Development Companies Index ETN		11.28%10.65%9.26%9.13%9.39%7.49%10.01%8.40%9.66%8.74%7.98%
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%

Frequently Asked Questions

BDCZ and USO have a correlation of -0.09, 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 BDCZ (8.37%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BDCZ dropped -55.63% vs USO's -98.19%.

On 10-year performance, BDCZ leads with 6.23% vs 4.07% for USO. On fees, BDCZ is cheaper at 0.85% per year. On volatility, BDCZ has been the lower-risk option at 8.37%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, BDCZ has performed better with a 6.23% return vs 4.07%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

BDCZ is cheaper with a 0.85% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.

BDCZ has the higher dividend yield at 11.28%, compared with 0.00% for USO.

BDCZ is categorized as Financials Equities, while USO is Oil & Gas. BDCZ tracks BDCZ-US - MVIS US Business Development Companies Index, while USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: UBS and USCF. Their fees differ too: 0.85% for BDCZ and 0.86% for USO.

USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.31 vs -0.51), 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.

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