KORU vs. USO
KORU (Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares) and USO (United States Oil Fund LP) are both exchange-traded funds - KORU is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the MSCI Korea 25-50 Index, while USO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, KORU returned 19.62%/yr vs 4.07%/yr for USO. At a 0.17 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. KORU charges 1.29%/yr vs 0.86%/yr for USO.
Performance
KORU vs. USO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, KORU achieves a 559.14% return, which is significantly higher than USO's 103.67% return. Over the past 10 years, KORU has outperformed USO with an annualized return of 19.62%, while USO has yielded a comparatively lower 4.07% annualized return.
KORU
- 1D
- -2.29%
- 1M
- 92.47%
- YTD
- 559.14%
- 6M
- 689.29%
- 1Y
- 2,160.10%
- 3Y*
- 132.56%
- 5Y*
- 23.42%
- 10Y*
- 19.62%
USO
- 1D
- 2.62%
- 1M
- -4.57%
- YTD
- 103.67%
- 6M
- 99.35%
- 1Y
- 101.55%
- 3Y*
- 29.98%
- 5Y*
- 24.41%
- 10Y*
- 4.07%
KORU vs. USO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KORU Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares | 559.14% | 432.73% | -62.18% | 28.61% | -70.16% | -33.86% | 48.78% | 5.47% | -59.89% | 167.08% |
USO United States Oil Fund LP | 103.67% | -8.46% | 13.35% | -4.94% | 28.97% | 64.68% | -67.79% | 32.61% | -19.57% | 2.47% |
Correlation
The correlation between KORU and USO is -0.25, 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 | -0.25 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.03 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.08 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 11, 2013 | 0.17 |
The correlation between KORU and USO shifts across timeframes, from -0.25 (1 year) to 0.17 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
KORU vs. USO — Risk / Return Rank
KORU
USO
KORU vs. USO - 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 Oil Fund LP (USO). 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.
| KORU | USO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +15.32 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.31 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.72 | 1.38 | +0.34 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 35.65 | 5.01 | +30.64 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 112.99 | 9.42 | +103.57 |
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
| KORU | USO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 17.63 | 2.31 | +15.32 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.28 | 0.68 | -0.40 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.25 | 0.10 | +0.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.13 | -0.18 | +0.30 |
Drawdowns
KORU vs. USO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum KORU drawdown since its inception was -95.79%, roughly equal to the maximum USO drawdown of -98.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for KORU and USO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| KORU | USO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -95.79% | -98.19% | +2.40% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -61.39% | -20.39% | -41.00% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -73.71% | -26.05% | -47.66% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -93.35% | -36.23% | -57.12% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -95.79% | -86.75% | -9.04% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.39% | -85.01% | +79.62% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -57.53% | -75.30% | +17.77% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 19.33% | 10.82% | +8.51% |
Volatility
KORU vs. USO - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X Shares (KORU) has a higher volatility of 60.18% compared to United States Oil Fund LP (USO) at 14.87%. This indicates that KORU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than USO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| KORU | USO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 60.18% | 14.87% | +45.31% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 110.71% | 38.23% | +72.48% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 124.15% | 44.20% | +79.95% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 85.11% | 36.06% | +49.05% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 79.91% | 39.00% | +40.91% |
KORU vs. USO - Expense Ratio Comparison
KORU has a 1.29% expense ratio, which is higher than USO's 0.86% expense ratio.
Dividends
KORU vs. USO - Dividend Comparison
KORU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.14%, while USO 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 | 0.14% | 0.89% | 4.10% | 2.55% | 0.48% | 0.76% | 0.01% | 0.93% | 1.40% | 3.59% |
USO United States Oil 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 USO have a correlation of -0.25, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
KORU has higher volatility (60.18%) compared to USO (14.87%). In terms of maximum drawdown, KORU dropped -95.79% vs USO's -98.19%.
On 10-year performance, KORU leads with 19.62% vs 4.07% for USO. On fees, USO is cheaper at 0.86% per year. On volatility, USO has been the lower-risk option at 14.87%. 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 19.62% return vs 4.07%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
USO is cheaper with a 0.86% expense ratio, compared with 1.29% for KORU.
KORU has the higher dividend yield at 0.14%, compared with 0.00% for USO.
KORU is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while USO is Oil & Gas. KORU tracks MSCI Korea 25-50 Index, while USO tracks Front Month Light Sweet Crude Oil. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and USCF. Their fees differ too: 1.29% for KORU and 0.86% for USO.
KORU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (17.63 vs 2.31), 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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