ULST vs. USL

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ULST (State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF) and USL (United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - ULST is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg US Treasury Bellwether 3 Month Index, while USL is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the 12 Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, ULST returned 2.67%/yr vs 10.91%/yr for USL. At a correlation of -0.05, they often move in opposite directions. ULST charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.88%/yr for USL.

Performance

ULST vs. USL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST) and United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP (USL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ULST achieves a 1.24% return, which is significantly lower than USL's 63.07% return. Over the past 10 years, ULST has underperformed USL with an annualized return of 2.67%, while USL has yielded a comparatively higher 10.91% annualized return.

ULST

• 1D: -0.02%
• 1M: 0.33%
• YTD: 1.24%
• 6M: 1.57%
• 1Y: 3.99%
• 3Y*: 4.92%
• 5Y*: 3.51%
• 10Y*: 2.67%

USL

• 1D: 1.55%
• 1M: -1.61%
• YTD: 63.07%
• 6M: 59.66%
• 1Y: 57.86%
• 3Y*: 18.42%
• 5Y*: 17.41%
• 10Y*: 10.91%

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

ULST vs. USL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ULST State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF	1.24%	4.80%	5.23%	5.60%	0.87%	0.25%	1.45%	3.23%	2.04%	1.19%
USL United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP	63.07%	-12.37%	8.30%	-1.11%	27.10%	62.48%	-25.23%	28.01%	-14.15%	2.55%

Correlation

The correlation between ULST and USL is -0.35, 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	-0.35
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	-0.15
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.12
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.06
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 11, 2013	-0.05

Over the past year, the inverse relationship between ULST and USL has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.05 to -0.35, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.

Return for Risk

ULST vs. USL — Risk / Return Rank

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

ULST

ULST Risk / Return Rank: 99
ULST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
ULST Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
ULST Omega Ratio Rank: 99
ULST Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
ULST Martin Ratio Rank: 99

USL

USL Risk / Return Rank: 56
USL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
USL Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
USL Omega Ratio Rank: 54
USL Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
USL Martin Ratio Rank: 43

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.

ULST vs. USL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST) and United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP (USL). 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.

	ULST	USL	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	6.14	2.04	+4.10
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	12.30	2.58	+9.72
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	2.77	1.34	+1.43
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	16.92	3.47	+13.45
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	87.49	7.02	+80.47
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ULST vs. USL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ULST Sharpe Ratio is 6.14, which is higher than the USL Sharpe Ratio of 2.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ULST and USL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ULST	USL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.14	2.04	+4.10
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	3.67	0.58	+3.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.86	0.34	+1.52
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.50	0.01	+1.49

Drawdowns

ULST vs. USL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ULST drawdown since its inception was -6.20%, smaller than the maximum USL drawdown of -89.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ULST and USL.

Drawdown Indicators

	ULST	USL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-6.20%	-89.06%	+82.86%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.24%	-16.76%	+16.52%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-0.54%	-23.33%	+22.79%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-1.22%	-33.82%	+32.60%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-6.20%	-66.02%	+59.82%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.05%	-38.16%	+38.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.16%	-61.46%	+61.30%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.05%	8.27%	-8.22%

Volatility

ULST vs. USL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST) is 0.18%, while United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP (USL) has a volatility of 10.53%. This indicates that ULST experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than USL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ULST	USL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.18%	10.53%	-10.35%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.43%	23.33%	-22.90%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.65%	28.54%	-27.89%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	0.96%	30.08%	-29.12%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.45%	32.35%	-30.90%

ULST vs. USL - Expense Ratio Comparison

ULST has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is lower than USL's 0.88% expense ratio.

Dividends

ULST vs. USL - Dividend Comparison

ULST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.29%, while USL has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ULST State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF	4.29%	4.46%	5.03%	4.45%	1.70%	0.54%	1.34%	2.56%	2.13%	1.21%	0.93%	0.37%
USL United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ULST and USL in my portfolio?

ULST and USL have a correlation of -0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ULST or USL?

USL has higher volatility (10.53%) compared to ULST (0.18%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ULST dropped -6.20% vs USL's -89.06%.

Which ETF is better, ULST or USL?

On 10-year performance, USL leads with 10.91% vs 2.67% for ULST. On fees, ULST is cheaper at 0.20% per year. On volatility, ULST has been the lower-risk option at 0.18%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, ULST or USL?

Over the 10-year period, USL has performed better with a 10.91% return vs 2.67%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, ULST or USL?

ULST is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.88% for USL.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, ULST or USL?

ULST has the higher dividend yield at 4.29%, compared with 0.00% for USL.

What is the main difference between ULST and USL?

ULST is categorized as Ultrashort Bond, while USL is Oil & Gas. ULST tracks Bloomberg US Treasury Bellwether 3 Month Index, while USL tracks 12 Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: State Street and Concierge Technologies. Their fees differ too: 0.20% for ULST and 0.88% for USL.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ULST currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.14 vs 2.04), 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.