FAZ vs. SPXS
FAZ (Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares) and SPXS (Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3X Shares) are both exchange-traded funds - FAZ is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the Russell 1000 Financial Services Index (-300%), while SPXS is a Inverse Equities fund tracking the S&P 500 Index (-300%). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, FAZ returned -42.81%/yr vs -42.01%/yr for SPXS. Their correlation of 0.83 suggests significant overlap in exposure. FAZ charges 1.07%/yr vs 1.08%/yr for SPXS.
Performance
FAZ vs. SPXS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FAZ achieves a 22.66% return, which is significantly higher than SPXS's -25.49% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with FAZ having a -42.81% annualized return and SPXS not far ahead at -42.01%.
FAZ
- 1D
- 3.45%
- 1M
- 5.24%
- YTD
- 22.66%
- 6M
- 14.22%
- 1Y
- 0.55%
- 3Y*
- -36.72%
- 5Y*
- -26.05%
- 10Y*
- -42.81%
SPXS
- 1D
- 2.19%
- 1M
- -13.11%
- YTD
- -25.49%
- 6M
- -24.86%
- 1Y
- -48.73%
- 3Y*
- -42.68%
- 5Y*
- -34.76%
- 10Y*
- -42.01%
FAZ vs. SPXS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAZ Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares | 22.66% | -37.21% | -51.01% | -26.67% | 1.16% | -67.05% | -73.90% | -58.62% | 16.84% | -46.18% |
SPXS Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3X Shares | -25.49% | -41.53% | -42.84% | -45.97% | 36.14% | -58.11% | -70.47% | -56.40% | 3.44% | -44.52% |
Correlation
The correlation between FAZ and SPXS is 0.62, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.62 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.64 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.74 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.77 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 20, 2008 | 0.83 |
Over the past year, the correlation between FAZ and SPXS has dropped to 0.62 - well below their long-term average of 0.83, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
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Return for Risk
FAZ vs. SPXS — Risk / Return Rank
FAZ
SPXS
FAZ vs. SPXS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) and Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3X Shares (SPXS). 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.
| FAZ | SPXS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.39 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.65 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.04 | 0.75 | +0.28 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.02 | -0.96 | +0.98 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.03 | -1.62 | +1.66 |
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
| FAZ | SPXS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.01 | -1.38 | +1.39 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.47 | -0.69 | +0.22 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.69 | -0.79 | +0.10 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.72 | -0.83 | +0.11 |
Drawdowns
FAZ vs. SPXS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FAZ drawdown since its inception was -100.00%, roughly equal to the maximum SPXS drawdown of -100.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FAZ and SPXS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FAZ | SPXS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -100.00% | -100.00% | 0.00% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -30.20% | -50.77% | +20.57% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -83.61% | -84.13% | +0.52% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -87.53% | -90.11% | +2.58% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -99.78% | -99.63% | -0.15% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -100.00% | -100.00% | 0.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -99.14% | -96.30% | -2.84% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 16.58% | 30.04% | -13.46% |
Volatility
FAZ vs. SPXS - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) has a higher volatility of 9.30% compared to Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3X Shares (SPXS) at 8.51%. This indicates that FAZ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPXS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FAZ | SPXS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.30% | 8.51% | +0.79% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 32.18% | 26.82% | +5.36% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 43.09% | 35.54% | +7.55% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 55.83% | 50.39% | +5.44% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 62.07% | 53.54% | +8.53% |
FAZ vs. SPXS - Expense Ratio Comparison
FAZ has a 1.07% expense ratio, which is lower than SPXS's 1.08% expense ratio.
Dividends
FAZ vs. SPXS - Dividend Comparison
FAZ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.77%, less than SPXS's 4.91% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAZ Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares | 2.77% | 5.07% | 7.34% | 4.88% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.62% | 1.63% | 0.56% |
SPXS Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3X Shares | 4.91% | 4.93% | 6.18% | 5.66% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.51% | 1.74% | 0.58% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FAZ and SPXS have a correlation of 0.62, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FAZ has higher volatility (9.30%) compared to SPXS (8.51%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FAZ dropped -100.00% vs SPXS's -100.00%.
On 10-year performance, SPXS leads with -42.01% vs -42.81% for FAZ. On fees, FAZ is cheaper at 1.07% per year. On volatility, SPXS has been the lower-risk option at 8.51%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, SPXS has performed better with a -42.01% return vs -42.81%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FAZ is cheaper with a 1.07% expense ratio, compared with 1.08% for SPXS.
SPXS has the higher dividend yield at 4.91%, compared with 2.77% for FAZ.
FAZ is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while SPXS is Inverse Equities. FAZ tracks Russell 1000 Financial Services Index (-300%), while SPXS tracks S&P 500 Index (-300%). Their fees differ too: 1.07% for FAZ and 1.08% for SPXS.
FAZ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.01 vs -1.38), 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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