DFEN vs. BNO
DFEN (Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares) and BNO (United States Brent Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - DFEN is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (300%), while BNO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Brent Crude Oil. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, DFEN returned 26.54%/yr vs 24.16%/yr for BNO. At a 0.18 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. DFEN charges 0.99%/yr vs 0.90%/yr for BNO.
Performance
DFEN vs. BNO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFEN achieves a 2.17% return, which is significantly lower than BNO's 90.47% return.
DFEN
- 1D
- -4.54%
- 1M
- 12.97%
- YTD
- 2.17%
- 6M
- 21.41%
- 1Y
- 59.57%
- 3Y*
- 63.19%
- 5Y*
- 26.54%
- 10Y*
- —
BNO
- 1D
- 1.99%
- 1M
- -10.29%
- YTD
- 90.47%
- 6M
- 86.00%
- 1Y
- 91.89%
- 3Y*
- 27.93%
- 5Y*
- 24.16%
- 10Y*
- 13.60%
DFEN vs. BNO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | 2.17% | 156.62% | 27.07% | 24.70% | 6.99% | 12.72% | -70.23% | 95.09% | -32.86% | 83.64% |
BNO United States Brent Oil Fund LP | 90.47% | -5.44% | 9.67% | -3.43% | 35.25% | 62.34% | -38.23% | 36.01% | -15.30% | 33.09% |
Correlation
The correlation between DFEN and BNO is -0.10, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.10 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.02 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.12 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 4, 2017 | 0.18 |
The correlation between DFEN and BNO shifts across timeframes, from -0.10 (1 year) to 0.18 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
DFEN vs. BNO — Risk / Return Rank
DFEN
BNO
DFEN vs. BNO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN) and United States Brent Oil Fund LP (BNO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| DFEN | BNO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.28 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.14 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 1.38 | -0.19 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.43 | 5.17 | -3.73 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.44 | 9.76 | -6.32 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| DFEN | BNO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.95 | 2.23 | -1.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.44 | 0.69 | -0.24 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.37 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.21 | 0.14 | +0.07 |
Drawdowns
DFEN vs. BNO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFEN drawdown since its inception was -91.36%, roughly equal to the maximum BNO drawdown of -87.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFEN and BNO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFEN | BNO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -91.36% | -87.06% | -4.30% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -41.75% | -17.87% | -23.88% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -43.13% | -23.75% | -19.38% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -56.23% | -33.70% | -22.53% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -75.18% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -33.04% | -10.29% | -22.75% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -45.27% | -40.17% | -5.10% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 17.36% | 9.45% | +7.91% |
Volatility
DFEN vs. BNO - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN) has a higher volatility of 22.35% compared to United States Brent Oil Fund LP (BNO) at 14.22%. This indicates that DFEN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BNO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFEN | BNO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 22.35% | 14.22% | +8.13% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 53.06% | 36.10% | +16.96% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 63.21% | 41.46% | +21.75% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 60.16% | 35.38% | +24.78% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 71.48% | 36.68% | +34.80% |
DFEN vs. BNO - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFEN has a 0.99% expense ratio, which is higher than BNO's 0.90% expense ratio.
Dividends
DFEN vs. BNO - Dividend Comparison
DFEN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.74%, while BNO has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BNO United States Brent Oil Fund LP | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | 8.74% | 8.89% | 14.12% | 1.13% | 0.46% | 1.89% | 0.48% | 0.50% | 1.07% | 1.50% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DFEN and BNO have a correlation of -0.10, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
DFEN has higher volatility (22.35%) compared to BNO (14.22%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DFEN dropped -91.36% vs BNO's -87.06%.
On 5-year performance, DFEN leads with 26.54% vs 24.16% for BNO. On fees, BNO is cheaper at 0.90% per year. On volatility, BNO has been the lower-risk option at 14.22%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, DFEN has performed better with a 26.54% return vs 24.16%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
BNO is cheaper with a 0.90% expense ratio, compared with 0.99% for DFEN.
DFEN has the higher dividend yield at 8.74%, compared with 0.00% for BNO.
DFEN is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while BNO is Oil & Gas. DFEN tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (300%), while BNO tracks Front Month Brent Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and Concierge Technologies. Their fees differ too: 0.99% for DFEN and 0.90% for BNO.
BNO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.23 vs 0.95), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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