BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF (LCTU) Performance
LCTU total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +11.8% total return
- 5 years
- +10.9% a year
- Since first price
- +12.1% a year since 2021
LCTU trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | LCTU total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.2% | −1.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.7% | +2.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.7% | +7.2% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.5% | +9.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +11.8% | +10.7% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +82.6%+22.2%/yr | +76.2% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +67.7%+10.9%/yr | +54.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionApr 8, 2021 | +88.8%+12.1%/yr | +73.4% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: LCTU vs SPY
From Apr 8, 2021: LCTU grew to $18,876, SPY to $20,019.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
LCTU returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2023 (+25.4%), worst 2022 (−20.0%). 2026 is year to date.
LCTU annual returns table
| Year | LCTU | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.5% | −9.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +17.0% | −19.8% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +24.0% | −8.8% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +25.4% | −10.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −20.0% | −25.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
LCTU largest drawdowns
Now 2.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4, 2022 | −25.9% | Oct 12, 2022 | Jan 19, 2024 | 9 months | 2.0 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −19.8% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 27, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
LCTU risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +21.6% | +12.2% | +12.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.7% | 16.0% | 15.6% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.28 | 0.58 | 0.60 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.51 | 0.91 | 0.94 |
| Best month | +9.6% | +9.8% | +9.8% |
| Worst month | −6.1% | −9.1% | −9.1% |
| Best 12 months | +37.4% | +37.4% | +37.4% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.9% | −20.0% | −20.0% |
| Positive months | 67% | 60% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.01 | 1.02 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 1.00 | 1.00 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
LCTU rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 55 | −20.0% | +15.7% | +37.4% | 78% |
| 3-year (a year) | 31 | +6.7% | +17.2% | +23.8% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 7 | +10.6% | +11.7% | +12.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
LCTU performance overview
BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF (LCTU) returned +11.8% over the past year and +10.9% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +12.1% a year, turning $10,000 into about $18,876. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −25.9%, from Jan 4, 2022 to Oct 12, 2022, and it took 1.3 years to get back to the old high. LCTU finished 3 of its 4 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+25.4%) and the worst 2022 (−20.0%). Volatility has been 15.6% a year.
Related: LCTU chart, LCTU holdings, LCTU dividends, LCTU valuation. See the LCTU overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
LCTU performance FAQ
What is the LCTU return over the past year?
LCTU returned +11.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.7%.
What is the average annual return of LCTU?
LCTU has returned +10.9% a year over 5 years, +12.1% a year since April 8, 2021 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in LCTU be worth?
$10,000 invested in LCTU at its first recorded close on April 8, 2021 would be worth about $18,876 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for LCTU?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −20.0%. The best was 2023 at +25.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of LCTU?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −25.9% between January 4, 2022 and October 12, 2022. It recovered to the old high on January 19, 2024, 1.3 years after the bottom.
How volatile is LCTU?
Over the past 3 years LCTU had an annualized volatility of 12.7% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.28 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).