UCIB vs. FCAL
UCIB (ETRACS CMCI Total Return ETN Series B) and FCAL (First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - UCIB is a Commodities fund tracking the UBS Bloomberg CMCI Index, while FCAL is a Municipal Bonds fund actively managed by First Trust. UCIB is passively managed, while FCAL is actively managed. Over the past 5 years, UCIB returned 12.03%/yr vs 0.57%/yr for FCAL. At a correlation of -0.05, they often move in opposite directions. UCIB charges 0.55%/yr vs 0.50%/yr for FCAL.
Performance
UCIB vs. FCAL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UCIB achieves a 20.18% return, which is significantly higher than FCAL's 2.13% return.
UCIB
- 1D
- -0.15%
- 1M
- 0.17%
- 6M
- 18.10%
- YTD
- 20.18%
- 1Y
- 25.80%
- 3Y*
- 12.13%
- 5Y*
- 12.03%
- 10Y*
- 10.25%
FCAL
- 1D
- 0.05%
- 1M
- 0.32%
- 6M
- 1.57%
- YTD
- 2.13%
- 1Y
- 7.01%
- 3Y*
- 3.62%
- 5Y*
- 0.57%
- 10Y*
- —
UCIB vs. FCAL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UCIB ETRACS CMCI Total Return ETN Series B | 20.18% | 8.97% | 6.58% | -2.26% | 18.24% | 37.34% | 1.10% | 10.86% | -9.48% | 15.29% |
FCAL First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF | 2.13% | 3.19% | 1.90% | 6.08% | -9.50% | 3.26% | 3.51% | 9.32% | 0.31% | 4.38% |
Correlation
The correlation between UCIB and FCAL is -0.25, 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 | -0.25 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.10 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.04 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 27, 2017 | -0.05 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between UCIB and FCAL has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.05 to -0.25, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.
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Return for Risk
UCIB vs. FCAL — Risk / Return Rank
UCIB
FCAL
UCIB vs. FCAL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ETRACS CMCI Total Return ETN Series B (UCIB) and First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF (FCAL). 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.
| UCIB | FCAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.72 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.45 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.57 | -0.33 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.36 | 2.66 | -1.30 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.82 | 10.14 | -6.31 |
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Drawdowns
UCIB vs. FCAL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UCIB drawdown since its inception was -51.29%, which is greater than FCAL's maximum drawdown of -14.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UCIB and FCAL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UCIB | FCAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -51.29% | -14.81% | -36.48% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -19.66% | -2.57% | -17.09% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.66% | -5.46% | -14.20% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.95% | -14.44% | -6.51% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -36.94% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -15.87% | -0.45% | -15.42% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -21.02% | -3.31% | -17.71% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.98% | 0.68% | +6.30% |
Volatility
UCIB vs. FCAL - Volatility Comparison
ETRACS CMCI Total Return ETN Series B (UCIB) has a higher volatility of 7.65% compared to First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF (FCAL) at 0.61%. This indicates that UCIB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FCAL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UCIB | FCAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.65% | 0.61% | +7.04% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 32.05% | 2.14% | +29.91% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 32.66% | 2.70% | +29.96% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 26.93% | 4.24% | +22.69% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.38% | 5.22% | +18.16% |
UCIB vs. FCAL - Expense Ratio Comparison
UCIB has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than FCAL's 0.50% expense ratio.
Dividends
UCIB vs. FCAL - Dividend Comparison
UCIB has not paid dividends to shareholders, while FCAL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.35%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FCAL First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF | 3.35% | 3.22% | 2.99% | 2.74% | 2.38% | 2.03% | 2.11% | 2.68% | 2.99% | 1.30% |
UCIB ETRACS CMCI Total Return ETN Series B | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
UCIB and FCAL have a correlation of -0.25, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
UCIB has higher volatility (7.65%) compared to FCAL (0.61%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UCIB dropped -51.29% vs FCAL's -14.81%.
On 5-year performance, UCIB leads with 12.03% vs 0.57% for FCAL. On fees, FCAL is cheaper at 0.50% per year. On volatility, FCAL has been the lower-risk option at 0.61%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, UCIB has performed better with a 12.03% return vs 0.57%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FCAL is cheaper with a 0.50% expense ratio, compared with 0.55% for UCIB.
FCAL has the higher dividend yield at 3.35%, compared with 0.00% for UCIB.
UCIB is categorized as Commodities, while FCAL is Municipal Bonds. They also come from different issuers: UBS and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.55% for UCIB and 0.50% for FCAL.
FCAL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.54 vs 0.82), 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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