USO vs. USL
Compare and contrast key facts about United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP (USL).
USO and USL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. USO is a passively managed fund by Concierge Technologies that tracks the performance of the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. It was launched on Apr 10, 2006. USL is a passively managed fund by Concierge Technologies that tracks the performance of the 12 Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. It was launched on Dec 6, 2007. Both USO and USL are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Scroll down to visually compare performance, riskiness, drawdowns, and other indicators and decide which better suits your portfolio: USO or USL.
Key characteristics
| USO | USL | |
|---|---|---|
| YTD Return | 14.40% | 11.85% |
| 1Y Return | 18.03% | 19.27% |
| 3Y Return (Ann) | 18.90% | 18.78% |
| 5Y Return (Ann) | -6.14% | 10.91% |
| 10Y Return (Ann) | -12.79% | -1.35% |
| Sharpe Ratio | 0.82 | 0.99 |
| Daily Std Dev | 26.87% | 23.33% |
| Max Drawdown | -98.19% | -89.06% |
| Current Drawdown | -91.89% | -55.30% |
Correlation
The correlation between USO and USL is 0.95, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Performance
USO vs. USL - Performance Comparison
In the year-to-date period, USO achieves a 14.40% return, which is significantly higher than USL's 11.85% return. Over the past 10 years, USO has underperformed USL with an annualized return of -12.79%, while USL has yielded a comparatively higher -1.35% annualized return. The chart below displays the growth of a $10,000 investment in both assets, with all prices adjusted for splits and dividends.
Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
USO vs. USL - Expense Ratio Comparison
USO has a 0.79% expense ratio, which is lower than USL's 0.88% expense ratio.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
USO vs. USL - Risk-Adjusted Performance Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United States Oil Fund LP (USO) and United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP (USL). 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.
Dividends
USO vs. USL - Dividend Comparison
Neither USO nor USL has paid dividends to shareholders.
Drawdowns
USO vs. USL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USO drawdown since its inception was -98.19%, which is greater than USL's maximum drawdown of -89.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USO and USL. For additional features, visit the drawdowns tool.
Volatility
USO vs. USL - Volatility Comparison
United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a higher volatility of 5.14% compared to United States 12 Month Oil Fund LP (USL) at 4.16%. This indicates that USO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than USL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.