LABD vs. NUGT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares (LABD) and Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT).

LABD and NUGT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. LABD is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index (-300%). It was launched on May 28, 2015. NUGT is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (300%). It was launched on Apr 1, 2020. Both LABD and NUGT 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

LABD vs. NUGT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares (LABD) and Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

LABD vs. NUGT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
LABD Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares	-22.25%	-70.07%	-21.43%	-41.77%	-32.68%	1.86%	-89.75%	-70.80%	-6.26%	-75.67%
NUGT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares	2.59%	425.05%	2.89%	2.60%	-32.10%	-26.31%	-60.16%	100.73%	-44.52%	3.73%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LABD achieves a -22.25% return, which is significantly lower than NUGT's 2.59% return. Over the past 10 years, LABD has underperformed NUGT with an annualized return of -57.45%, while NUGT has yielded a comparatively higher -1.76% annualized return.

LABD

• 1D: -22.42%
• 1M: -7.39%
• YTD: -22.25%
• 6M: -59.03%
• 1Y: -82.24%
• 3Y*: -55.49%
• 5Y*: -38.61%
• 10Y*: -57.45%

NUGT

• 1D: 14.02%
• 1M: -39.84%
• YTD: 2.59%
• 6M: 22.25%
• 1Y: 204.10%
• 3Y*: 67.13%
• 5Y*: 27.67%
• 10Y*: -1.76%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

LABD vs. NUGT - Expense Ratio Comparison

LABD has a 1.06% expense ratio, which is lower than NUGT's 1.23% expense ratio.

NUGT

Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares

LABD

Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares

Return for Risk

LABD vs. NUGT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

LABD

LABD Risk / Return Rank: 1
LABD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1
LABD Sortino Ratio Rank: 0
LABD Omega Ratio Rank: 0
LABD Calmar Ratio Rank: 0
LABD Martin Ratio Rank: 3

NUGT

NUGT Risk / Return Rank: 91
NUGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
NUGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
NUGT Omega Ratio Rank: 87
NUGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
NUGT Martin Ratio Rank: 92

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

LABD vs. NUGT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares (LABD) and Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT). 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.

	LABD	NUGT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.96	2.25	-3.21
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-2.04	2.36	-4.40
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.77	1.34	-0.58
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.91	3.92	-4.83
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.17	12.64	-13.81
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LABD vs. NUGT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LABD Sharpe Ratio is -0.96, which is lower than the NUGT Sharpe Ratio of 2.25. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LABD and NUGT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	LABD	NUGT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.96	2.25	-3.21
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.40	0.39	-0.80
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.60	-0.02	-0.58
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.54	-0.33	-0.22

Correlation

The correlation between LABD and NUGT is -0.13. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

LABD vs. NUGT - Dividend Comparison

LABD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.82%, more than NUGT's 0.29% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
LABD Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares	5.82%	6.67%	4.68%	6.13%	0.53%	0.00%	3.94%	1.75%	0.81%
NUGT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares	0.29%	0.22%	1.79%	1.67%	0.70%	0.00%	0.00%	0.63%	0.57%

Drawdowns

LABD vs. NUGT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LABD drawdown since its inception was -99.99%, roughly equal to the maximum NUGT drawdown of -99.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LABD and NUGT.

Drawdown Indicators

	LABD	NUGT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.99%	-99.97%	-0.02%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-88.09%	-53.58%	-34.51%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-97.73%	-73.79%	-23.94%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-99.98%	-96.91%	-3.07%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.99%	-99.76%	-0.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-90.78%	-91.43%	+0.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	68.46%	16.61%	+51.85%

Volatility

LABD vs. NUGT - Volatility Comparison

Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares (LABD) and Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT) have volatilities of 36.88% and 36.87%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LABD	NUGT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	36.88%	36.87%	+0.01%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	59.06%	77.23%	-18.17%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	87.11%	91.23%	-4.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	96.40%	70.70%	+25.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	96.40%	89.95%	+6.45%