KORU vs. UGA
KORU (Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares) and UGA (United States Gasoline Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - KORU is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the MSCI Korea 25-50 Index, while UGA is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Unleaded Gasoline. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, KORU returned 14.49%/yr vs 14.31%/yr for UGA. At a 0.16 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. KORU charges 1.29%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for UGA.
Performance
KORU vs. UGA - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, KORU achieves a 285.56% return, which is significantly higher than UGA's 64.09% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with KORU having a 14.49% annualized return and UGA not far behind at 14.31%.
KORU
- 1D
- -35.70%
- 1M
- -10.30%
- YTD
- 285.56%
- 6M
- 341.44%
- 1Y
- 858.44%
- 3Y*
- 100.70%
- 5Y*
- 11.21%
- 10Y*
- 14.49%
UGA
- 1D
- -1.12%
- 1M
- -12.11%
- YTD
- 64.09%
- 6M
- 60.42%
- 1Y
- 59.74%
- 3Y*
- 18.95%
- 5Y*
- 22.69%
- 10Y*
- 14.31%
KORU vs. UGA - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KORU Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares | 285.56% | 432.73% | -62.18% | 28.61% | -70.16% | -33.86% | 48.78% | 5.47% | -59.89% | 167.08% |
UGA United States Gasoline Fund LP | 64.09% | -2.00% | 3.77% | 1.27% | 46.34% | 68.49% | -24.88% | 41.25% | -28.07% | 1.69% |
Correlation
The correlation between KORU and UGA is -0.15, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.15 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.02 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.09 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 10, 2013 | 0.16 |
The correlation between KORU and UGA shifts across timeframes, from -0.15 (1 year) to 0.16 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
KORU vs. UGA — Risk / Return Rank
KORU
UGA
KORU vs. UGA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares (KORU) and United States Gasoline Fund LP (UGA). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| KORU | UGA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +4.29 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.31 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.53 | 1.30 | +0.23 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 14.12 | 3.17 | +10.96 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 41.38 | 9.39 | +31.99 |
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Drawdowns
KORU vs. UGA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum KORU drawdown since its inception was -95.79%, which is greater than UGA's maximum drawdown of -86.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for KORU and UGA.
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Drawdown Indicators
| KORU | UGA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -95.79% | -86.59% | -9.20% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -61.39% | -18.96% | -42.43% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -73.34% | -26.68% | -46.66% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -93.34% | -38.11% | -55.23% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -95.79% | -75.89% | -19.90% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -44.66% | -18.05% | -26.61% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -57.41% | -36.69% | -20.72% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 20.91% | 6.43% | +14.48% |
Volatility
KORU vs. UGA - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares (KORU) has a higher volatility of 92.27% compared to United States Gasoline Fund LP (UGA) at 9.24%. This indicates that KORU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UGA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| KORU | UGA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 92.27% | 9.24% | +83.03% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 138.63% | 30.57% | +108.06% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 144.16% | 35.22% | +108.94% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 91.40% | 34.45% | +56.95% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 83.03% | 37.22% | +45.81% |
KORU vs. UGA - Expense Ratio Comparison
KORU has a 1.29% expense ratio, which is higher than UGA's 0.75% expense ratio.
Dividends
KORU vs. UGA - Dividend Comparison
KORU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.24%, while UGA has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KORU Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares | 0.24% | 0.89% | 4.10% | 2.55% | 0.48% | 0.76% | 0.01% | 0.93% | 1.40% | 3.59% |
UGA United States Gasoline Fund LP | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
KORU and UGA have a correlation of -0.15, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
KORU has higher volatility (92.27%) compared to UGA (9.24%). In terms of maximum drawdown, KORU dropped -95.79% vs UGA's -86.59%.
On 10-year performance, KORU leads with 14.49% vs 14.31% for UGA. On fees, UGA is cheaper at 0.75% per year. On volatility, UGA has been the lower-risk option at 9.24%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, KORU has performed better with a 14.49% return vs 14.31%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
UGA is cheaper with a 0.75% expense ratio, compared with 1.29% for KORU.
KORU has the higher dividend yield at 0.24%, compared with 0.00% for UGA.
KORU is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while UGA is Oil & Gas. KORU tracks MSCI Korea 25-50 Index, while UGA tracks Front Month Unleaded Gasoline. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and Concierge Technologies. Their fees differ too: 1.29% for KORU and 0.75% for UGA.
KORU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.02 vs 1.73), 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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