LCTU vs. TLT
LCTU (BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF) and TLT (iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - LCTU is a ESG fund actively managed by BlackRock, while TLT is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. LCTU is actively managed, while TLT is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, LCTU returned 12.39%/yr vs -6.36%/yr for TLT. At a 0.08 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. Both charge a 0.15% expense ratio.
Performance
LCTU vs. TLT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LCTU achieves a 9.23% return, which is significantly higher than TLT's 0.21% return.
LCTU
- 1D
- 1.73%
- 1M
- 2.67%
- YTD
- 9.23%
- 6M
- 9.49%
- 1Y
- 25.98%
- 3Y*
- 19.96%
- 5Y*
- 12.39%
- 10Y*
- —
TLT
- 1D
- -0.06%
- 1M
- 2.87%
- YTD
- 0.21%
- 6M
- 0.32%
- 1Y
- 3.82%
- 3Y*
- -1.84%
- 5Y*
- -6.36%
- 10Y*
- -1.78%
LCTU vs. TLT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LCTU BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF | 9.23% | 16.96% | 24.00% | 25.38% | -20.02% | 17.74% |
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 4.25% | -8.05% | 2.77% | -31.23% | 9.52% |
Correlation
The correlation between LCTU and TLT is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.08 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 8, 2021 | 0.08 |
The correlation between LCTU and TLT shifts across timeframes, from 0.08 (5 years) to 0.23 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
LCTU vs. TLT — Risk / Return Rank
LCTU
TLT
LCTU vs. TLT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF (LCTU) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT). 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.
| LCTU | TLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.65 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.15 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.37 | 1.07 | +0.30 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.78 | 0.51 | +2.28 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.10 | 1.22 | +10.88 |
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Drawdowns
LCTU vs. TLT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LCTU drawdown since its inception was -25.93%, smaller than the maximum TLT drawdown of -48.35%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LCTU and TLT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LCTU | TLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -25.93% | -48.35% | +22.42% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.38% | -7.58% | -1.80% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.83% | -19.18% | -0.65% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.93% | -43.70% | +17.77% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -48.35% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.57% | -40.15% | +39.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.29% | -13.85% | +7.56% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.15% | 3.14% | -0.99% |
Volatility
LCTU vs. TLT - Volatility Comparison
BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF (LCTU) has a higher volatility of 4.49% compared to iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) at 2.84%. This indicates that LCTU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than TLT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LCTU | TLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.49% | 2.84% | +1.65% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 10.05% | 6.64% | +3.41% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 12.76% | 9.57% | +3.19% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.23% | 15.86% | +1.37% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.04% | 14.91% | +2.13% |
LCTU vs. TLT - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both LCTU and TLT have an expense ratio of 0.15%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
LCTU vs. TLT - Dividend Comparison
LCTU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.15%, less than TLT's 4.57% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LCTU BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF | 1.15% | 1.02% | 1.27% | 1.46% | 1.63% | 2.20% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 4.57% | 4.43% | 4.30% | 3.38% | 2.67% | 1.50% | 1.50% | 2.27% | 2.63% | 2.43% | 2.60% | 2.61% |
Frequently Asked Questions
LCTU and TLT have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LCTU has higher volatility (4.49%) compared to TLT (2.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LCTU dropped -25.93% vs TLT's -48.35%.
On 5-year performance, LCTU leads with 12.39% vs -6.36% for TLT. Both ETFs have the same 0.15% expense ratio. On volatility, TLT has been the lower-risk option at 2.84%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, LCTU has performed better with a 12.39% return vs -6.36%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
LCTU and TLT have the same expense ratio: 0.15% per year.
TLT has the higher dividend yield at 4.57%, compared with 1.15% for LCTU.
LCTU is categorized as ESG, while TLT is Government Bonds. They also come from different issuers: BlackRock and iShares.
LCTU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.05 vs 0.40), 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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