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SCO vs. SPY
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

SCO vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

SCO (ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SCO is a Leveraged Commodities fund tracking the Bloomberg Commodity Balanced WTI Crude Oil Index (-200%), while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SCO returned -38.21%/yr vs 15.48%/yr for SPY. At a correlation of -0.31, they often move in opposite directions. SCO charges 0.95%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

SCO vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil (SCO) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SCO achieves a -67.25% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 11.33% return. Over the past 10 years, SCO has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of -38.21%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.48% annualized return.

SCO

1D
4.05%
1M
1.14%
YTD
-67.25%
6M
-65.49%
1Y
-67.35%
3Y*
-37.24%
5Y*
-42.35%
10Y*
-38.21%

SPY

1D
0.38%
1M
4.60%
YTD
11.33%
6M
11.25%
1Y
28.50%
3Y*
22.58%
5Y*
13.91%
10Y*
15.48%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SCO vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
SCO
ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil		-67.25%15.90%-19.00%-12.41%-62.59%-72.62%-4.20%-58.50%19.22%-22.40%
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF		11.33%17.72%24.89%26.18%-18.18%28.73%18.33%31.22%-4.57%21.71%

Correlation

The correlation between SCO and SPY is 0.29, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.29

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

0.04

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

-0.10

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

-0.20

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 26, 2008

-0.31

The correlation between SCO and SPY shifts across timeframes, from -0.31 (all time) to 0.29 (1 year), 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.

ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

Often compared with SCO:
SCO vs. UCOSCO vs. USOSCO vs. DRIPSCO vs. NRGDSCO vs. BOILSCO vs. KOLDSCO vs. ERX
Often compared with SPY:
SPY vs. QQQSPY vs. VOOSPY vs. BRK-BSPY vs. RSPSPY vs. VTISPY vs. SCHDSPY vs. GLD

Return for Risk

SCO vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
SCO
SCO Risk / Return Rank: 11
Overall Rank
SCO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 11
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SCO Sortino Ratio Rank: 00
Sortino Ratio Rank
SCO Omega Ratio Rank: 00
Omega Ratio Rank
SCO Calmar Ratio Rank: 11
Calmar Ratio Rank
SCO Martin Ratio Rank: 00
Martin Ratio Rank
SPY
SPY Risk / Return Rank: 7474
Overall Rank
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7676
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 7474
Sortino Ratio Rank
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 7575
Omega Ratio Rank
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 6666
Calmar Ratio Rank
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 7878
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.

SCO vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil (SCO) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.

SCOSPYDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
-1.19
2.42

-3.61

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
-2.29
3.29

-5.58

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

0.76

1.44

-0.68

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.93

3.22

-4.16

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-1.94

14.99

-16.93

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

SCO vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SCO Sharpe Ratio is -1.19, which is lower than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.42. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SCO and SPY, 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

SCOSPYDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-1.19

2.42

-3.61

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

-0.71

0.82

-1.53

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.53

0.87

-1.40

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

-0.38

0.59

-0.96

Drawdowns

SCO vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SCO drawdown since its inception was -99.80%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCO and SPY.

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Drawdown Indicators

SCOSPYDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-99.80%

-55.19%

-44.61%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-72.24%

-8.88%

-63.36%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-79.85%

-18.76%

-61.09%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-94.80%

-24.50%

-70.30%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-99.51%

-33.72%

-65.79%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-99.78%

-0.33%

-99.45%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-85.18%

-9.05%

-76.13%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

34.87%

1.91%

+32.96%

Volatility

SCO vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil (SCO) has a higher volatility of 20.24% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 2.79%. This indicates that SCO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

SCOSPYDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

20.24%

2.79%

+17.45%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

45.73%

8.91%

+36.82%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

56.81%

11.82%

+44.99%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

59.76%

17.05%

+42.71%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

71.95%

17.93%

+54.02%

SCO vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

SCO has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.

Dividends

SCO vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

SCO has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.98%.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
SCO
ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF		0.98%1.07%1.21%1.40%1.65%1.20%1.52%1.75%2.04%1.80%2.03%2.06%

Frequently Asked Questions

SCO and SPY have a correlation of 0.29, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

SCO has higher volatility (20.24%) compared to SPY (2.79%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SCO dropped -99.80% vs SPY's -55.19%.

On 10-year performance, SPY leads with 15.48% vs -38.21% for SCO. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SPY has been the lower-risk option at 2.79%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, SPY has performed better with a 15.48% return vs -38.21%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.95% for SCO.

SPY has the higher dividend yield at 0.98%, compared with 0.00% for SCO.

SCO is categorized as Leveraged Commodities, while SPY is S&P 500. SCO tracks Bloomberg Commodity Balanced WTI Crude Oil Index (-200%), while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: ProShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.95% for SCO and 0.09% for SPY.

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.42 vs -1.19), 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.

Portfolio Optimizer

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