UNG vs. KOCT
UNG (United States Natural Gas Fund LP) and KOCT (Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - October) are both exchange-traded funds - UNG is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Natural Gas Futures, while KOCT is a Defined Outcome fund tracking the Russell 2000 Price Return Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, UNG returned -27.12%/yr vs 6.89%/yr for KOCT. At a 0.03 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. UNG charges 1.17%/yr vs 0.79%/yr for KOCT.
Performance
UNG vs. KOCT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UNG achieves a -13.54% return, which is significantly lower than KOCT's 11.05% return.
UNG
- 1D
- -2.12%
- 1M
- -6.61%
- 6M
- 1.92%
- YTD
- -13.54%
- 1Y
- -28.95%
- 3Y*
- -28.66%
- 5Y*
- -27.12%
- 10Y*
- -22.16%
KOCT
- 1D
- 0.05%
- 1M
- 1.40%
- 6M
- 8.31%
- YTD
- 11.05%
- 1Y
- 20.69%
- 3Y*
- 10.95%
- 5Y*
- 6.89%
- 10Y*
- —
UNG vs. KOCT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNG United States Natural Gas Fund LP | -13.54% | -27.07% | -17.11% | -64.04% | 12.89% | 35.76% | -45.43% | -15.40% |
KOCT Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - October | 11.05% | 10.14% | 11.08% | 9.02% | -7.87% | 5.67% | 2.57% | 3.85% |
Correlation
The correlation between UNG and KOCT is -0.27, 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 | -0.27 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.07 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.02 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 1, 2019 | 0.03 |
The correlation between UNG and KOCT shifts across timeframes, from -0.27 (1 year) to 0.03 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
UNG vs. KOCT — Risk / Return Rank
UNG
KOCT
UNG vs. KOCT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) and Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - October (KOCT). 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.
| UNG | KOCT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.40 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.28 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.96 | 1.35 | -0.39 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.71 | 4.01 | -4.72 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.11 | 14.49 | -15.60 |
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Drawdowns
UNG vs. KOCT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UNG drawdown since its inception was -99.88%, which is greater than KOCT's maximum drawdown of -28.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UNG and KOCT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UNG | KOCT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -99.88% | -28.22% | -71.66% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -39.94% | -4.95% | -34.99% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -68.16% | -15.03% | -53.13% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -92.49% | -16.63% | -75.86% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -93.55% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -99.87% | -0.06% | -99.81% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -89.99% | -4.18% | -85.81% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 25.31% | 1.38% | +23.93% |
Volatility
UNG vs. KOCT - Volatility Comparison
United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) has a higher volatility of 11.04% compared to Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - October (KOCT) at 1.61%. This indicates that UNG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than KOCT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UNG | KOCT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 11.04% | 1.61% | +9.43% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 49.67% | 6.60% | +43.07% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 59.74% | 10.35% | +49.39% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 64.17% | 12.28% | +51.89% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 54.74% | 14.52% | +40.22% |
UNG vs. KOCT - Expense Ratio Comparison
UNG has a 1.17% expense ratio, which is higher than KOCT's 0.79% expense ratio.
Dividends
UNG vs. KOCT - Dividend Comparison
Neither UNG nor KOCT has paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KOCT Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - October | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.79% |
UNG United States Natural Gas Fund LP | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
UNG and KOCT have a correlation of -0.27, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
UNG has higher volatility (11.04%) compared to KOCT (1.61%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UNG dropped -99.88% vs KOCT's -28.22%.
On 5-year performance, KOCT leads with 6.89% vs -27.12% for UNG. On fees, KOCT is cheaper at 0.79% per year. On volatility, KOCT has been the lower-risk option at 1.61%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, KOCT has performed better with a 6.89% return vs -27.12%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
KOCT is cheaper with a 0.79% expense ratio, compared with 1.17% for UNG.
UNG and KOCT have nearly identical dividend yields, around 0.00%.
UNG is categorized as Oil & Gas, while KOCT is Defined Outcome. UNG tracks Front Month Natural Gas Futures, while KOCT tracks Russell 2000 Price Return Index. They also come from different issuers: USCF Investments and Innovator. Their fees differ too: 1.17% for UNG and 0.79% for KOCT.
KOCT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.92 vs -0.47), 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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