UTHY vs. FAAR
UTHY (US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF) and FAAR (First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - UTHY is a Government Bonds fund tracking the ICE BofA Current 30-Year US Treasury Index - Benchmark TR Gross, while FAAR is a Commodities fund actively managed by First Trust. UTHY is passively managed, while FAAR is actively managed. Over the past 3 years, UTHY returned -1.81%/yr vs 10.03%/yr for FAAR. At a correlation of -0.12, they often move in opposite directions. UTHY charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.95%/yr for FAAR.
Performance
UTHY vs. FAAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UTHY achieves a 2.03% return, which is significantly lower than FAAR's 17.40% return.
UTHY
- 1D
- 1.34%
- 1M
- 3.56%
- YTD
- 2.03%
- 6M
- 1.25%
- 1Y
- 4.17%
- 3Y*
- -1.81%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
FAAR
- 1D
- -1.46%
- 1M
- -6.59%
- YTD
- 17.40%
- 6M
- 17.10%
- 1Y
- 28.26%
- 3Y*
- 10.03%
- 5Y*
- 7.50%
- 10Y*
- 4.54%
UTHY vs. FAAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UTHY US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF | 2.03% | 3.47% | -8.07% | -2.77% |
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 17.40% | 8.07% | 5.97% | -6.06% |
Correlation
The correlation between UTHY and FAAR is -0.29, 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 | -0.29 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.13 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 28, 2023 | -0.12 |
The correlation between UTHY and FAAR shifts across timeframes, from -0.29 (1 year) to -0.12 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
UTHY vs. FAAR — Risk / Return Rank
UTHY
FAAR
UTHY vs. FAAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF (UTHY) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR). 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.
| UTHY | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.69 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.36 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.08 | 1.37 | -0.29 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.57 | 3.71 | -3.14 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.38 | 14.66 | -13.29 |
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Drawdowns
UTHY vs. FAAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UTHY drawdown since its inception was -21.86%, which is greater than FAAR's maximum drawdown of -18.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UTHY and FAAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UTHY | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -21.86% | -18.03% | -3.83% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.34% | -7.66% | +0.32% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.58% | -11.54% | -7.04% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -18.03% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -18.03% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -9.32% | -7.66% | -1.66% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.71% | -7.82% | -2.89% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.04% | 1.93% | +1.11% |
Volatility
UTHY vs. FAAR - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF (UTHY) is 2.43%, while First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) has a volatility of 2.82%. This indicates that UTHY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FAAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UTHY | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.43% | 2.82% | -0.39% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.46% | 9.80% | -3.34% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.22% | 13.30% | -4.08% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 13.59% | 12.97% | +0.62% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 13.59% | 11.55% | +2.04% |
UTHY vs. FAAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
UTHY has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than FAAR's 0.95% expense ratio.
Dividends
UTHY vs. FAAR - Dividend Comparison
UTHY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.54%, less than FAAR's 9.80% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 9.80% | 11.63% | 3.45% | 3.20% | 5.82% | 6.49% | 3.05% | 1.02% | 0.58% | 2.83% |
UTHY US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF | 4.54% | 4.53% | 4.58% | 2.81% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
UTHY and FAAR have a correlation of -0.29, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FAAR has higher volatility (2.82%) compared to UTHY (2.43%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UTHY dropped -21.86% vs FAAR's -18.03%.
On 3-year performance, FAAR leads with 10.03% vs -1.81% for UTHY. On fees, UTHY is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, UTHY has been the lower-risk option at 2.43%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, FAAR has performed better with a 10.03% return vs -1.81%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
UTHY is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.95% for FAAR.
FAAR has the higher dividend yield at 9.80%, compared with 4.54% for UTHY.
UTHY is categorized as Government Bonds, while FAAR is Commodities. They also come from different issuers: US Benchmark Series and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for UTHY and 0.95% for FAAR.
FAAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.15 vs 0.46), 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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