V vs. USO

Last updated Jul 31, 2026

V (Visa Inc.) is a stock, while USO (United States Oil Fund LP) is Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. Over the past 10 years, V returned 17.51%/yr vs 5.41%/yr for USO. Their 0.18 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.

Performance

V vs. USO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Visa Inc. (V) and United States Oil Fund LP (USO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, V achieves a 4.87% return, which is significantly lower than USO's 84.33% return. Over the past 10 years, V has outperformed USO with an annualized return of 17.51%, while USO has yielded a comparatively lower 5.41% annualized return.

V

• 1D: -0.67%
• 1M: 6.76%
• 6M: 10.85%
• YTD: 4.87%
• 1Y: 5.20%
• 3Y*: 16.38%
• 5Y*: 9.06%
• 10Y*: 17.51%
• ALL TIME*: 19.91%

USO

• 1D: -1.42%
• 1M: 19.77%
• 6M: 61.08%
• YTD: 84.33%
• 1Y: 57.31%
• 3Y*: 20.33%
• 5Y*: 20.27%
• 10Y*: 5.41%
• ALL TIME*: -6.91%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
USO United States Oil Fund LP	$990.06M	$862.01M	$938.29M
V Visa Inc.	$2.59B	$2.89B	$2.79B

V vs. USO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
V Visa Inc.	4.87%	11.76%	22.32%	26.31%	-3.40%	-0.31%	17.12%	43.33%	16.49%	47.18%
USO United States Oil Fund LP	84.33%	-8.46%	13.35%	-4.94%	28.97%	64.68%	-67.79%	32.61%	-19.57%	2.47%

Correlation

The correlation between V and USO is -0.19, meaning they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. This relationship can weaken or reverse as market conditions change.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	-0.19
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	-0.11
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.01
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.10
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 19, 2008	0.18

The correlation between V and USO shifts across timeframes, from -0.19 (1 year) to 0.18 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

V vs. USO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

V

V Risk / Return Rank: 52
V Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
V Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
V Omega Ratio Rank: 47
V Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
V Martin Ratio Rank: 54

USO

USO Risk / Return Rank: 53
USO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
USO Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
USO Omega Ratio Rank: 55
USO Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
USO Martin Ratio Rank: 45

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

V vs. USO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Visa Inc. (V) and United States Oil Fund LP (USO). 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.

	V	USO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.24	1.23	-0.99
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.52	1.88	-1.36
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.23	-0.17
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.30	1.77	-1.47
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.67	4.79	-4.12

V vs. USO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current V Sharpe Ratio is 0.24, which is lower than the USO Sharpe Ratio of 1.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of V and USO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

V vs. USO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum V drawdown since its inception was -51.90%, smaller than the maximum USO drawdown of -98.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for V and USO.

Drawdown Indicators

	V	USO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.90%	-98.19%	+46.29%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.18%	-32.49%	+15.31%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-20.38%	-32.49%	+12.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-27.29%	-36.23%	+8.94%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.36%	-86.75%	+50.39%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.11%	-86.44%	+85.33%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.25%	-75.38%	+67.13%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.76%	12.68%	-4.92%

Volatility

V vs. USO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Visa Inc. (V) is 6.94%, while United States Oil Fund LP (USO) has a volatility of 18.19%. This indicates that V experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than USO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	V	USO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.94%	18.19%	-11.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.26%	42.88%	-25.62%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.05%	46.91%	-24.86%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.94%	37.07%	-14.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.44%	39.30%	-14.86%

Dividends

V vs. USO - Dividend Comparison

V's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.71%, while USO has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
V Visa Inc.	0.71%	0.70%	0.68%	0.72%	0.76%	0.62%	0.56%	0.56%	0.67%	0.61%	0.75%	0.64%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both V and USO in my portfolio?

V and USO have a correlation of -0.19, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, V or USO?

USO has higher volatility (18.19%) compared to V (6.94%). In terms of maximum drawdown, V dropped -51.90% vs USO's -98.19%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

USO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.23 vs 0.24), 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.