POWR vs. UTES

Last updated Aug 6, 2026

POWR (iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF) and UTES (Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - POWR is a Infrastructure Equities fund tracking the S&P U.S. Power Infrastructure Select Index, while UTES is a Utilities Equities fund actively managed by Virtus. POWR is passively managed, while UTES is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, POWR returned 8.15%/yr vs 11.75%/yr for UTES. Their 0.24 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. POWR charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.49%/yr for UTES.

Performance

POWR vs. UTES - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF (UTES). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, POWR achieves a 13.36% return, which is significantly higher than UTES's -3.03% return. Over the past 10 years, POWR has underperformed UTES with an annualized return of 8.15%, while UTES has yielded a comparatively higher 11.75% annualized return.

POWR

• 1D: -1.01%
• 1M: -3.18%
• 6M: 7.64%
• YTD: 13.36%
• 1Y: 17.32%
• 3Y*: 7.97%
• 5Y*: 16.00%
• 10Y*: 8.15%
• ALL TIME*: 4.13%

UTES

• 1D: -1.43%
• 1M: -6.34%
• 6M: 2.09%
• YTD: -3.03%
• 1Y: -6.63%
• 3Y*: 21.42%
• 5Y*: 13.87%
• 10Y*: 11.75%
• ALL TIME*: 13.27%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF	$6.65M	$6.89M	$7.30M
UTES Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF	$12.39M	$10.59M	$13.91M

POWR vs. UTES - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF	13.36%	10.81%	-1.30%	3.66%	42.54%	42.03%	-28.30%	8.44%	-11.74%	9.69%
UTES Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF	-3.03%	25.71%	45.35%	-2.46%	0.80%	20.74%	-0.30%	25.48%	5.14%	14.21%

Correlation

The correlation between POWR and UTES is 0.60, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.60
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.41
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.35
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 24, 2015	0.24

Over the past year, POWR and UTES have become more correlated (0.60) than their long-term average of 0.24, meaning their price movements have been converging.

POWR vs. UTES - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	POWR	UTES
Utilities	58.2%	100.0%
Industrials	23.7%	-
Energy	12.4%	-
Technology	5.4%	-
Basic Materials	0.1%	-
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Financial Services	-	-
Healthcare	-	-
Real Estate	-	-

Return for Risk

POWR vs. UTES — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

POWR

POWR Risk / Return Rank: 39
POWR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
POWR Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
POWR Omega Ratio Rank: 33
POWR Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
POWR Martin Ratio Rank: 47

UTES

UTES Risk / Return Rank: 6
UTES Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6
UTES Sortino Ratio Rank: 6
UTES Omega Ratio Rank: 6
UTES Calmar Ratio Rank: 5
UTES Martin Ratio Rank: 4

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

POWR vs. UTES - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) and Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF (UTES). 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.

	POWR	UTES	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.01	-0.31	+1.32
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.46	-0.29	+1.74
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	0.97	+0.21
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.78	-0.48	+2.26
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.11	-0.99	+7.10

POWR vs. UTES - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current POWR Sharpe Ratio is 1.01, which is higher than the UTES Sharpe Ratio of -0.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of POWR and UTES, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

POWR vs. UTES - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum POWR drawdown since its inception was -65.98%, which is greater than UTES's maximum drawdown of -35.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POWR and UTES.

Drawdown Indicators

	POWR	UTES	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-65.98%	-35.39%	-30.59%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.77%	-13.88%	+4.11%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-23.14%	-17.62%	-5.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.09%	-20.40%	-4.69%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-63.42%	-35.39%	-28.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.75%	-12.08%	+6.33%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.98%	-5.55%	-12.43%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.84%	6.74%	-3.90%

Volatility

POWR vs. UTES - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF (POWR) is 5.32%, while Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF (UTES) has a volatility of 5.91%. This indicates that POWR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than UTES based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	POWR	UTES	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.32%	5.91%	-0.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.52%	16.30%	-2.78%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.29%	21.45%	-4.16%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.92%	20.77%	+2.15%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.50%	20.28%	+5.22%

POWR vs. UTES - Expense Ratio Comparison

POWR has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is lower than UTES's 0.49% expense ratio.

Dividends

POWR vs. UTES - Dividend Comparison

POWR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.69%, more than UTES's 1.56% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
POWR iShares U.S. Power Infrastructure ETF	5.69%	7.56%	4.36%	4.16%	4.82%	3.94%	3.96%	5.71%	3.17%	3.11%	2.75%	3.42%
UTES Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF	1.56%	1.42%	1.51%	2.44%	2.13%	1.94%	2.09%	1.84%	2.09%	3.44%	3.53%	0.61%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both POWR and UTES in my portfolio?

POWR and UTES have a correlation of 0.60, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, POWR or UTES?

UTES has higher volatility (5.91%) compared to POWR (5.32%). In terms of maximum drawdown, POWR dropped -65.98% vs UTES's -35.39%.

Which ETF is better, POWR or UTES?

On 10-year performance, UTES leads with 11.75% vs 8.15% for POWR. On fees, POWR is cheaper at 0.40% per year. On volatility, POWR has been the lower-risk option at 5.32%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, POWR or UTES?

Over the 10-year period, UTES has performed better with a 11.75% return vs 8.15%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, POWR or UTES?

POWR is cheaper with a 0.40% expense ratio, compared with 0.49% for UTES.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, POWR or UTES?

POWR has the higher dividend yield at 5.69%, compared with 1.56% for UTES.

What is the main difference between POWR and UTES?

POWR is categorized as Infrastructure Equities, while UTES is Utilities Equities. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Virtus. Their fees differ too: 0.40% for POWR and 0.49% for UTES.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

POWR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.01 vs -0.31), 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.