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UVXY vs. XLU
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

UVXY vs. XLU

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

UVXY (ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF) and XLU (State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - UVXY is a Volatility fund tracking the S&P 500 VIX SHORT-TERM FUTURES TR (150%), while XLU is a Utilities Equities fund tracking the Utilities Select Sector Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, UVXY returned -72.73%/yr vs 9.22%/yr for XLU. At a correlation of -0.31, they often move in opposite directions. UVXY charges 0.95%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for XLU.

Performance

UVXY vs. XLU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UVXY achieves a -23.07% return, which is significantly lower than XLU's 3.65% return. Over the past 10 years, UVXY has underperformed XLU with an annualized return of -72.73%, while XLU has yielded a comparatively higher 9.22% annualized return.

UVXY

1D
-4.95%
1M
-26.21%
YTD
-23.07%
6M
-39.47%
1Y
-74.10%
3Y*
-64.78%
5Y*
-68.23%
10Y*
-72.73%

XLU

1D
0.53%
1M
-5.24%
YTD
3.65%
6M
1.99%
1Y
11.64%
3Y*
13.76%
5Y*
9.36%
10Y*
9.22%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

UVXY vs. XLU - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
UVXY
ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF		-23.07%-65.32%-50.90%-87.70%-44.81%-88.33%-17.38%-84.23%60.10%-94.17%
XLU
State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF		3.65%16.03%23.31%-7.18%1.44%17.70%0.51%25.93%3.94%12.05%

Correlation

The correlation between UVXY and XLU is -0.16, 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

-0.16

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

-0.21

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

-0.27

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.25

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 5, 2011

-0.31

The correlation between UVXY and XLU shifts across timeframes, from -0.31 (all time) to -0.16 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF

State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF

Often compared with UVXY:
UVXY vs. UVIXUVXY vs. VXXUVXY vs. VIXYUVXY vs. SVXYUVXY vs. SQQQUVXY vs. SPYUVXY vs. SPXS
Often compared with XLU:
XLU vs. VPUXLU vs. XLEXLU vs. XLPXLU vs. SPYXLU vs. FUTYXLU vs. UTESXLU vs. IDU

Return for Risk

UVXY vs. XLU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
UVXY
UVXY Risk / Return Rank: 11
Overall Rank
UVXY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 22
Sharpe Ratio Rank
UVXY Sortino Ratio Rank: 11
Sortino Ratio Rank
UVXY Omega Ratio Rank: 11
Omega Ratio Rank
UVXY Calmar Ratio Rank: 00
Calmar Ratio Rank
UVXY Martin Ratio Rank: 22
Martin Ratio Rank
XLU
XLU Risk / Return Rank: 2424
Overall Rank
XLU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2424
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XLU Sortino Ratio Rank: 2323
Sortino Ratio Rank
XLU Omega Ratio Rank: 2323
Omega Ratio Rank
XLU Calmar Ratio Rank: 2727
Calmar Ratio Rank
XLU Martin Ratio Rank: 2323
Martin Ratio Rank
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. XLU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) and State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU). 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.

UVXYXLUDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
-0.88
0.81

-1.69

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
-1.67
1.18

-2.85

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

0.81

1.15

-0.34

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.97

1.27

-2.25

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-1.33

2.84

-4.17

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. XLU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UVXY Sharpe Ratio is -0.88, which is lower than the XLU Sharpe Ratio of 0.81. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UVXY and XLU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

UVXYXLUDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.88

0.81

-1.69

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

-0.66

0.54

-1.20

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.64

0.48

-1.12

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

-0.68

0.40

-1.08

Drawdowns

UVXY vs. XLU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UVXY drawdown since its inception was -100.00%, which is greater than XLU's maximum drawdown of -51.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UVXY and XLU.

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Drawdown Indicators

UVXYXLUDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-100.00%

-51.98%

-48.02%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-76.19%

-9.18%

-67.01%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-95.25%

-17.26%

-77.99%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-99.69%

-25.26%

-74.43%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-100.00%

-36.07%

-63.93%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-100.00%

-7.30%

-92.70%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-98.55%

-10.22%

-88.33%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

55.83%

4.11%

+51.72%

Volatility

UVXY vs. XLU - Volatility Comparison

ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY) has a higher volatility of 12.26% compared to State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) at 5.47%. This indicates that UVXY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

UVXYXLUDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

12.26%

5.47%

+6.79%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

62.79%

11.52%

+51.27%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

84.51%

14.57%

+69.94%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

103.82%

17.32%

+86.50%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

113.81%

19.25%

+94.56%

UVXY vs. XLU - Expense Ratio Comparison

UVXY has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is higher than XLU's 0.08% expense ratio.

Dividends

UVXY vs. XLU - Dividend Comparison

UVXY has not paid dividends to shareholders, while XLU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.71%.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
UVXY
ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
XLU
State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF		2.71%2.71%2.96%3.39%2.92%2.79%3.14%2.95%3.33%3.33%3.41%3.67%

Frequently Asked Questions

UVXY and XLU have a correlation of -0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

UVXY has higher volatility (12.26%) compared to XLU (5.47%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UVXY dropped -100.00% vs XLU's -51.98%.

On 10-year performance, XLU leads with 9.22% vs -72.73% for UVXY. On fees, XLU is cheaper at 0.08% per year. On volatility, XLU has been the lower-risk option at 5.47%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, XLU has performed better with a 9.22% return vs -72.73%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

XLU is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.95% for UVXY.

XLU has the higher dividend yield at 2.71%, compared with 0.00% for UVXY.

UVXY is categorized as Volatility, while XLU is Utilities Equities. UVXY tracks S&P 500 VIX SHORT-TERM FUTURES TR (150%), while XLU tracks Utilities Select Sector Index. They also come from different issuers: ProShares and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.95% for UVXY and 0.08% for XLU.

XLU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.81 vs -0.88), 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.

Portfolio Optimizer

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