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XSW vs. BNO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

XSW vs. BNO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XSW (SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF) and BNO (United States Brent Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - XSW is a Technology Equities fund tracking the S&P Software & Services Select Industry Index, while BNO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Brent Crude Oil. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XSW returned 13.33%/yr vs 13.60%/yr for BNO. At a 0.17 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XSW charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.90%/yr for BNO.

Performance

XSW vs. BNO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF (XSW) and United States Brent Oil Fund LP (BNO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XSW achieves a -6.38% return, which is significantly lower than BNO's 90.47% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with XSW having a 13.33% annualized return and BNO not far ahead at 13.60%.

XSW

1D
-4.18%
1M
9.35%
YTD
-6.38%
6M
-7.49%
1Y
-4.24%
3Y*
11.02%
5Y*
1.69%
10Y*
13.33%

BNO

1D
1.99%
1M
-10.29%
YTD
90.47%
6M
86.00%
1Y
91.89%
3Y*
27.93%
5Y*
24.16%
10Y*
13.60%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

XSW vs. BNO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
XSW
SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF		-6.38%-0.90%25.81%38.60%-34.22%7.47%52.41%36.50%7.67%27.94%
BNO
United States Brent Oil Fund LP		90.47%-5.44%9.67%-3.43%35.25%62.34%-38.23%36.01%-15.30%15.43%

Correlation

The correlation between XSW and BNO is -0.12, 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

-0.12

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

0.00

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

0.08

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

0.14

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 30, 2011

0.17

The correlation between XSW and BNO shifts across timeframes, from -0.12 (1 year) to 0.17 (all time), 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.

SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF

United States Brent Oil Fund LP

Often compared with XSW:
XSW vs. IGVXSW vs. VGTXSW vs. PSCTXSW vs. XLKXSW vs. XNTKXSW vs. QQQXSW vs. BUG
Often compared with BNO:
BNO vs. USOBNO vs. XLEBNO vs. USLBNO vs. BOILBNO vs. UNGBNO vs. UCOBNO vs. XOM

Return for Risk

XSW vs. BNO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
XSW
XSW Risk / Return Rank: 77
Overall Rank
XSW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XSW Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
Sortino Ratio Rank
XSW Omega Ratio Rank: 77
Omega Ratio Rank
XSW Calmar Ratio Rank: 77
Calmar Ratio Rank
XSW Martin Ratio Rank: 77
Martin Ratio Rank
BNO
BNO Risk / Return Rank: 6565
Overall Rank
BNO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6666
Sharpe Ratio Rank
BNO Sortino Ratio Rank: 5656
Sortino Ratio Rank
BNO Omega Ratio Rank: 6060
Omega Ratio Rank
BNO Calmar Ratio Rank: 8888
Calmar Ratio Rank
BNO Martin Ratio Rank: 5555
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.

XSW vs. BNO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF (XSW) and United States Brent Oil Fund LP (BNO). 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.

XSWBNODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
-0.15
2.23

-2.38

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
-0.01
2.73

-2.74

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.00

1.38

-0.38

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

-0.13

5.17

-5.29

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

-0.27

9.76

-10.03

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XSW vs. BNO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XSW Sharpe Ratio is -0.15, which is lower than the BNO Sharpe Ratio of 2.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XSW and BNO, 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

XSWBNODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

-0.15

2.23

-2.38

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.06

0.69

-0.63

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.51

0.37

+0.14

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.63

0.14

+0.49

Drawdowns

XSW vs. BNO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XSW drawdown since its inception was -45.38%, smaller than the maximum BNO drawdown of -87.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XSW and BNO.

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Drawdown Indicators

XSWBNODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-45.38%

-87.06%

+41.68%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-33.75%

-17.87%

-15.88%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-33.75%

-23.75%

-10.00%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-45.38%

-33.70%

-11.68%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-45.38%

-75.18%

+29.80%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-14.64%

-10.29%

-4.35%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-9.83%

-40.17%

+30.34%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

15.71%

9.45%

+6.26%

Volatility

XSW vs. BNO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF (XSW) is 10.68%, while United States Brent Oil Fund LP (BNO) has a volatility of 14.22%. This indicates that XSW experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BNO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

XSWBNODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

10.68%

14.22%

-3.54%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

23.51%

36.10%

-12.59%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

28.63%

41.46%

-12.83%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

28.79%

35.38%

-6.59%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

26.25%

36.68%

-10.43%

XSW vs. BNO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XSW has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than BNO's 0.90% expense ratio.

Dividends

XSW vs. BNO - Dividend Comparison

XSW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.04%, while BNO has not paid dividends to shareholders.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
BNO
United States Brent 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%
XSW
SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF		0.04%0.06%0.07%0.20%0.09%0.13%0.26%0.12%0.31%0.46%0.87%0.54%

Frequently Asked Questions

XSW and BNO have a correlation of -0.12, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

BNO has higher volatility (14.22%) compared to XSW (10.68%). In terms of maximum drawdown, XSW dropped -45.38% vs BNO's -87.06%.

On 10-year performance, BNO leads with 13.60% vs 13.33% for XSW. On fees, XSW is cheaper at 0.35% per year. On volatility, XSW has been the lower-risk option at 10.68%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, BNO has performed better with a 13.60% return vs 13.33%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

XSW is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.90% for BNO.

XSW has the higher dividend yield at 0.04%, compared with 0.00% for BNO.

XSW is categorized as Technology Equities, while BNO is Oil & Gas. XSW tracks S&P Software & Services Select Industry Index, while BNO tracks Front Month Brent Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: State Street and Concierge Technologies. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for XSW and 0.90% for BNO.

BNO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.23 vs -0.15), 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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