USO vs. BBDC

Last updated Jun 13, 2026

USO (United States Oil Fund LP) is Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while BBDC (Barings BDC, Inc.) is a stock. Over the past 5 years, USO returned 21.14%/yr vs 6.45%/yr for BBDC. At a 0.11 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

USO vs. BBDC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and Barings BDC, Inc. (BBDC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, USO achieves a 81.36% return, which is significantly higher than BBDC's -2.86% return.

USO

• 1D: -2.64%
• 1M: -12.29%
• YTD: 81.36%
• 6M: 82.28%
• 1Y: 56.36%
• 3Y*: 26.38%
• 5Y*: 21.14%
• 10Y*: 2.94%

BBDC

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.43%
• YTD: -2.86%
• 6M: -1.25%
• 1Y: 4.66%
• 3Y*: 14.63%
• 5Y*: 6.45%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

USO vs. BBDC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
USO United States Oil Fund LP	81.36%	-8.46%	13.35%	-4.94%	28.97%	64.68%	-67.79%	32.61%	-32.73%
BBDC Barings BDC, Inc.	-2.86%	8.84%	23.86%	18.53%	-18.59%	29.31%	-3.48%	20.40%	-9.56%

Correlation

The correlation between USO and BBDC is -0.12, 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	-0.12
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	-0.02
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.07
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 3, 2018	0.11

The correlation between USO and BBDC shifts across timeframes, from -0.12 (1 year) to 0.11 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

USO vs. BBDC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

USO

USO Risk / Return Rank: 53
USO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
USO Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
USO Omega Ratio Rank: 50
USO Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
USO Martin Ratio Rank: 43

BBDC

BBDC Risk / Return Rank: 48
BBDC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
BBDC Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
BBDC Omega Ratio Rank: 42
BBDC Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
BBDC Martin Ratio Rank: 51

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.

USO vs. BBDC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and Barings BDC, Inc. (BBDC). 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.

	USO	BBDC	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.51	0.22	+1.29
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.15	0.44	+1.71
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.05	+0.22
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.31	0.33	+2.97
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.09	0.73	+5.35

USO vs. BBDC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current USO Sharpe Ratio is 1.51, which is higher than the BBDC Sharpe Ratio of 0.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of USO and BBDC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

USO vs. BBDC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum USO drawdown since its inception was -98.19%, which is greater than BBDC's maximum drawdown of -48.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USO and BBDC.

Drawdown Indicators

	USO	BBDC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-98.19%	-48.45%	-49.74%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-20.39%	-12.28%	-8.11%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-26.05%	-24.51%	-1.54%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.23%	-27.55%	-8.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-86.75%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-86.65%	-6.42%	-80.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-75.30%	-7.98%	-67.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.06%	5.59%	+5.47%

Volatility

USO vs. BBDC - Volatility Comparison

United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a higher volatility of 13.27% compared to Barings BDC, Inc. (BBDC) at 6.34%. This indicates that USO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BBDC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	USO	BBDC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.27%	6.34%	+6.93%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	38.99%	15.12%	+23.87%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	44.64%	18.60%	+26.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	36.20%	19.39%	+16.81%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	39.03%	24.21%	+14.82%

Dividends

USO vs. BBDC - Dividend Comparison

USO has not paid dividends to shareholders, while BBDC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 12.99%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
BBDC Barings BDC, Inc.	12.99%	12.96%	10.87%	11.89%	11.66%	7.44%	7.07%	5.25%	21.24%
USO United States Oil Fund LP	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both USO and BBDC in my portfolio?

USO and BBDC have a correlation of -0.12, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, USO or BBDC?

USO has higher volatility (13.27%) compared to BBDC (6.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USO dropped -98.19% vs BBDC's -48.45%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.51 vs 0.22), 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.