USO vs. MOS

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

USO (United States Oil Fund LP) is Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while MOS (The Mosaic Company) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, USO returned 3.13%/yr vs -0.76%/yr for MOS. At a 0.31 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

USO vs. MOS - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, USO achieves a 92.34% return, which is significantly higher than MOS's -5.95% return. Over the past 10 years, USO has outperformed MOS with an annualized return of 3.13%, while MOS has yielded a comparatively lower -0.76% annualized return.

USO

• 1D: -2.72%
• 1M: -0.69%
• YTD: 92.34%
• 6M: 84.96%
• 1Y: 90.22%
• 3Y*: 27.76%
• 5Y*: 22.99%
• 10Y*: 3.13%

MOS

• 1D: -2.88%
• 1M: -4.64%
• YTD: -5.95%
• 6M: -4.04%
• 1Y: -36.76%
• 3Y*: -11.07%
• 5Y*: -7.00%
• 10Y*: -0.76%

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

USO vs. MOS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
USO United States Oil Fund LP	92.34%	-8.46%	13.35%	-4.94%	28.97%	64.68%	-67.79%	32.61%	-19.57%	2.47%
MOS The Mosaic Company	-5.95%	1.10%	-29.14%	-16.42%	12.80%	72.15%	7.60%	-25.28%	14.22%	-10.38%

Correlation

The correlation between USO and MOS is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.14
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.20
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.28
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 11, 2006	0.31

The correlation between USO and MOS shifts across timeframes, from 0.14 (1 year) to 0.31 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

USO vs. MOS — Risk / Return Rank

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

USO

USO Risk / Return Rank: 63
USO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
USO Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
USO Omega Ratio Rank: 58
USO Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
USO Martin Ratio Rank: 51

MOS

MOS Risk / Return Rank: 8
MOS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
MOS Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
MOS Omega Ratio Rank: 10
MOS Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
MOS Martin Ratio Rank: 7

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. MOS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and The Mosaic Company (MOS). 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	MOS	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.04	-0.87	+2.91
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.66	-1.13	+3.79
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	0.86	+0.49
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.45	-0.88	+5.33
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	8.33	-1.44	+9.76
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

USO vs. MOS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current USO Sharpe Ratio is 2.04, which is higher than the MOS Sharpe Ratio of -0.87. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of USO and MOS, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	USO	MOS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.04	-0.87	+2.91
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.64	-0.17	+0.81
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.08	-0.02	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.18	0.07	-0.26

Drawdowns

USO vs. MOS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum USO drawdown since its inception was -98.19%, roughly equal to the maximum MOS drawdown of -94.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USO and MOS.

Drawdown Indicators

	USO	MOS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-98.19%	-94.71%	-3.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-20.39%	-42.01%	+21.62%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-26.05%	-45.35%	+19.30%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.23%	-69.65%	+33.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-86.75%	-80.82%	-5.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-85.85%	-80.83%	-5.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-75.30%	-61.22%	-14.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.87%	25.61%	-14.74%

Volatility

USO vs. MOS - Volatility Comparison

United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a higher volatility of 13.30% compared to The Mosaic Company (MOS) at 10.56%. This indicates that USO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MOS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	USO	MOS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.30%	10.56%	+2.74%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	38.49%	33.33%	+5.16%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	44.41%	42.51%	+1.90%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	36.09%	41.70%	-5.61%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	39.01%	44.87%	-5.86%

Dividends

USO vs. MOS - Dividend Comparison

USO has not paid dividends to shareholders, while MOS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.96%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MOS The Mosaic Company	3.96%	3.65%	3.42%	2.94%	1.28%	0.70%	0.87%	0.81%	0.34%	2.34%	3.75%	3.90%
USO United States Oil Fund LP	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	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 MOS in my portfolio?

USO and MOS have a correlation of 0.14, 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 MOS?

USO has higher volatility (13.30%) compared to MOS (10.56%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USO dropped -98.19% vs MOS's -94.71%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.04 vs -0.87), 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.