SVXY vs. CAOS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY) and Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF (CAOS).

SVXY and CAOS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SVXY is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index (-100%). It was launched on Oct 3, 2011. CAOS is an actively managed fund by Alpha Architect. It was launched on Aug 14, 2013.

Performance

SVXY vs. CAOS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY) and Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF (CAOS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SVXY vs. CAOS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
SVXY ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF	-17.30%	10.63%	-3.17%	54.72%
CAOS Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF	1.10%	2.55%	5.33%	7.97%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SVXY achieves a -17.30% return, which is significantly lower than CAOS's 1.10% return.

SVXY

• 1D: 4.90%
• 1M: -12.39%
• YTD: -17.30%
• 6M: -10.09%
• 1Y: 0.09%
• 3Y*: 12.84%
• 5Y*: 13.74%
• 10Y*: -1.26%

CAOS

• 1D: 0.07%
• 1M: 0.43%
• YTD: 1.10%
• 6M: 1.37%
• 1Y: 3.19%
• 3Y*: 5.46%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SVXY vs. CAOS - Expense Ratio Comparison

SVXY has a 1.38% expense ratio, which is higher than CAOS's 0.63% expense ratio.

SVXY

ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF

CAOS

Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF

Return for Risk

SVXY vs. CAOS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SVXY

SVXY Risk / Return Rank: 13
SVXY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
SVXY Sortino Ratio Rank: 14
SVXY Omega Ratio Rank: 15
SVXY Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
SVXY Martin Ratio Rank: 13

CAOS

CAOS Risk / Return Rank: 41
CAOS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 39
CAOS Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
CAOS Omega Ratio Rank: 72
CAOS Calmar Ratio Rank: 35
CAOS Martin Ratio Rank: 23

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.

SVXY vs. CAOS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY) and Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF (CAOS). 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.

	SVXY	CAOS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.00	0.69	-0.68
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.26	0.97	-0.71
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	1.26	-0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.00	0.83	-0.83
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.01	1.38	-1.36
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SVXY vs. CAOS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SVXY Sharpe Ratio is 0.00, which is lower than the CAOS Sharpe Ratio of 0.69. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SVXY and CAOS, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SVXY	CAOS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.00	0.69	-0.68
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.02	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.19	1.27	-1.08

Correlation

The correlation between SVXY and CAOS is -0.01. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

SVXY vs. CAOS - Dividend Comparison

Neither SVXY nor CAOS has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

SVXY vs. CAOS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SVXY drawdown since its inception was -95.25%, which is greater than CAOS's maximum drawdown of -3.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SVXY and CAOS.

Drawdown Indicators

	SVXY	CAOS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-95.25%	-3.60%	-91.65%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-26.50%	-3.60%	-22.90%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-46.45%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-95.25%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-83.43%	-0.80%	-82.63%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-56.57%	-0.90%	-55.67%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.75%	2.18%	+7.57%

Volatility

SVXY vs. CAOS - Volatility Comparison

ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY) has a higher volatility of 15.28% compared to Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF (CAOS) at 0.74%. This indicates that SVXY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CAOS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SVXY	CAOS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.28%	0.74%	+14.54%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.61%	1.30%	+23.31%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	38.20%	4.68%	+33.52%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	35.91%	4.37%	+31.54%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	51.24%	4.37%	+46.87%