USCI vs. FAAR
USCI (United States Commodity Index Fund) and FAAR (First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF) are both Commodities funds. USCI is passively managed, while FAAR is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, USCI returned 8.86%/yr vs 5.17%/yr for FAAR. At a 0.50 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. USCI charges 1.03%/yr vs 0.95%/yr for FAAR.
Performance
USCI vs. FAAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, USCI achieves a 28.22% return, which is significantly higher than FAAR's 25.73% return. Over the past 10 years, USCI has outperformed FAAR with an annualized return of 8.86%, while FAAR has yielded a comparatively lower 5.17% annualized return.
USCI
- 1D
- 0.11%
- 1M
- -1.22%
- YTD
- 28.22%
- 6M
- 26.35%
- 1Y
- 40.33%
- 3Y*
- 23.15%
- 5Y*
- 19.28%
- 10Y*
- 8.86%
FAAR
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- -0.79%
- YTD
- 25.73%
- 6M
- 23.17%
- 1Y
- 40.73%
- 3Y*
- 11.79%
- 5Y*
- 8.07%
- 10Y*
- 5.17%
USCI vs. FAAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USCI United States Commodity Index Fund | 28.22% | 17.63% | 17.24% | -0.00% | 29.47% | 33.07% | -11.47% | -1.68% | -11.76% | 6.32% |
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 25.73% | 8.07% | 5.97% | -5.63% | 10.15% | 12.34% | 8.60% | -1.28% | -9.17% | 5.00% |
Correlation
The correlation between USCI and FAAR is 0.84, 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 | 0.84 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.62 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.60 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.50 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 24, 2016 | 0.50 |
Over the past year, USCI and FAAR have become more correlated (0.84) than their long-term average of 0.50, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
USCI vs. FAAR — Risk / Return Rank
USCI
FAAR
USCI vs. FAAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Commodity Index Fund (USCI) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR). 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.
| USCI | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.61 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.13 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.41 | 1.52 | -0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.64 | 8.44 | -3.80 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 16.18 | 23.64 | -7.46 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| USCI | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.43 | 3.04 | -0.61 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.05 | 0.62 | +0.43 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.56 | 0.45 | +0.11 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.30 | 0.45 | -0.15 |
Drawdowns
USCI vs. FAAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USCI drawdown since its inception was -66.41%, which is greater than FAAR's maximum drawdown of -18.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USCI and FAAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| USCI | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -66.41% | -18.03% | -48.38% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.73% | -4.85% | -3.88% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -12.01% | -11.54% | -0.47% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.84% | -18.03% | -0.81% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.82% | -18.03% | -27.79% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.10% | -1.11% | -1.99% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -29.51% | -7.85% | -21.66% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.50% | 1.73% | +0.77% |
Volatility
USCI vs. FAAR - Volatility Comparison
United States Commodity Index Fund (USCI) has a higher volatility of 4.51% compared to First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) at 2.44%. This indicates that USCI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FAAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| USCI | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.51% | 2.44% | +2.07% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.93% | 9.72% | +4.21% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.70% | 13.48% | +3.22% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.44% | 13.02% | +5.42% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 15.85% | 11.51% | +4.34% |
USCI vs. FAAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
USCI has a 1.03% expense ratio, which is higher than FAAR's 0.95% expense ratio.
Dividends
USCI vs. FAAR - Dividend Comparison
USCI has not paid dividends to shareholders, while FAAR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.15%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 9.15% | 11.63% | 3.45% | 3.20% | 5.82% | 6.49% | 3.05% | 1.02% | 0.58% | 2.83% |
USCI United States Commodity Index Fund | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
USCI and FAAR have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
USCI has higher volatility (4.51%) compared to FAAR (2.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USCI dropped -66.41% vs FAAR's -18.03%.
On 10-year performance, USCI leads with 8.86% vs 5.17% for FAAR. On fees, FAAR is cheaper at 0.95% per year. On volatility, FAAR has been the lower-risk option at 2.44%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, USCI has performed better with a 8.86% return vs 5.17%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FAAR is cheaper with a 0.95% expense ratio, compared with 1.03% for USCI.
FAAR has the higher dividend yield at 9.15%, compared with 0.00% for USCI.
They also come from different issuers: Concierge Technologies and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 1.03% for USCI and 0.95% for FAAR.
FAAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.04 vs 2.43), 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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