Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GOVT vs USO: how they differ
GOVT is a bond index fund and USO a commodity fund, and over the year USO returned more, +112.2% against −1.0%.
iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and United States Oil Fund, LP.
| GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF | USO United States Oil Fund, LP | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | United |
| What it is | U.S. Treasury Bond | Oil |
| Total return, 1 year | −1.0% | +112.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.5 pts | +94.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | not published |
| Holdings | 223 | not filed |
GOVT in plain words
GOVT is a bond fund tracking the U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
USO in plain words
USO is a commodity fund tracking the Oil. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +112.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. It sat 57.1% below its high of Apr 8, 2011 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or USO?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and USO returned +112.2%, so USO returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GOVT against USO, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GOVT-USO Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources