UVXY vs. VXZ

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) and iPath Series B S&P 500® VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ).

UVXY is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 VIX SHORT-TERM FUTURES TR (150%). It was launched on Oct 3, 2011. VXZ is a passively managed fund by Barclays Capital that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures Index Total Return. It was launched on Jan 17, 2018. Both UVXY and VXZ are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

UVXY vs. VXZ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) and iPath Series B S&P 500® VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

UVXY vs. VXZ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
UVXY ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF	40.61%	-65.32%	-50.90%	-87.70%	-44.81%	-88.33%	-17.38%	-84.23%	73.34%
VXZ iPath Series B S&P 500® VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN	10.67%	5.73%	-12.65%	-43.98%	0.47%	-16.38%	72.77%	-20.10%	31.89%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UVXY achieves a 40.61% return, which is significantly higher than VXZ's 10.67% return.

UVXY

• 1D: -3.40%
• 1M: 25.05%
• YTD: 40.61%
• 6M: -2.75%
• 1Y: -57.00%
• 3Y*: -64.84%
• 5Y*: -67.28%
• 10Y*: -72.80%

VXZ

• 1D: -2.16%
• 1M: 7.03%
• YTD: 10.67%
• 6M: 6.96%
• 1Y: 7.09%
• 3Y*: -13.47%
• 5Y*: -12.39%
• 10Y*: —

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

Return for Risk

UVXY vs. VXZ — Risk / Return Rank

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

UVXY

UVXY Risk / Return Rank: 5
UVXY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4
UVXY Sortino Ratio Rank: 6
UVXY Omega Ratio Rank: 6
UVXY Calmar Ratio Rank: 2
UVXY Martin Ratio Rank: 6

VXZ

VXZ Risk / Return Rank: 46
VXZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
VXZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
VXZ Omega Ratio Rank: 44
VXZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 49
VXZ Martin Ratio Rank: 46

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.

UVXY vs. VXZ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) and iPath Series B S&P 500® VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ). 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.

	UVXY	VXZ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.51	0.23	-0.74
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.30	0.58	-0.88
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.96	1.08	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.66	0.32	-0.98
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.80	0.47	-1.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

UVXY vs. VXZ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UVXY Sharpe Ratio is -0.51, which is lower than the VXZ Sharpe Ratio of 0.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UVXY and VXZ, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	UVXY	VXZ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.51	0.23	-0.74
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.64	-0.42	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.64	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.67	-0.05	-0.62

Correlation

The correlation between UVXY and VXZ is 0.84, 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.

Dividends

UVXY vs. VXZ - Dividend Comparison

Neither UVXY nor VXZ has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

UVXY vs. VXZ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UVXY drawdown since its inception was -100.00%, which is greater than VXZ's maximum drawdown of -69.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UVXY and VXZ.

Drawdown Indicators

	UVXY	VXZ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-100.00%	-69.00%	-31.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-85.64%	-23.10%	-62.54%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-99.77%	-62.05%	-37.72%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-100.00%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-100.00%	-61.60%	-38.40%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-98.53%	-36.21%	-62.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	71.09%	15.83%	+55.26%

Volatility

UVXY vs. VXZ - Volatility Comparison

ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) has a higher volatility of 45.03% compared to iPath Series B S&P 500® VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ) at 9.56%. This indicates that UVXY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VXZ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UVXY	VXZ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	45.03%	9.56%	+35.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	71.80%	15.14%	+56.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	113.07%	30.58%	+82.49%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	105.47%	29.62%	+75.85%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	114.51%	34.39%	+80.12%