Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF (UTES) Performance
UTES total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −4.3% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −9.4% total return
- 5 years
- +13.2% a year
- 10 years
- +12.1% a year
- Since first price
- +12.7% a year since 2015
UTES trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | UTES total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +6.2% | +6.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −9.3% | −9.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −8.4% | −9.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −4.3% | −5.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −9.4% | −10.8% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +93.3%+24.6%/yr | +83.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +86.1%+13.2%/yr | +69.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +212.4%+12.1%/yr | +149.5% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 24, 2015 | +277.5%+12.7%/yr | +196.9% | — | — | — |
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: UTES vs SPY
From Sep 24, 2015: UTES grew to $37,750, SPY to $47,126.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
UTES returns by calendar year
8 of 10 full years positive. Best 2024 (+45.3%), worst 2023 (−2.4%). 2026 is year to date.
UTES annual returns table
| Year | UTES | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −4.3% | −17.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +25.7% | −17.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +45.3% | −10.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | −2.4% | −16.0% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | +0.8% | −19.3% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +20.7% | −9.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −0.3% | −35.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +25.5% | −6.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | +5.2% | −8.0% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +13.5% | −6.6% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +15.4% | −12.4% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
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.
UTES largest drawdowns
Now 13.3% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 2020 | −35.4% | Mar 23, 2020 | Apr 20, 2021 | 34 days | 1.2 years |
| Sep 12, 2022 | −20.4% | Oct 2, 2023 | Apr 25, 2024 | 1.1 years | 1.6 years |
| Oct 15, 2025 | −19.0% | Sep 24, 2026 | not yet | 11 months | 1.0 years so far |
| Jan 24, 2025 | −17.6% | Apr 4, 2025 | May 19, 2025 | 2 months | 4 months |
| Apr 8, 2022 | −16.0% | Jun 17, 2022 | Aug 12, 2022 | 2 months | 4 months |
| Nov 27, 2017 | −13.7% | Feb 8, 2018 | Aug 22, 2018 | 2 months | 9 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
UTES risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +21.0% | +13.1% | +11.1% | +12.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 19.6% | 19.2% | 16.5% | 16.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.86 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 0.65 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.56 | 0.92 | 0.95 | 1.07 |
| Best month | +11.9% | +11.9% | +11.9% | +11.9% |
| Worst month | −8.3% | −10.8% | −10.8% | −10.8% |
| Best 12 months | +61.7% | +61.7% | +61.7% | +61.7% |
| Worst 12 months | −14.6% | −14.6% | −14.6% | −14.6% |
| Positive months | 64% | 57% | 60% | 61% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.68 | 0.74 | 0.57 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.43 | 0.60 | 0.53 | — |
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.
UTES rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 122 | −14.6% | +13.1% | +61.7% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 98 | +3.3% | +11.2% | +27.3% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 74 | +6.6% | +10.4% | +20.1% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 14 | +11.1% | +13.1% | +15.0% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2015. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
UTES performance overview
Virtus Reaves Utilities ETF (UTES) returned −9.4% over the past year and +12.1% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2015 it has returned +12.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $37,750. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −35.4%, from Feb 18, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 1.1 years to get back to the old high. UTES finished 8 of its 10 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2024 (+45.3%) and the worst 2023 (−2.4%). Volatility has been 16.1% a year.
Related: UTES chart, UTES holdings, UTES dividends, UTES valuation. See the UTES overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
UTES performance FAQ
What is the UTES return over the past year?
UTES returned −9.4% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 10.8%.
What is the average annual return of UTES?
UTES has returned +13.2% a year over 5 years, +12.1% a year over 10 years, +12.7% a year since September 24, 2015 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in UTES be worth?
$10,000 invested in UTES at its first recorded close on September 24, 2015 would be worth about $37,750 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for UTES?
The worst calendar year was 2023, with a total return of −2.4%. The best was 2024 at +45.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of UTES?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −35.4% between February 18, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on April 20, 2021, 1.1 years after the bottom.
How volatile is UTES?
Over the past 3 years UTES had an annualized volatility of 19.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.86 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).