LQDW vs. UGA
LQDW (iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond Buywrite Strategy ETF) and UGA (United States Gasoline Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - LQDW is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the CBOE LQD BuyWrite Index, while UGA is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Unleaded Gasoline. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, LQDW returned 3.70%/yr vs 18.95%/yr for UGA. At a correlation of -0.07, they often move in opposite directions. LQDW charges 0.34%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for UGA.
Performance
LQDW vs. UGA - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LQDW achieves a 1.88% return, which is significantly lower than UGA's 64.09% return.
LQDW
- 1D
- 0.18%
- 1M
- 1.36%
- YTD
- 1.88%
- 6M
- 2.02%
- 1Y
- 6.49%
- 3Y*
- 3.70%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
UGA
- 1D
- -1.12%
- 1M
- -12.11%
- YTD
- 64.09%
- 6M
- 60.42%
- 1Y
- 59.74%
- 3Y*
- 18.95%
- 5Y*
- 22.69%
- 10Y*
- 14.31%
LQDW vs. UGA - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQDW iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond Buywrite Strategy ETF | 1.88% | 9.05% | 2.60% | 3.99% | -6.78% |
UGA United States Gasoline Fund LP | 64.09% | -2.00% | 3.77% | 1.27% | -1.11% |
Correlation
The correlation between LQDW and UGA is -0.36, 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 | -0.36 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.14 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 22, 2022 | -0.07 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between LQDW and UGA has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.07 to -0.36, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.
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Return for Risk
LQDW vs. UGA — Risk / Return Rank
LQDW
UGA
LQDW vs. UGA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond Buywrite Strategy ETF (LQDW) and United States Gasoline Fund LP (UGA). 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.
| LQDW | UGA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.07 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.30 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.36 | 1.30 | +0.07 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.52 | 3.17 | -0.65 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.34 | 9.39 | -0.05 |
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Drawdowns
LQDW vs. UGA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LQDW drawdown since its inception was -9.20%, smaller than the maximum UGA drawdown of -86.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LQDW and UGA.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LQDW | UGA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -9.20% | -86.59% | +77.39% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.59% | -18.96% | +16.37% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -6.74% | -26.68% | +19.94% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -38.11% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -75.89% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.04% | -18.05% | +18.01% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.32% | -36.69% | +34.37% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.70% | 6.43% | -5.73% |
Volatility
LQDW vs. UGA - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond Buywrite Strategy ETF (LQDW) is 1.00%, while United States Gasoline Fund LP (UGA) has a volatility of 9.24%. This indicates that LQDW experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than UGA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LQDW | UGA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.00% | 9.24% | -8.24% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.12% | 30.57% | -27.45% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.62% | 35.22% | -31.60% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 5.47% | 34.45% | -28.98% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.47% | 37.22% | -31.75% |
LQDW vs. UGA - Expense Ratio Comparison
LQDW has a 0.34% expense ratio, which is lower than UGA's 0.75% expense ratio.
Dividends
LQDW vs. UGA - Dividend Comparison
LQDW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 12.49%, while UGA has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQDW iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond Buywrite Strategy ETF | 12.49% | 16.02% | 15.74% | 19.28% | 8.85% |
UGA United States Gasoline Fund LP | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
LQDW and UGA have a correlation of -0.36, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
UGA has higher volatility (9.24%) compared to LQDW (1.00%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LQDW dropped -9.20% vs UGA's -86.59%.
On 3-year performance, UGA leads with 18.95% vs 3.70% for LQDW. On fees, LQDW is cheaper at 0.34% per year. On volatility, LQDW has been the lower-risk option at 1.00%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, UGA has performed better with a 18.95% return vs 3.70%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
LQDW is cheaper with a 0.34% expense ratio, compared with 0.75% for UGA.
LQDW has the higher dividend yield at 12.49%, compared with 0.00% for UGA.
LQDW is categorized as Corporate Bonds, while UGA is Oil & Gas. LQDW tracks CBOE LQD BuyWrite Index, while UGA tracks Front Month Unleaded Gasoline. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Concierge Technologies. Their fees differ too: 0.34% for LQDW and 0.75% for UGA.
LQDW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.80 vs 1.73), 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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