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EFAV vs. USO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

EFAV vs. USO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

EFAV (iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF) and USO (United States Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - EFAV is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the MSCI EAFE Minimum Volatility 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, EFAV returned 5.92%/yr vs 3.57%/yr for USO. At a 0.20 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. EFAV charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.86%/yr for USO.

Performance

EFAV vs. USO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV) 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, EFAV achieves a 4.42% return, which is significantly lower than USO's 97.72% return. Over the past 10 years, EFAV has outperformed USO with an annualized return of 5.92%, while USO has yielded a comparatively lower 3.57% annualized return.

EFAV

1D
0.57%
1M
-1.23%
YTD
4.42%
6M
5.83%
1Y
9.78%
3Y*
13.24%
5Y*
6.29%
10Y*
5.92%

USO

1D
-2.92%
1M
-5.15%
YTD
97.72%
6M
91.54%
1Y
97.20%
3Y*
28.78%
5Y*
23.67%
10Y*
3.57%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

EFAV vs. USO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
EFAV
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF		4.42%26.00%5.30%12.52%-15.11%7.20%-0.06%16.67%-5.74%22.24%
USO
United States Oil Fund LP		97.72%-8.46%13.35%-4.94%28.97%64.68%-67.79%32.61%-19.57%2.47%

Correlation

The correlation between EFAV and USO is -0.28, 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

-0.28

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

-0.11

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

0.02

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

0.13

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 21, 2011

0.20

The correlation between EFAV and USO shifts across timeframes, from -0.28 (1 year) to 0.20 (all time), 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.

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF

United States Oil Fund LP

Often compared with EFAV:
EFAV vs. EFVEFAV vs. EFAEFAV vs. ACWVEFAV vs. EEMVEFAV vs. USMVEFAV vs. EFASEFAV vs. SPLV
Often compared with USO:
USO vs. XLEUSO vs. BNOUSO vs. UCOUSO vs. USLUSO vs. OILKUSO vs. DBOUSO vs. WTI

Return for Risk

EFAV vs. USO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
EFAV
EFAV Risk / Return Rank: 2828
Overall Rank
EFAV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2828
Sharpe Ratio Rank
EFAV Sortino Ratio Rank: 2626
Sortino Ratio Rank
EFAV Omega Ratio Rank: 2626
Omega Ratio Rank
EFAV Calmar Ratio Rank: 3232
Calmar Ratio Rank
EFAV Martin Ratio Rank: 3030
Martin Ratio Rank
USO
USO Risk / Return Rank: 6666
Overall Rank
USO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6868
Sharpe Ratio Rank
USO Sortino Ratio Rank: 6161
Sortino Ratio Rank
USO Omega Ratio Rank: 6262
Omega Ratio Rank
USO Calmar Ratio Rank: 8686
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.

EFAV vs. USO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV) 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.

EFAVUSODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
0.95
2.21

-1.25

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.38
2.80

-1.42

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.17

1.37

-0.20

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.52

4.79

-3.27

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

4.22

9.00

-4.77

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

EFAV vs. USO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EFAV Sharpe Ratio is 0.95, which is lower than the USO Sharpe Ratio of 2.21. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EFAV 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

EFAVUSODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.95

2.21

-1.25

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.54

0.66

-0.12

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.45

0.09

+0.36

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.54

-0.18

+0.72

Drawdowns

EFAV vs. USO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EFAV drawdown since its inception was -27.56%, smaller than the maximum USO drawdown of -98.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EFAV and USO.

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Drawdown Indicators

EFAVUSODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-27.56%

-98.19%

+70.63%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-6.46%

-20.39%

+13.93%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-8.75%

-26.05%

+17.30%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-27.46%

-36.23%

+8.77%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-27.56%

-86.75%

+59.19%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-5.07%

-85.45%

+80.38%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-4.77%

-75.30%

+70.53%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.32%

10.84%

-8.52%

Volatility

EFAV vs. USO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF (EFAV) is 3.14%, while United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a volatility of 14.97%. This indicates that EFAV 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

EFAVUSODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

3.14%

14.97%

-11.83%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

8.19%

38.35%

-30.16%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

10.32%

44.32%

-34.00%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

11.79%

36.09%

-24.30%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

13.21%

39.00%

-25.79%

EFAV vs. USO - Expense Ratio Comparison

EFAV has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than USO's 0.86% expense ratio.

Dividends

EFAV vs. USO - Dividend Comparison

EFAV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.06%, while USO has not paid dividends to shareholders.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
EFAV
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EAFE ETF		3.06%3.20%3.24%3.08%2.53%2.47%1.33%4.19%3.34%2.45%3.94%2.49%
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

EFAV and USO have a correlation of -0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

USO has higher volatility (14.97%) compared to EFAV (3.14%). In terms of maximum drawdown, EFAV dropped -27.56% vs USO's -98.19%.

On 10-year performance, EFAV leads with 5.92% vs 3.57% for USO. On fees, EFAV is cheaper at 0.20% per year. On volatility, EFAV has been the lower-risk option at 3.14%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, EFAV has performed better with a 5.92% return vs 3.57%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

EFAV is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.

EFAV has the higher dividend yield at 3.06%, compared with 0.00% for USO.

EFAV is categorized as Foreign Large Cap Equities, while USO is Oil & Gas. EFAV tracks MSCI EAFE Minimum Volatility Index, while USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: iShares and USCF. Their fees differ too: 0.20% for EFAV and 0.86% for USO.

USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.21 vs 0.95), 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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