USO vs. SCHC
USO (United States Oil Fund LP) and SCHC (Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - USO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while SCHC is a Foreign Small & Mid Cap Equities fund tracking the FTSE Custom Developed Small Cap ex-US Liquid Net of Tax (Lux). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, USO returned 2.94%/yr vs 8.48%/yr for SCHC. At a 0.33 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. USO charges 0.86%/yr vs 0.11%/yr for SCHC.
Performance
USO vs. SCHC - 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 SCHC's 9.25% return. Over the past 10 years, USO has underperformed SCHC with an annualized return of 2.94%, while SCHC has yielded a comparatively higher 8.48% annualized 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%
SCHC
- 1D
- 0.71%
- 1M
- -2.36%
- YTD
- 9.25%
- 6M
- 11.25%
- 1Y
- 25.49%
- 3Y*
- 17.06%
- 5Y*
- 6.10%
- 10Y*
- 8.48%
USO vs. SCHC - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USO United States Oil Fund LP | 81.36% | -8.46% | 13.35% | -4.94% | 28.97% | 64.68% | -67.79% | 32.61% | -19.57% | 2.47% |
SCHC Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF | 9.25% | 37.59% | 1.97% | 14.36% | -21.74% | 12.02% | 10.48% | 23.10% | -18.60% | 29.42% |
Correlation
The correlation between USO and SCHC is -0.35, 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 | -0.35 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.04 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 14, 2010 | 0.33 |
The correlation between USO and SCHC shifts across timeframes, from -0.35 (1 year) to 0.33 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
USO vs. SCHC — Risk / Return Rank
USO
SCHC
USO vs. SCHC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF (SCHC). 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 | SCHC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.02 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.06 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.27 | 0.00 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.31 | 1.93 | +1.38 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.09 | 7.12 | -1.03 |
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Drawdowns
USO vs. SCHC - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USO drawdown since its inception was -98.19%, which is greater than SCHC's maximum drawdown of -43.94%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USO and SCHC.
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Drawdown Indicators
| USO | SCHC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -98.19% | -43.94% | -54.25% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -20.39% | -12.48% | -7.91% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -26.05% | -15.52% | -10.53% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.23% | -36.48% | +0.25% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -86.75% | -43.94% | -42.81% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -86.65% | -3.49% | -83.16% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -75.30% | -10.04% | -65.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 11.06% | 3.38% | +7.68% |
Volatility
USO vs. SCHC - Volatility Comparison
United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a higher volatility of 13.27% compared to Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF (SCHC) at 6.31%. This indicates that USO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SCHC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| USO | SCHC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 13.27% | 6.31% | +6.96% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 38.99% | 13.88% | +25.11% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 44.64% | 16.21% | +28.43% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 36.20% | 17.62% | +18.58% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 39.03% | 18.02% | +21.01% |
USO vs. SCHC - Expense Ratio Comparison
USO has a 0.86% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHC's 0.11% expense ratio.
Dividends
USO vs. SCHC - Dividend Comparison
USO has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SCHC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.35%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCHC Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF | 3.35% | 3.66% | 3.72% | 2.94% | 1.78% | 3.02% | 1.62% | 3.23% | 2.51% | 2.73% | 2.01% | 2.34% |
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
USO and SCHC have a correlation of -0.35, 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 SCHC (6.31%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USO dropped -98.19% vs SCHC's -43.94%.
On 10-year performance, SCHC leads with 8.48% vs 2.94% for USO. On fees, SCHC is cheaper at 0.11% per year. On volatility, SCHC has been the lower-risk option at 6.31%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, SCHC has performed better with a 8.48% return vs 2.94%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SCHC is cheaper with a 0.11% expense ratio, compared with 0.86% for USO.
SCHC has the higher dividend yield at 3.35%, compared with 0.00% for USO.
USO is categorized as Oil & Gas, while SCHC is Foreign Small & Mid Cap Equities. USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil, while SCHC tracks FTSE Custom Developed Small Cap ex-US Liquid Net of Tax (Lux). They also come from different issuers: USCF and Charles Schwab. Their fees differ too: 0.86% for USO and 0.11% for SCHC.
USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.51 vs 1.49), 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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