UNG vs. SPY
UNG (United States Natural Gas Fund LP) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - UNG is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Natural Gas Futures, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, UNG returned -22.23%/yr vs 15.08%/yr for SPY. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. UNG charges 1.17%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.
Performance
UNG vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UNG achieves a -15.01% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 10.67% return. Over the past 10 years, UNG has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of -22.23%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.08% annualized return.
UNG
- 1D
- -1.23%
- 1M
- -11.39%
- 6M
- 1.17%
- YTD
- -15.01%
- 1Y
- -34.05%
- 3Y*
- -27.27%
- 5Y*
- -27.30%
- 10Y*
- -22.23%
SPY
- 1D
- -0.54%
- 1M
- 0.31%
- 6M
- 9.02%
- YTD
- 10.67%
- 1Y
- 21.60%
- 3Y*
- 20.01%
- 5Y*
- 13.24%
- 10Y*
- 15.08%
UNG vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNG United States Natural Gas Fund LP | -15.01% | -27.07% | -17.11% | -64.04% | 12.89% | 35.76% | -45.43% | -31.77% | 5.96% | -37.58% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 10.67% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
Correlation
The correlation between UNG and SPY is -0.17, 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 | -0.17 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.03 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.07 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.05 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 18, 2007 | 0.05 |
The correlation between UNG and SPY shifts across timeframes, from -0.17 (1 year) to 0.07 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
UNG vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
UNG
SPY
UNG vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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 | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.30 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.92 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.93 | 1.31 | -0.38 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.86 | 2.44 | -3.30 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.32 | 10.63 | -11.96 |
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Drawdowns
UNG vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UNG drawdown since its inception was -99.88%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UNG and SPY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UNG | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -99.88% | -55.19% | -44.69% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -39.94% | -8.88% | -31.06% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -68.16% | -18.76% | -49.40% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -92.49% | -24.50% | -67.99% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -93.55% | -33.72% | -59.83% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -99.87% | -0.91% | -98.96% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -90.00% | -9.02% | -80.98% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 25.76% | 2.04% | +23.72% |
Volatility
UNG vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) has a higher volatility of 10.58% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 3.58%. This indicates that UNG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UNG | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.58% | 3.58% | +7.00% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 48.34% | 10.02% | +38.32% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 59.59% | 12.58% | +47.01% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 64.19% | 17.17% | +47.02% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 54.74% | 17.93% | +36.81% |
UNG vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
UNG has a 1.17% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Dividends
UNG vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
UNG has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.00%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.00% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
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 SPY have a correlation of -0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
UNG has higher volatility (10.58%) compared to SPY (3.58%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UNG dropped -99.88% vs SPY's -55.19%.
On 10-year performance, SPY leads with 15.08% vs -22.23% for UNG. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SPY has been the lower-risk option at 3.58%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, SPY has performed better with a 15.08% return vs -22.23%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 1.17% for UNG.
SPY has the higher dividend yield at 1.00%, compared with 0.00% for UNG.
UNG is categorized as Oil & Gas, while SPY is S&P 500. UNG tracks Front Month Natural Gas Futures, while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: USCF Investments and State Street. Their fees differ too: 1.17% for UNG and 0.09% for SPY.
SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.72 vs -0.57), 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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