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UNG vs. SCHD
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

UNG vs. SCHD

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

UNG (United States Natural Gas Fund LP) and SCHD (Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - UNG is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Natural Gas, while SCHD is a Dividend fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, UNG returned -20.42%/yr vs 12.79%/yr for SCHD. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. UNG charges 1.28%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for SCHD.

Performance

UNG vs. SCHD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UNG achieves a -1.14% return, which is significantly lower than SCHD's 19.82% return. Over the past 10 years, UNG has underperformed SCHD with an annualized return of -20.42%, while SCHD has yielded a comparatively higher 12.79% annualized return.

UNG

1D
3.50%
1M
13.91%
YTD
-1.14%
6M
-22.61%
1Y
-28.33%
3Y*
-21.15%
5Y*
-22.57%
10Y*
-20.42%

SCHD

1D
0.68%
1M
2.84%
YTD
19.82%
6M
19.65%
1Y
28.76%
3Y*
15.59%
5Y*
8.50%
10Y*
12.79%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

UNG vs. SCHD - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
UNG
United States Natural Gas Fund LP		-1.14%-27.07%-17.11%-64.04%12.89%35.76%-45.43%-31.77%5.96%-37.58%
SCHD
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF		19.82%4.34%11.66%4.54%-3.26%29.87%15.03%27.29%-5.56%20.85%

Correlation

The correlation between UNG and SCHD is -0.04, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

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

-0.04

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

0.03

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

0.09

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

0.07

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 21, 2011

0.05

The correlation between UNG and SCHD shifts across timeframes, from -0.04 (1 year) to 0.09 (5 years), 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.

United States Natural Gas Fund LP

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Often compared with UNG:
UNG vs. BOILUNG vs. FCGUNG vs. UNLUNG vs. LNGUNG vs. BNOUNG vs. WEATUNG vs. KOLD
Often compared with SCHD:
SCHD vs. VOOSCHD vs. VYMSCHD vs. SPYSCHD vs. SCHGSCHD vs. JEPISCHD vs. FDVVSCHD vs. VIG

Return for Risk

UNG vs. SCHD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
UNG
UNG Risk / Return Rank: 55
Overall Rank
UNG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
Sharpe Ratio Rank
UNG Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
Sortino Ratio Rank
UNG Omega Ratio Rank: 66
Omega Ratio Rank
UNG Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
Calmar Ratio Rank
UNG Martin Ratio Rank: 55
Martin Ratio Rank
SCHD
SCHD Risk / Return Rank: 8585
Overall Rank
SCHD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8282
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SCHD Sortino Ratio Rank: 8989
Sortino Ratio Rank
SCHD Omega Ratio Rank: 8080
Omega Ratio Rank
SCHD Calmar Ratio Rank: 9292
Calmar Ratio Rank
SCHD Martin Ratio Rank: 8080
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.

UNG vs. SCHD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD). 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.

UNGSCHDDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
-0.47
2.64

-3.11

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
-0.33
4.08

-4.41

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

0.96

1.47

-0.52

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.65

6.26

-6.91

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-0.95

15.38

-16.33

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

UNG vs. SCHD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UNG Sharpe Ratio is -0.47, which is lower than the SCHD Sharpe Ratio of 2.64. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UNG and SCHD, 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

UNGSCHDDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.47

2.64

-3.11

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

-0.35

0.59

-0.95

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.37

0.77

-1.14

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

-0.57

0.86

-1.43

Drawdowns

UNG vs. SCHD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UNG drawdown since its inception was -99.88%, which is greater than SCHD's maximum drawdown of -33.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UNG and SCHD.

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Drawdown Indicators

UNGSCHDDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-99.88%

-33.37%

-66.51%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-43.86%

-4.61%

-39.25%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-68.16%

-16.13%

-52.03%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-92.49%

-16.85%

-75.64%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-93.55%

-33.37%

-60.18%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-99.85%

-0.73%

-99.12%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-89.96%

-3.32%

-86.64%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

29.75%

1.87%

+27.88%

Volatility

UNG vs. SCHD - Volatility Comparison

United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) has a higher volatility of 12.99% compared to Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) at 2.69%. This indicates that UNG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SCHD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

UNGSCHDDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

12.99%

2.69%

+10.30%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

53.06%

7.65%

+45.41%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

60.59%

10.95%

+49.64%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

64.11%

14.38%

+49.73%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

54.78%

16.71%

+38.07%

UNG vs. SCHD - Expense Ratio Comparison

UNG has a 1.28% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHD's 0.06% expense ratio.

Dividends

UNG vs. SCHD - Dividend Comparison

UNG has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SCHD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.24%.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
SCHD
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF		3.24%3.82%3.64%3.49%3.39%2.78%3.16%2.98%3.06%2.63%2.89%2.97%
UNG
United States Natural Gas 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

UNG and SCHD have a correlation of -0.04, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

UNG has higher volatility (12.99%) compared to SCHD (2.69%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UNG dropped -99.88% vs SCHD's -33.37%.

On 10-year performance, SCHD leads with 12.79% vs -20.42% for UNG. On fees, SCHD is cheaper at 0.06% per year. On volatility, SCHD has been the lower-risk option at 2.69%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, SCHD has performed better with a 12.79% return vs -20.42%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SCHD is cheaper with a 0.06% expense ratio, compared with 1.28% for UNG.

SCHD has the higher dividend yield at 3.24%, compared with 0.00% for UNG.

UNG is categorized as Oil & Gas, while SCHD is Dividend. UNG tracks Front Month Natural Gas, while SCHD tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. They also come from different issuers: Concierge Technologies and Charles Schwab. Their fees differ too: 1.28% for UNG and 0.06% for SCHD.

SCHD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.64 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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