BCI ETF guide. Cost, commodity mix and tax form in one place.
BCI holds futures and swaps on the commodities of the Bloomberg Commodity Index. See what it costs to hold each year, what it pays, what sits inside and how it has returned.
One ticker.
What BCI is, in plain words.
BCI holds futures and swaps on the commodities of the Bloomberg Commodity Index. The fund is managed by abrdn, trades on NYSE Arca in U.S. dollars and launched on Mar 30, 2017. On Nov 9, 2026 it held $3.28B in net assets and its expense ratio was 0.26%. BCI follows the Bloomberg Commodity Index with a K-1 free structure.
Investors search for BCI ETF because they want a clear answer to four practical questions. What does it cost to hold each year, what does it pay, what is actually inside, and how does it fit in a Roth IRA, a traditional IRA or 401(k), or a taxable account. This guide answers each one with dated figures from the issuer, and marks anything the issuer page does not publish as Not captured.
Key takeaways
- What it is. BCI holds futures and swaps on the commodities of the Bloomberg Commodity Index.
- Cost. Expense ratio 0.26%, about $26 a year on $10,000.
- Income. Trailing yield Not captured, paid annually.
- Risk. Commodity prices can fall sharply in a weak year.
It suits you if
- You want exposure to commodity prices as a diversifier next to stocks and bonds.
- You accept large price swings and little or no income.
- You are comfortable with a fund that holds futures contracts, not companies.
Look elsewhere if
- You want regular income from your holdings.
- You cannot accept large swings in value.
- You want long term growth from a single fund, since commodity prices can move sideways or lower for long stretches.
What BCI holds.
The 10 largest commodity positions inside BCI, as of Oct 31, 2026 sectors. Pick a number to see how much of the fund they make up.
The largest positions and the group split are shown below. The fund holds futures contracts, not companies, so the table lists commodities, and each weight is that commodity share of the fund futures exposure rather than a share of net assets.
Weights basis: BCI publishes sector weights only (Oct 31, 2026), so Bloomberg Commodity Index 2026 target weights were rescaled to match abrdn's sector weights.
BCI yield and distributions.
BCI pays distributions once a year in Dec, which makes it an annual payer. The issuer page showed a yield of Not captured. The most recent payment in the log was $3.2198 per share with an ex-date of Dec 30, 2025.
A yield is a snapshot, not a promise. The payment moves each period with the interest the fund earns on its cash and Treasury bills, and some years include capital gains or return of capital that do not repeat. Read the year by year table below before building a plan around a single payment. If you reinvest distributions, the payment still counts as income for tax purposes in a taxable account.
Recent distributions per share
Total distribution per share is shown on each bar. A tinted bar includes a reinvested year end amount.
Every payment, and the year by year record.
The ex-date is the cut-off, so you must hold shares before it to receive that payment. Amounts are per share in U.S. dollars from the issuer page.
Payment log
| Ex-date | Payable | Cash | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 30, 2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | $3.21980 | $3.21980 |
| Dec 19, 2024 | Dec 20, 2024 | $0.65070 | $0.65070 |
| Dec 15, 2023 | Dec 20, 2023 | $0.76000 | $0.76000 |
| Dec 16, 2022 | Dec 21, 2022 | $4.41000 | $4.41000 |
| Dec 21, 2021 | Dec 29, 2021 | $4.47000 | $4.47000 |
| Dec 21, 2020 | Dec 29, 2020 | $0.15000 | $0.15000 |
| Dec 19, 2019 | Dec 27, 2019 | $0.33000 | $0.33000 |
| Dec 20, 2018 | Dec 28, 2018 | $0.24000 | $0.24000 |
The issuer reports the tax character of each payout after year end. Use the Form 1099 from your broker for your own return.
What BCI costs to hold each year.
The expense ratio of 0.26% means the fund keeps about $26 a year for every $10,000 you hold. That cost is taken out of the fund price in small daily amounts, so you never see a bill, but it lowers your return every year. Over ten years on a flat $10,000 the expense ratio adds up to roughly $260, before any growth.
Two other costs sit outside the expense ratio. Trading commissions depend on your brokerage, and most large U.S. brokerages now charge nothing to buy ETFs. The bid and ask spread is a small cost you pay each time you trade, and for the largest funds it is usually tiny.
Expense ratio cost at common amounts
| Amount held | Per month | Per year | Over 10 years, flat | Hypothetical 2.00% fund, per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $0.22 | $2.60 | $26 | $20 |
| $5,000 | $1.08 | $13.00 | $130 | $100 |
| $10,000 | $2.17 | $26.00 | $260 | $200 |
| $25,000 | $5.42 | $65.00 | $650 | $500 |
| $50,000 | $10.83 | $130.00 | $1,300 | $1,000 |
| $100,000 | $21.67 | $260.00 | $2,600 | $2,000 |
| $250,000 | $54.17 | $650.00 | $6,500 | $5,000 |
Flat estimates at the current expense ratio with no growth and no change in fee. Trading commissions depend on your brokerage and are not included. The 2.00% fund is a hypothetical used for scale.
Where the cost shows up
- Not as a bill. The share price and returns are already lower by the expense ratio.
- Trading cost shows up as the bid and ask spread each time you buy or sell, and as a commission if your broker charges one.
- In a taxable account, income and gains are reported on Form 1099 and taxed in the year they are paid or realised.
Expense ratio cost calculator
Flat estimate at an expense ratio of 0.26% with no growth and no change in fee. It shows scale only, not a forecast.
How BCI has returned.
Calendar year returns were Not captured from the issuer page for this fund, so this guide shows the period returns the issuer publishes. Returns include fees. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and a single period tells you little about the next one.
Annualised NAV returns from the issuer, as of Sep 30, 2026. They include fees.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Gaps are shown as Not captured because the issuer page did not publish that period.
What $10,000 became over 5 years
Using the annualised NAV return from the issuer, with distributions reinvested.
An illustration of past figures, not a forecast. It ignores taxes and trading costs.
What $10,000 became, by starting point
Each row starts a different number of years before Sep 30, 2026 and uses the issuer annualised NAV return for that period.
BCI fund facts in one place.
Every figure comes from the issuer for the date shown. A line reads Not captured when it is not published on the pages we use.
What the fund is exposed to.
Commodity group exposure
What the ride can look like.
BCI can lose value, and the period returns from the issuer show the range so far.
- Commodity price risk. The fund falls when the prices of the commodities it holds fall, and those prices can swing sharply.
- Roll cost. When later futures cost more than the nearby one, which is called contango, rolling the contracts costs money and the fund can trail the spot price.
- Little income. The fund pays little or no regular income, so a loss is not cushioned by payouts.
- Concentration. Energy can carry a large share of the weight, so oil and gas prices can drive the result.
- Tax reporting. Income from the futures and cash the fund holds can be taxed as ordinary income, even though you receive a Form 1099 instead of a Schedule K-1.
- Fund specifics. BCI uses Bloomberg Commodity Index weights, and abrdn publishes sector weights only, so the commodity weights shown here are rescaled.
How investors use BCI.
BCI is most often used as a small satellite holding next to stocks and bonds. An investor who owns it is choosing exposure to commodity prices, which can move differently from shares and bonds but not always, and which can fall for long periods.
Compare commodity funds on what they hold and how they roll their futures, not only on the fee. Two funds with similar names can hold quite different mixes, and the comparison pages on this site show the overlap.
Before buying BCI, check four things on the issuer page. First, confirm the expense ratio matches the figure on this page, since fees can change when an issuer cuts costs. Second, confirm the fund is eligible for the account you plan to use. Third, read the latest tax breakdown if you hold it in a taxable account. Fourth, look at the bid and ask spread on the day you trade, since a wide spread is a cost that the expense ratio does not show.
Several comparable funds exist, with expense ratios of DBC at 0.82%, PDBC at 0.59%, GSG at 0.75%, USCI at 1.05%, so weigh cost together with what each fund holds, how it pays and the account you use.
No single fund is right for everyone, and this guide describes the product rather than recommending it. The figures come from the issuer and are dated. Distribution amounts, yields and holdings change, and past returns do not predict future returns. For a decision with large amounts of money, read the prospectus and the shareholder reports, and consider speaking with a licensed adviser about your own situation.
BCI against similar funds.
The same fund type from other issuers. Open a comparison for holdings overlap and returns.
| Fund | Issuer | Expense ratio | Net assets | Trailing yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCI (this fund) | abrdn | 0.26% | $3.28B | Not captured |
| DBC | Invesco | 0.82% | $1.77B | 2.36% |
| PDBC | Invesco | 0.59% | $7.4B | 2.71% |
| GSG | iShares | 0.75% | $961.7M | Not captured |
| USCI | USCF | 1.05% | $401.0M | Not captured |
| COMT | iShares | 0.48% | $1.29B | 4.96% |
BCI is part of the Commodity ETFs category on this site, grouped here with DBC, PDBC, GSG. Each comparison page lines up two funds on cost, holdings overlap, yield and returns, so you can see what separates them.
Where BCI fits.
Qualified withdrawals from a Roth IRA are tax free, so dividends and gains compound without a yearly tax bill and the expense ratio is the main drag you carry. BCI is an exchange traded fund, so many brokerages let you hold it in a Roth IRA.
Tax is deferred until you withdraw, and withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. A 401(k) offers only the funds on its menu, so check whether BCI or a similar fund is in your plan.
BCI is marketed as K-1 free and issues a standard 1099, but income from its holdings can be taxed as ordinary income. Your broker reports the amounts on Form 1099 after year end, and those figures are what count on your return.
General education, not tax advice. Rules change, so confirm with the issuer tax documents or an adviser.
Buying BCI in five steps.
- Pick the account. Roth IRA, traditional IRA, 401(k) or taxable. Most brokerages let IRAs hold ETFs like this one.
- Search the ticker. Type BCI in your brokerage and choose the U.S. listing, priced in U.S. dollars.
- Use a limit order. It sets the most you will pay and avoids surprises at the open.
- Check the cost. Most large U.S. brokerages charge no commission on ETFs, and some charge a small fee per trade.
- Set a routine. Add money on a schedule and decide whether to reinvest distributions.
Terms used on this page.
Where to go next from BCI.
Every BCI link in one place. Start with the category, then the head to head comparisons, then the guides for other funds and the tools.
CategoryCommodity ETFsEvery fund in this category, with a comparison page for every pair.Open the category →BCI comparison pages 5
Guides for similar funds
More U.S. fund guides
Calculators for BCI investors
Other ETF categories
Guides and research
Common questions about BCI.
What is BCI?
BCI holds futures and swaps on the commodities of the Bloomberg Commodity Index. It is managed by abrdn, trades on NYSE Arca in U.S. dollars and launched on Mar 30, 2017.
What is the expense ratio of BCI?
The expense ratio of BCI on the issuer page is 0.26%, or about $26 a year per $10,000 invested.
What is the BCI distribution rate?
The issuer page showed a yield of Not captured for BCI. Yields change, so check the issuer page for the current figure.
How often does BCI pay a distribution?
BCI pays distributions once a year in Dec. The latest payment in the log was $3.2198 per share.
What does BCI hold?
BCI gives exposure to 25 commodities. Its largest positions are Gold, Brent crude, Natural gas.
Can I hold BCI in a Roth IRA or 401(k)?
Yes for IRAs. BCI is an exchange traded fund, so many brokerages let you hold it in a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA. Whether it is available in a 401(k) depends on the funds your plan offers.
How has BCI performed?
The issuer period returns are shown in the returns section. Returns include fees, and past performance does not guarantee future results.
BCI or COMT, what is the difference?
The two funds do a similar job and differ in cost, issuer and holdings. BCI has an expense ratio of 0.26% and COMT has an expense ratio of 0.48%. Open the BCI vs COMT comparison for holdings overlap, yield and returns side by side.
How is BCI taxed?
BCI is marketed as K-1 free and issues a standard 1099, but income from its holdings can be taxed as ordinary income. Use the tax form your fund sends after year end for your own return.
Source, abrdn fund page. All figures are dated as shown. This guide is for education and is not personal advice or an offer to sell.