UNG vs. UNL
UNG (United States Natural Gas Fund LP) and UNL (United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund LP) are both Oil & Gas funds - UNG tracks the Front Month Natural Gas Futures while UNL tracks the 12 Month Natural Gas. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, UNG returned -21.19%/yr vs -4.37%/yr for UNL. Their correlation of 0.94 suggests significant overlap in exposure. UNG charges 1.17%/yr vs 0.90%/yr for UNL.
Performance
UNG vs. UNL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UNG achieves a -4.00% return, which is significantly higher than UNL's -11.72% return. Over the past 10 years, UNG has underperformed UNL with an annualized return of -21.19%, while UNL has yielded a comparatively higher -4.37% annualized return.
UNG
- 1D
- 0.26%
- 1M
- 7.59%
- YTD
- -4.00%
- 6M
- -0.68%
- 1Y
- -33.35%
- 3Y*
- -26.96%
- 5Y*
- -24.05%
- 10Y*
- -21.19%
UNL
- 1D
- -0.38%
- 1M
- 3.74%
- YTD
- -11.72%
- 6M
- -9.35%
- 1Y
- -31.64%
- 3Y*
- -17.42%
- 5Y*
- -6.97%
- 10Y*
- -4.37%
UNG vs. UNL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNG United States Natural Gas Fund LP | -4.00% | -27.07% | -17.11% | -64.04% | 12.89% | 35.76% | -45.43% | -31.77% | 5.96% | -37.58% |
UNL United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund LP | -11.72% | -9.67% | -4.78% | -50.20% | 47.01% | 54.42% | -9.54% | -18.78% | 12.53% | -21.47% |
Correlation
The correlation between UNG and UNL is 0.94, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.94 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.94 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.96 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.93 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 4, 2010 | 0.94 |
The correlation between UNG and UNL has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.93 to 0.96 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
UNG vs. UNL — Risk / Return Rank
UNG
UNL
UNG vs. UNL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) and United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund LP (UNL). 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 | UNL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.33 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.64 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.94 | 0.85 | +0.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.84 | -0.97 | +0.13 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.28 | -1.56 | +0.27 |
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Drawdowns
UNG vs. UNL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UNG drawdown since its inception was -99.88%, which is greater than UNL's maximum drawdown of -89.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UNG and UNL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UNG | UNL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -99.88% | -89.00% | -10.88% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -39.94% | -32.65% | -7.29% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -68.16% | -48.16% | -20.00% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -92.49% | -78.12% | -14.37% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -93.55% | -78.12% | -15.43% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -99.86% | -88.46% | -11.40% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -89.97% | -73.38% | -16.59% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 29.14% | 22.72% | +6.42% |
Volatility
UNG vs. UNL - Volatility Comparison
United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG) has a higher volatility of 11.95% compared to United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund LP (UNL) at 7.13%. This indicates that UNG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UNL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UNG | UNL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 11.95% | 7.13% | +4.82% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 51.06% | 30.59% | +20.47% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 60.47% | 35.79% | +24.68% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 64.14% | 41.76% | +22.38% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 54.79% | 33.85% | +20.94% |
UNG vs. UNL - Expense Ratio Comparison
UNG has a 1.17% expense ratio, which is higher than UNL's 0.90% expense ratio.
Dividends
UNG vs. UNL - Dividend Comparison
Neither UNG nor UNL has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
With a correlation of 0.94, UNG and UNL move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.
UNG has higher volatility (11.95%) compared to UNL (7.13%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UNG dropped -99.88% vs UNL's -89.00%.
On 10-year performance, UNL leads with -4.37% vs -21.19% for UNG. On fees, UNL is cheaper at 0.90% per year. On volatility, UNL has been the lower-risk option at 7.13%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, UNL has performed better with a -4.37% return vs -21.19%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
UNL is cheaper with a 0.90% expense ratio, compared with 1.17% for UNG.
UNG and UNL have nearly identical dividend yields, around 0.00%.
UNG tracks Front Month Natural Gas Futures, while UNL tracks 12 Month Natural Gas. They also come from different issuers: USCF Investments and Concierge Technologies. Their fees differ too: 1.17% for UNG and 0.90% for UNL.
UNG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.55 vs -0.89), 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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