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NFTY vs. USO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

NFTY vs. USO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

NFTY (First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF) and USO (United States Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - NFTY is a Asia Pacific Equities fund tracking the NIFTY 50 Equal Weight 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, NFTY returned 8.17%/yr vs 3.57%/yr for USO. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. NFTY charges 0.80%/yr vs 0.86%/yr for USO.

Performance

NFTY vs. USO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF (NFTY) 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, NFTY achieves a -8.94% return, which is significantly lower than USO's 97.72% return. Over the past 10 years, NFTY has outperformed USO with an annualized return of 8.17%, while USO has yielded a comparatively lower 3.57% annualized return.

NFTY

1D
0.84%
1M
-1.60%
YTD
-8.94%
6M
-7.97%
1Y
-7.39%
3Y*
6.09%
5Y*
4.80%
10Y*
8.17%

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)

NFTY vs. USO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
NFTY
First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF		-8.94%5.47%5.18%24.00%-3.46%26.83%10.04%0.58%-1.51%21.78%
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 NFTY and USO is -0.37, 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

-0.37

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

-0.11

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

0.03

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

0.08

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 29, 2012

0.10

The correlation between NFTY and USO shifts across timeframes, from -0.37 (1 year) to 0.10 (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.

First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF

United States Oil Fund LP

Often compared with NFTY:
NFTY vs. SPYNFTY vs. INDYNFTY vs. TCS.NSNFTY vs. FLINNFTY vs. EPINFTY vs. QQQNFTY vs. ^BSE500
Often compared with USO:
USO vs. XLEUSO vs. BNOUSO vs. UCOUSO vs. USLUSO vs. OILKUSO vs. DBOUSO vs. WTI

Return for Risk

NFTY vs. USO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
NFTY
NFTY Risk / Return Rank: 44
Overall Rank
NFTY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
Sharpe Ratio Rank
NFTY Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
Sortino Ratio Rank
NFTY Omega Ratio Rank: 44
Omega Ratio Rank
NFTY Calmar Ratio Rank: 55
Calmar Ratio Rank
NFTY Martin Ratio Rank: 33
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.

NFTY vs. USO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF (NFTY) 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.

NFTYUSODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
-0.50
2.21

-2.71

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
-0.66
2.80

-3.46

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

0.93

1.37

-0.44

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.46

4.79

-5.25

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-1.20

9.00

-10.20

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

NFTY vs. USO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NFTY Sharpe Ratio is -0.50, which is lower than the USO Sharpe Ratio of 2.21. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NFTY 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

NFTYUSODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.50

2.21

-2.71

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.28

0.66

-0.38

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.40

0.09

+0.30

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.28

-0.18

+0.46

Drawdowns

NFTY vs. USO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NFTY drawdown since its inception was -47.67%, smaller than the maximum USO drawdown of -98.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NFTY and USO.

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Drawdown Indicators

NFTYUSODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-47.67%

-98.19%

+50.52%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-16.14%

-20.39%

+4.25%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-21.55%

-26.05%

+4.50%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-21.55%

-36.23%

+14.68%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-47.67%

-86.75%

+39.08%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-16.76%

-85.45%

+68.69%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-9.58%

-75.30%

+65.72%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

6.16%

10.84%

-4.68%

Volatility

NFTY vs. USO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF (NFTY) is 4.59%, while United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a volatility of 14.97%. This indicates that NFTY 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

NFTYUSODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.59%

14.97%

-10.38%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

12.58%

38.35%

-25.77%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

14.73%

44.32%

-29.59%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

17.38%

36.09%

-18.71%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

20.71%

39.00%

-18.29%

NFTY vs. USO - Expense Ratio Comparison

NFTY has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is lower than USO's 0.86% expense ratio.

Dividends

NFTY vs. USO - Dividend Comparison

NFTY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.94%, while USO has not paid dividends to shareholders.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
NFTY
First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF		1.94%1.24%1.61%0.13%5.89%1.53%0.61%0.97%0.00%4.10%3.28%4.39%
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

NFTY and USO have a correlation of -0.37, 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 NFTY (4.59%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NFTY dropped -47.67% vs USO's -98.19%.

On 10-year performance, NFTY leads with 8.17% vs 3.57% for USO. On fees, NFTY is cheaper at 0.80% per year. On volatility, NFTY has been the lower-risk option at 4.59%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, NFTY has performed better with a 8.17% return vs 3.57%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

NFTY is cheaper with a 0.80% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.

NFTY has the higher dividend yield at 1.94%, compared with 0.00% for USO.

NFTY is categorized as Asia Pacific Equities, while USO is Oil & Gas. NFTY tracks NIFTY 50 Equal Weight Index, while USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and USCF. Their fees differ too: 0.80% for NFTY and 0.86% for USO.

USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.21 vs -0.50), 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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