FTGC vs. USCI
FTGC (First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund) and USCI (United States Commodity Index Fund) are both Commodities funds. FTGC is actively managed, while USCI is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, FTGC returned 7.52%/yr vs 8.69%/yr for USCI. Their correlation of 0.85 suggests significant overlap in exposure. FTGC charges 0.95%/yr vs 1.03%/yr for USCI.
Performance
FTGC vs. USCI - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FTGC achieves a 25.30% return, which is significantly lower than USCI's 27.35% return. Over the past 10 years, FTGC has underperformed USCI with an annualized return of 7.52%, while USCI has yielded a comparatively higher 8.69% annualized return.
FTGC
- 1D
- -0.97%
- 1M
- 3.06%
- 6M
- 20.93%
- YTD
- 25.30%
- 1Y
- 34.47%
- 3Y*
- 15.47%
- 5Y*
- 12.66%
- 10Y*
- 7.52%
USCI
- 1D
- -0.68%
- 1M
- 5.16%
- 6M
- 21.95%
- YTD
- 27.35%
- 1Y
- 33.06%
- 3Y*
- 21.21%
- 5Y*
- 19.56%
- 10Y*
- 8.69%
FTGC vs. USCI - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FTGC First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund | 25.30% | 14.61% | 9.96% | -5.36% | 17.36% | 27.95% | 2.17% | 6.40% | -12.75% | 2.73% |
USCI United States Commodity Index Fund | 27.35% | 17.63% | 17.24% | -0.00% | 29.47% | 33.07% | -11.47% | -1.68% | -11.76% | 6.32% |
Correlation
The correlation between FTGC and USCI is 0.90, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.90 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.90 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.90 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.86 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 23, 2013 | 0.85 |
The correlation between FTGC and USCI has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.85 to 0.90 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
FTGC vs. USCI — Risk / Return Rank
FTGC
USCI
FTGC vs. USCI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC) and United States Commodity Index Fund (USCI). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FTGC | USCI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.24 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.30 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.38 | 1.33 | +0.05 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.81 | 2.97 | -0.16 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.29 | 9.37 | -0.07 |
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Drawdowns
FTGC vs. USCI - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FTGC drawdown since its inception was -59.47%, smaller than the maximum USCI drawdown of -66.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTGC and USCI.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FTGC | USCI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.47% | -66.41% | +6.94% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -12.34% | -11.19% | -1.15% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -12.34% | -12.01% | -0.33% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.64% | -18.84% | -3.80% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.91% | -45.82% | +9.91% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.04% | -3.75% | -2.29% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -27.25% | -29.34% | +2.09% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.72% | 3.54% | +0.18% |
Volatility
FTGC vs. USCI - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC) is 4.50%, while United States Commodity Index Fund (USCI) has a volatility of 5.21%. This indicates that FTGC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than USCI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FTGC | USCI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.50% | 5.21% | -0.71% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.39% | 14.33% | -0.94% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.79% | 17.01% | -1.22% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.87% | 18.43% | -2.56% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 14.72% | 15.89% | -1.17% |
FTGC vs. USCI - Expense Ratio Comparison
FTGC has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is lower than USCI's 1.03% expense ratio.
Dividends
FTGC vs. USCI - Dividend Comparison
FTGC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 15.46%, while USCI has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FTGC First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund | 15.46% | 17.74% | 3.05% | 3.34% | 10.35% | 7.21% | 0.00% | 0.81% | 0.80% | 1.21% |
USCI United States Commodity Index Fund | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FTGC and USCI have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
USCI has higher volatility (5.21%) compared to FTGC (4.50%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FTGC dropped -59.47% vs USCI's -66.41%.
On 10-year performance, USCI leads with 8.69% vs 7.52% for FTGC. On fees, FTGC is cheaper at 0.95% per year. On volatility, FTGC has been the lower-risk option at 4.50%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, USCI has performed better with a 8.69% return vs 7.52%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FTGC is cheaper with a 0.95% expense ratio, compared with 1.03% for USCI.
FTGC has the higher dividend yield at 15.46%, compared with 0.00% for USCI.
They also come from different issuers: First Trust and United States Commodity Funds. Their fees differ too: 0.95% for FTGC and 1.03% for USCI.
FTGC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.19 vs 1.95), 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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