DFEN vs. IFED
DFEN (Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares) and IFED (ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN) are both Leveraged Equities funds - DFEN tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (300%) while IFED tracks the IFED Large-Cap US Equity Index - Benchmark TR Gross. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, DFEN returned 63.19%/yr vs 16.71%/yr for IFED. A 0.61 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. DFEN charges 0.99%/yr vs 0.45%/yr for IFED.
Performance
DFEN vs. IFED - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFEN achieves a 2.17% return, which is significantly higher than IFED's -3.52% return.
DFEN
- 1D
- -4.54%
- 1M
- 12.97%
- YTD
- 2.17%
- 6M
- 21.41%
- 1Y
- 59.57%
- 3Y*
- 63.19%
- 5Y*
- 26.54%
- 10Y*
- —
IFED
- 1D
- -1.24%
- 1M
- 4.85%
- YTD
- -3.52%
- 6M
- -3.51%
- 1Y
- 1.97%
- 3Y*
- 16.71%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
DFEN vs. IFED - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | 2.17% | 156.62% | 27.07% | 24.70% | 6.99% | -5.79% |
IFED ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN | -3.52% | 15.02% | 23.04% | 20.78% | -1.46% | 8.46% |
Correlation
The correlation between DFEN and IFED is 0.36, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.36 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.49 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 16, 2021 | 0.61 |
Over the past year, the correlation between DFEN and IFED has dropped to 0.36 - well below their long-term average of 0.61, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
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Return for Risk
DFEN vs. IFED — Risk / Return Rank
DFEN
IFED
DFEN vs. IFED - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN) and ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED). 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 | IFED | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.83 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.30 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 1.04 | +0.15 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.43 | 0.14 | +1.30 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.44 | 0.34 | +3.10 |
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 | IFED | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.95 | 0.12 | +0.83 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.44 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.21 | 0.65 | -0.43 |
Drawdowns
DFEN vs. IFED - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFEN drawdown since its inception was -91.36%, which is greater than IFED's maximum drawdown of -22.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFEN and IFED.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFEN | IFED | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -91.36% | -22.36% | -69.00% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -41.75% | -14.65% | -27.10% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -43.13% | -22.36% | -20.77% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -56.23% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -33.04% | -5.50% | -27.54% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -45.27% | -5.84% | -39.43% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 17.36% | 5.75% | +11.61% |
Volatility
DFEN vs. IFED - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN) has a higher volatility of 22.35% compared to ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED) at 4.50%. This indicates that DFEN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IFED based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFEN | IFED | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 22.35% | 4.50% | +17.85% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 53.06% | 12.86% | +40.20% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 63.21% | 16.21% | +47.00% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 60.16% | 19.88% | +40.28% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 71.48% | 19.88% | +51.60% |
DFEN vs. IFED - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFEN has a 0.99% expense ratio, which is higher than IFED's 0.45% expense ratio.
Dividends
DFEN vs. IFED - Dividend Comparison
DFEN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.74%, while IFED has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
IFED ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DFEN and IFED have a correlation of 0.36, 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 IFED (4.50%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DFEN dropped -91.36% vs IFED's -22.36%.
On 3-year performance, DFEN leads with 63.19% vs 16.71% for IFED. On fees, IFED is cheaper at 0.45% per year. On volatility, IFED has been the lower-risk option at 4.50%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, DFEN has performed better with a 63.19% return vs 16.71%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IFED is cheaper with a 0.45% expense ratio, compared with 0.99% for DFEN.
DFEN has the higher dividend yield at 8.74%, compared with 0.00% for IFED.
DFEN tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (300%), while IFED tracks IFED Large-Cap US Equity Index - Benchmark TR Gross. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and UBS. Their fees differ too: 0.99% for DFEN and 0.45% for IFED.
DFEN currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.95 vs 0.12), 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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