IHE vs. PILL
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) and Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL).
IHE and PILL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IHE is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Pharmaceuticals Index. It was launched on May 5, 2006. PILL is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the Dynamic Pharmaceuticals Intellidex Index. It was launched on Nov 15, 2017. Both IHE and PILL are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
IHE vs. PILL - Performance Comparison
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IHE vs. PILL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IHE iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | 3.70% | 31.69% | 8.13% | 1.06% | -4.87% | 13.07% | 13.66% | 15.47% | -7.76% | 3.77% |
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares | -13.41% | 75.14% | -7.26% | -12.06% | -43.16% | -37.33% | 0.28% | 19.26% | -21.15% | 16.39% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IHE achieves a 3.70% return, which is significantly higher than PILL's -13.41% return.
IHE
- 1D
- 1.15%
- 1M
- -3.66%
- YTD
- 3.70%
- 6M
- 18.16%
- 1Y
- 32.13%
- 3Y*
- 16.43%
- 5Y*
- 10.17%
- 10Y*
- 8.20%
PILL
- 1D
- 4.11%
- 1M
- -16.66%
- YTD
- -13.41%
- 6M
- 28.03%
- 1Y
- 69.42%
- 3Y*
- 8.95%
- 5Y*
- -12.72%
- 10Y*
- —
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IHE vs. PILL - Expense Ratio Comparison
IHE has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is lower than PILL's 0.98% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
IHE vs. PILL — Risk / Return Rank
IHE
PILL
IHE vs. PILL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) and Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL). 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.
| IHE | PILL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.59 | 1.02 | +0.57 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.20 | 1.63 | +0.57 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.20 | +0.09 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.52 | 1.34 | +1.18 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.93 | 3.67 | +4.26 |
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
| IHE | PILL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.59 | 1.02 | +0.57 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.64 | -0.21 | +0.85 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.45 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.50 | -0.13 | +0.63 |
Correlation
The correlation between IHE and PILL is 0.83, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
IHE vs. PILL - Dividend Comparison
IHE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.70%, more than PILL's 0.72% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IHE iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | 1.70% | 1.76% | 1.73% | 1.39% | 2.01% | 1.49% | 1.19% | 1.40% | 1.25% | 1.36% | 0.92% | 1.93% |
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares | 0.72% | 0.69% | 1.28% | 1.83% | 0.67% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.38% | 0.91% | 0.10% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
IHE vs. PILL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IHE drawdown since its inception was -38.20%, smaller than the maximum PILL drawdown of -88.76%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IHE and PILL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IHE | PILL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -38.20% | -88.76% | +50.56% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -10.58% | -36.51% | +25.93% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -16.03% | -83.38% | +67.35% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -29.59% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.22% | -70.33% | +66.11% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.95% | -58.39% | +50.44% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.36% | 13.31% | -9.95% |
Volatility
IHE vs. PILL - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) is 5.91%, while Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) has a volatility of 26.05%. This indicates that IHE experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PILL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IHE | PILL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.91% | 26.05% | -20.14% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.12% | 46.70% | -34.58% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 20.70% | 69.59% | -48.89% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.95% | 59.66% | -43.71% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.11% | 63.76% | -45.65% |