The United States Oil Fund (NYSEMKT: USO) is a popular way for retail investors to attempt to trade in oil prices. On the surface, it might seem like a smart move: Buy USO, a fund that's designed to track the daily movement of West Texas Intermediate oil prices, and make money when oil prices rebound, right?
The obvious answer would seem to be "Yes, you should buy USO." After all, USO is still down 83%, making it a far better way to profit from a resurgence in oil prices than oil stocks like ExxonMobil or Phillips 66, down about one-third at recent prices.
USO isn't a simple investment in the price of oil. Image source: Getty Images.