ULTY vs VOO

ULTY vs VOO

Which is better, ULTY or VOO?

Option Writing against Large Cap Blend.

VOO has a lower expense ratio. VOO led over 1Y and the full window. VOO is less concentrated, with 36.4% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 46.4%.

Lower Fees: VOOHigher Returns: VOOLess Concentrated: VOO

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricULTYVOO
Expense Ratio1.30%0.03%Best
AUM$749M$997.4B
Dividend Yield67.28%1.08%
Holdings102509
YTD Return+7.05%+13.37%Best
1Y Return-4.45%+20.08%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+21.29%
5Y Return (annualized)-+12.89%
Volatility (annualized)22.6%11.9%Best
Max Drawdown-26.9%-18.7%Best
$10,000 over 2.5 years$10,728$15,607Best
Top 10 Weight46.4%36.4%Best
Fund FamilyYieldMax ETFVanguard (US)
CategoryAlternativeEquity
StyleOption WritingLarge Cap Blend
InceptionFeb 28, 2024Sep 7, 2010

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 2.5 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Feb 29, 2024 to Sep 4, 2026 (2.5 years).

ULTY vs VOO growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 2.5 years both funds cover.

ULTY vs VOO Performance

YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF (ULTY) is an ETF from YieldMax ETF and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year ULTY returned -4.45% while VOO returned +20.08%. Year to date, ULTY is up 7.05% versus a gain of 13.37% for VOO.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

ULTY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 22.6% compared with 11.9% for VOO. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -26.9% for ULTY and -18.7% for VOO. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.81. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.

Fees and Cost Over Time

ULTY charges 1.30% per year while VOO charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $130 vs $3 annually, a gap of $127 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, ULTY currently yields 67.28% against 1.08% for VOO.

Holdings Overlap

ULTY already in VOO56.9%
VOO already in ULTY15.5%

56.9% of ULTY's money is in holdings VOO also owns. 15.5% of VOO's money is in holdings ULTY also owns.

The two portfolios partly overlap.

14 positions in common, counted across the 26 positions we hold weights for in ULTY and 505 in VOO, against full books of 102 and 509.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 483 positions for VOO that do not appear in our book for ULTY (84.0% of the fund), and 10 for ULTY that do not appear in VOO (32.9%).

Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in ULTYWeight in VOODifference
NVDANvidia Corp.4.22%7.51%3.29%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc.Class A4.35%3.25%1.10%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc4.30%1.47%2.83%
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc5.01%0.42%4.59%
CATCaterpillar, Inc.4.53%0.76%3.77%
LRCXLrcx Uw Equity4.43%0.84%3.59%
FIXComfort Systems USA Inc.4.64%0.11%4.53%
HOODRobinhood Markets Inc - A4.57%0.12%4.45%
COHRCoherent, Inc4.25%0.12%4.13%
ADIAnalog Devices, Inc.3.95%0.30%3.65%

56.9% of ULTY is already inside VOO.

You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.

ULTYVOO

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, ULTY or VOO?

ULTY has an expense ratio of 1.30% while VOO charges 0.03%. VOO is the cheaper option, by $127 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, ULTY or VOO?

Over the past year ULTY returned -4.45% vs +20.08% for VOO, so VOO leads on 1-year performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, ULTY or VOO?

ULTY has been the more volatile fund at 22.6% annualized versus 11.9% for VOO. Worst drawdown: ULTY -26.9% vs VOO -18.7%.

Should I hold both ULTY and VOO?

ULTY and VOO have a monthly-return correlation of 0.81, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between ULTY and VOO?

56.9% of ULTY's money is in holdings VOO also owns. 15.5% of VOO's is in holdings ULTY also owns. They hold 14 positions in common, counted across the 26 positions we hold weights for in ULTY and 505 in VOO.

Which pays a higher dividend, ULTY or VOO?

ULTY yields 67.28% while VOO yields 1.08%, so ULTY currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VOO better than ULTY?

VOO has a lower expense ratio. VOO led over 1Y and the full window. VOO is less concentrated, with 36.4% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 46.4%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.