SCHJ vs. USO
SCHJ (Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF) and USO (United States Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - SCHJ is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg US 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index, while USO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SCHJ returned 2.31%/yr vs 20.59%/yr for USO. Their -0.09 correlation means they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. SCHJ charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.86%/yr for USO.
Performance
SCHJ vs. USO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SCHJ achieves a 0.75% return, which is significantly lower than USO's 86.77% return.
SCHJ
- 1D
- -0.06%
- 1M
- -0.28%
- 6M
- 0.42%
- YTD
- 0.75%
- 1Y
- 2.99%
- 3Y*
- 5.46%
- 5Y*
- 2.31%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 2.60%
USO
- 1D
- 1.33%
- 1M
- 24.23%
- 6M
- 62.44%
- YTD
- 86.77%
- 1Y
- 66.76%
- 3Y*
- 20.97%
- 5Y*
- 20.59%
- 10Y*
- 5.64%
- ALL TIME*
- -6.85%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5.98M | $7.81M | $6.46M | |
| $968.42M | $871.56M | $931.57M |
SCHJ vs. USO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCHJ Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF | 0.75% | 6.80% | 4.89% | 6.36% | -5.73% | -0.67% | 5.30% | 0.61% |
USO United States Oil Fund LP | 86.77% | -8.46% | 13.35% | -4.94% | 28.97% | 64.68% | -67.79% | 16.56% |
Correlation
The correlation between SCHJ and USO is -0.41, meaning they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. This relationship can weaken or reverse as market conditions change.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | -0.41 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | -0.21 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | -0.11 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 10, 2019 | -0.09 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between SCHJ and USO has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.09 to -0.41, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.
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Return for Risk
SCHJ vs. USO — Risk / Return Rank
SCHJ
USO
SCHJ vs. USO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF (SCHJ) 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.
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.
| SCHJ | USO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.52 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.81 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.35 | 1.25 | +0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.44 | 1.93 | +0.51 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.17 | 5.60 | +3.57 |
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Drawdowns
SCHJ vs. USO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SCHJ drawdown since its inception was -13.62%, smaller than the maximum USO drawdown of -98.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCHJ and USO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SCHJ | USO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -13.62% | -98.19% | +84.57% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.47% | -32.49% | +31.02% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.47% | -32.49% | +31.02% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.38% | -36.23% | +26.85% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -86.75% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.33% | -86.26% | +85.93% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.85% | -75.38% | +73.53% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.39% | 12.03% | -11.64% |
Volatility
SCHJ vs. USO - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF (SCHJ) is 0.53%, while United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a volatility of 17.73%. This indicates that SCHJ 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
| SCHJ | USO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.53% | 17.73% | -17.20% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.53% | 42.79% | -41.26% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.93% | 46.91% | -44.98% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.95% | 37.06% | -34.11% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 4.10% | 39.29% | -35.19% |
SCHJ vs. USO - Expense Ratio Comparison
SCHJ has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than USO's 0.86% expense ratio.
Dividends
SCHJ vs. USO - Dividend Comparison
SCHJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.50%, while USO has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCHJ Schwab 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF | 4.09% | 4.42% | 4.00% | 2.98% | 1.64% | 0.94% | 2.54% | 0.42% |
USO United States Oil Fund LP | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SCHJ and USO have a correlation of -0.41, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
USO has higher volatility (17.73%) compared to SCHJ (0.53%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SCHJ dropped -13.62% vs USO's -98.19%.
On 5-year performance, USO leads with 20.59% vs 2.31% for SCHJ. On fees, SCHJ is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, SCHJ has been the lower-risk option at 0.53%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, USO has performed better with a 20.59% return vs 2.31%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SCHJ is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.
SCHJ has the higher dividend yield at 4.09%, compared with 0.00% for USO.
SCHJ is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while USO is Oil & Gas. SCHJ tracks Bloomberg US 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index, while USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: Charles Schwab and USCF. Their fees differ too: 0.03% for SCHJ and 0.86% for USO.
SCHJ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.86 vs 1.34), 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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