UNG vs. SCHD
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 Futures, 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 -21.41%/yr vs 12.94%/yr for SCHD. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. UNG charges 1.17%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for SCHD.
Performance
UNG vs. SCHD - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UNG achieves a -4.16% return, which is significantly lower than SCHD's 18.44% return. Over the past 10 years, UNG has underperformed SCHD with an annualized return of -21.41%, while SCHD has yielded a comparatively higher 12.94% annualized return.
UNG
- 1D
- 0.17%
- 1M
- 7.70%
- YTD
- -4.16%
- 6M
- -5.17%
- 1Y
- -25.87%
- 3Y*
- -27.47%
- 5Y*
- -24.93%
- 10Y*
- -21.41%
SCHD
- 1D
- 0.76%
- 1M
- -1.39%
- YTD
- 18.44%
- 6M
- 17.45%
- 1Y
- 26.47%
- 3Y*
- 14.64%
- 5Y*
- 8.70%
- 10Y*
- 12.94%
UNG vs. SCHD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNG United States Natural Gas Fund LP | -4.16% | -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 | 18.44% | 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 | 0.02 |
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 20, 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.
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Return for Risk
UNG vs. SCHD — Risk / Return Rank
UNG
SCHD
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.
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 | SCHD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.84 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.94 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.97 | 1.43 | -0.47 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.65 | 5.76 | -6.41 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.01 | 13.87 | -14.88 |
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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
| UNG | SCHD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -99.88% | -33.37% | -66.51% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -39.94% | -4.61% | -35.33% |
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 DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -99.86% | -1.87% | -97.99% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -89.97% | -3.31% | -86.66% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 25.62% | 1.91% | +23.71% |
Volatility
UNG vs. SCHD - Volatility Comparison
United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) has a higher volatility of 11.62% compared to Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) at 3.12%. 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
| UNG | SCHD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 11.62% | 3.12% | +8.50% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 50.81% | 7.74% | +43.07% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 60.16% | 11.09% | +49.07% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 64.12% | 14.36% | +49.76% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 54.78% | 16.70% | +38.08% |
UNG vs. SCHD - Expense Ratio Comparison
UNG has a 1.17% 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 3.28%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 3.28% | 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 (11.62%) compared to SCHD (3.12%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UNG dropped -99.88% vs SCHD's -33.37%.
On 10-year performance, SCHD leads with 12.94% vs -21.41% for UNG. On fees, SCHD is cheaper at 0.06% per year. On volatility, SCHD has been the lower-risk option at 3.12%. 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 12.94% return vs -21.41%. 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 1.17% for UNG.
SCHD has the higher dividend yield at 3.28%, compared with 0.00% for UNG.
UNG is categorized as Oil & Gas, while SCHD is Dividend. UNG tracks Front Month Natural Gas Futures, while SCHD tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. They also come from different issuers: USCF Investments and Charles Schwab. Their fees differ too: 1.17% for UNG and 0.06% for SCHD.
SCHD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.41 vs -0.43), 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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