XES vs. ULST
XES (SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF) and ULST (State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XES is a Energy Equities fund tracking the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Select Industry Index, while ULST is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg US Treasury Bellwether 3 Month Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XES returned -2.88%/yr vs 2.68%/yr for ULST. Their -0.01 correlation means they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. XES charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for ULST.
Performance
XES vs. ULST - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, XES achieves a 36.38% return, which is significantly higher than ULST's 1.75% return. Over the past 10 years, XES has underperformed ULST with an annualized return of -2.88%, while ULST has yielded a comparatively higher 2.68% annualized return.
XES
- 1D
- 3.09%
- 1M
- 4.23%
- 6M
- 12.93%
- YTD
- 36.38%
- 1Y
- 76.64%
- 3Y*
- 7.20%
- 5Y*
- 17.17%
- 10Y*
- -2.88%
- ALL TIME*
- -3.56%
ULST
- 1D
- -0.01%
- 1M
- 0.22%
- 6M
- 1.36%
- YTD
- 1.75%
- 1Y
- 3.45%
- 3Y*
- 4.80%
- 5Y*
- 3.61%
- 10Y*
- 2.68%
- ALL TIME*
- 2.21%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.38M | $2.82M | $3.86M | |
| $5.46M | $8.52M | $12.51M |
XES vs. ULST - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XES SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF | 36.38% | 5.89% | -5.44% | 6.68% | 62.03% | 12.00% | -43.38% | -9.00% | -46.99% | -21.93% |
ULST State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF | 1.75% | 4.80% | 5.23% | 5.60% | 0.87% | 0.25% | 1.45% | 3.23% | 2.04% | 1.19% |
Correlation
The correlation between XES and ULST is -0.18, 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. | -0.18 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | -0.08 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | -0.03 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | -0.00 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 10, 2013 | -0.01 |
The correlation between XES and ULST shifts across timeframes, from -0.18 (1 year) to -0.00 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
XES vs. ULST — Risk / Return Rank
XES
ULST
XES vs. ULST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (XES) and State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST). 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.
| XES | ULST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -3.55 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -8.30 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.35 | 2.65 | -1.30 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 15.97 | -12.74 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.31 | 82.38 | -72.07 |
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Drawdowns
XES vs. ULST - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum XES drawdown since its inception was -95.65%, which is greater than ULST's maximum drawdown of -6.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XES and ULST.
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Drawdown Indicators
| XES | ULST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -95.65% | -6.20% | -89.45% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -21.48% | -0.24% | -21.24% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -45.95% | -0.54% | -45.41% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -45.95% | -1.22% | -44.73% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -91.23% | -6.20% | -85.03% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -73.66% | -0.01% | -73.65% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -54.50% | -0.16% | -54.34% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.73% | 0.05% | +6.68% |
Volatility
XES vs. ULST - Volatility Comparison
SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (XES) has a higher volatility of 9.34% compared to State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF (ULST) at 0.11%. This indicates that XES's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ULST based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| XES | ULST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.34% | 0.11% | +9.23% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.60% | 0.43% | +21.17% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 30.74% | 0.65% | +30.09% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 38.63% | 0.97% | +37.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 44.85% | 1.43% | +43.42% |
XES vs. ULST - Expense Ratio Comparison
XES has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than ULST's 0.20% expense ratio.
Dividends
XES vs. ULST - Dividend Comparison
XES's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.17%, less than ULST's 4.24% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ULST State Street Ultra Short Term Bond ETF | 3.84% | 4.46% | 5.03% | 4.45% | 1.70% | 0.54% | 1.34% | 2.56% | 2.13% | 1.21% | 0.93% | 0.37% |
XES SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF | 1.17% | 1.69% | 1.31% | 0.66% | 0.36% | 1.81% | 1.33% | 1.43% | 1.14% | 1.68% | 0.64% | 2.47% |
Frequently Asked Questions
XES and ULST have a correlation of -0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
XES has higher volatility (9.34%) compared to ULST (0.11%). In terms of maximum drawdown, XES dropped -95.65% vs ULST's -6.20%.
On 10-year performance, ULST leads with 2.68% vs -2.88% for XES. On fees, ULST is cheaper at 0.20% per year. On volatility, ULST has been the lower-risk option at 0.11%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, ULST has performed better with a 2.68% return vs -2.88%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
ULST is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.35% for XES.
ULST has the higher dividend yield at 3.84%, compared with 1.17% for XES.
XES is categorized as Energy Equities, while ULST is Ultrashort Bond. XES tracks S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Select Industry Index, while ULST tracks Bloomberg US Treasury Bellwether 3 Month Index. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for XES and 0.20% for ULST.
ULST currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (5.81 vs 2.26), 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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