USO vs. IAUM
USO (United States Oil Fund LP) and IAUM (iShares Gold Trust Micro) are both exchange-traded funds - USO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while IAUM is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, USO returned 26.38%/yr vs 29.28%/yr for IAUM. At a 0.13 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. USO charges 0.86%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for IAUM.
Performance
USO vs. IAUM - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, USO achieves a 81.36% return, which is significantly higher than IAUM's -2.40% 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%
IAUM
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- -9.51%
- YTD
- -2.40%
- 6M
- -2.08%
- 1Y
- 22.55%
- 3Y*
- 29.28%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
USO vs. IAUM - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USO United States Oil Fund LP | 81.36% | -8.46% | 13.35% | -4.94% | 28.97% | 9.73% |
IAUM iShares Gold Trust Micro | -2.40% | 64.27% | 27.04% | 13.12% | -0.49% | 3.87% |
Correlation
The correlation between USO and IAUM is -0.06, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.06 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.10 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 29, 2021 | 0.13 |
The correlation between USO and IAUM shifts across timeframes, from -0.06 (1 year) to 0.13 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
USO vs. IAUM — Risk / Return Rank
USO
IAUM
USO vs. IAUM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM). 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 | IAUM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.61 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.89 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.19 | +0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.31 | 1.00 | +2.31 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.09 | 2.87 | +3.22 |
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Drawdowns
USO vs. IAUM - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USO drawdown since its inception was -98.19%, which is greater than IAUM's maximum drawdown of -24.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USO and IAUM.
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Drawdown Indicators
| USO | IAUM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -98.19% | -24.37% | -73.82% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -20.39% | -24.37% | +3.98% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -26.05% | -24.37% | -1.68% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.23% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -86.75% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -86.65% | -21.99% | -64.66% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -75.30% | -5.38% | -69.92% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 11.06% | 8.46% | +2.60% |
Volatility
USO vs. IAUM - Volatility Comparison
United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a higher volatility of 13.27% compared to iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM) at 7.71%. This indicates that USO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAUM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| USO | IAUM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 13.27% | 7.71% | +5.56% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 38.99% | 23.82% | +15.17% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 44.64% | 27.06% | +17.58% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 36.20% | 18.05% | +18.15% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 39.03% | 18.05% | +20.98% |
USO vs. IAUM - Expense Ratio Comparison
USO has a 0.86% expense ratio, which is higher than IAUM's 0.09% expense ratio.
Dividends
USO vs. IAUM - Dividend Comparison
Neither USO nor IAUM has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
USO and IAUM have a correlation of -0.06, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
USO has higher volatility (13.27%) compared to IAUM (7.71%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USO dropped -98.19% vs IAUM's -24.37%.
On 3-year performance, IAUM leads with 29.28% vs 26.38% for USO. On fees, IAUM is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, IAUM has been the lower-risk option at 7.71%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, IAUM has performed better with a 29.28% return vs 26.38%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IAUM is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.
USO and IAUM have nearly identical dividend yields, around 0.00%.
USO is categorized as Oil & Gas, while IAUM is Gold. USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while IAUM tracks LBMA Gold Price PM. They also come from different issuers: USCF and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.86% for USO and 0.09% for IAUM.
USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.51 vs 0.90), 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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