USO vs. HYDW
USO (United States Oil Fund LP) and HYDW (Xtrackers Low Beta High Yield Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - USO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while HYDW is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Solactive USD High Yield Corporates Total Market Low Beta Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, USO returned 23.67%/yr vs 3.58%/yr for HYDW. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. USO charges 0.86%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for HYDW.
Performance
USO vs. HYDW - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, USO achieves a 97.72% return, which is significantly higher than HYDW's 1.04% return.
USO
- 1D
- -2.92%
- 1M
- -5.15%
- YTD
- 97.72%
- 6M
- 91.54%
- 1Y
- 97.20%
- 3Y*
- 28.78%
- 5Y*
- 23.67%
- 10Y*
- 3.57%
HYDW
- 1D
- 0.15%
- 1M
- 0.27%
- YTD
- 1.04%
- 6M
- 1.44%
- 1Y
- 5.53%
- 3Y*
- 6.99%
- 5Y*
- 3.58%
- 10Y*
- —
USO vs. HYDW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USO United States Oil Fund LP | 97.72% | -8.46% | 13.35% | -4.94% | 28.97% | 64.68% | -67.79% | 32.61% | -23.94% |
HYDW Xtrackers Low Beta High Yield Bond ETF | 1.04% | 8.47% | 5.42% | 9.84% | -7.86% | 2.77% | 5.51% | 11.44% | -1.08% |
Correlation
The correlation between USO and HYDW is -0.42, 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 | -0.42 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.12 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.02 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 12, 2018 | 0.10 |
The correlation between USO and HYDW shifts across timeframes, from -0.42 (1 year) to 0.10 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
USO vs. HYDW — Risk / Return Rank
USO
HYDW
USO vs. HYDW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and Xtrackers Low Beta High Yield Bond ETF (HYDW). 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.
| USO | HYDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.32 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.09 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.37 | 1.37 | 0.00 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.79 | 2.66 | +2.14 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.00 | 12.66 | -3.66 |
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
| USO | HYDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.21 | 1.88 | +0.32 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.66 | 0.56 | +0.10 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.09 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.18 | 0.58 | -0.76 |
Drawdowns
USO vs. HYDW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USO drawdown since its inception was -98.19%, which is greater than HYDW's maximum drawdown of -17.75%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USO and HYDW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| USO | HYDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -98.19% | -17.75% | -80.44% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -20.39% | -2.09% | -18.30% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -26.05% | -3.64% | -22.41% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.23% | -12.68% | -23.55% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -86.75% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -85.45% | -0.11% | -85.34% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -75.30% | -1.89% | -73.41% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 10.84% | 0.44% | +10.40% |
Volatility
USO vs. HYDW - Volatility Comparison
United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a higher volatility of 14.97% compared to Xtrackers Low Beta High Yield Bond ETF (HYDW) at 0.74%. This indicates that USO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HYDW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| USO | HYDW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 14.97% | 0.74% | +14.23% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 38.35% | 2.26% | +36.09% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 44.32% | 2.95% | +41.37% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 36.09% | 6.40% | +29.69% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 39.00% | 6.99% | +32.01% |
USO vs. HYDW - Expense Ratio Comparison
USO has a 0.86% expense ratio, which is higher than HYDW's 0.20% expense ratio.
Dividends
USO vs. HYDW - Dividend Comparison
USO has not paid dividends to shareholders, while HYDW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.75%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYDW Xtrackers Low Beta High Yield Bond ETF | 5.75% | 5.75% | 5.35% | 5.69% | 4.78% | 3.30% | 4.45% | 4.56% | 4.42% |
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
USO and HYDW have a correlation of -0.42, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
USO has higher volatility (14.97%) compared to HYDW (0.74%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USO dropped -98.19% vs HYDW's -17.75%.
On 5-year performance, USO leads with 23.67% vs 3.58% for HYDW. On fees, HYDW is cheaper at 0.20% per year. On volatility, HYDW has been the lower-risk option at 0.74%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, USO has performed better with a 23.67% return vs 3.58%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
HYDW is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.
HYDW has the higher dividend yield at 5.75%, compared with 0.00% for USO.
USO is categorized as Oil & Gas, while HYDW is High Yield Bonds. USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while HYDW tracks Solactive USD High Yield Corporates Total Market Low Beta Index. They also come from different issuers: USCF and Deutsche Bank. Their fees differ too: 0.86% for USO and 0.20% for HYDW.
USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.21 vs 1.88), 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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