LABU vs. UCO
LABU (Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares) and UCO (ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil) are both exchange-traded funds - LABU is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index (300%), while UCO is a Oil & Gas fund tracking the Bloomberg Commodity Balanced WTI Crude Oil Index (200%). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, LABU returned -7.38%/yr vs 19.62%/yr for UCO. At a 0.11 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. LABU charges 1.12%/yr vs 0.95%/yr for UCO.
Performance
LABU vs. UCO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LABU achieves a 44.31% return, which is significantly lower than UCO's 84.21% return. Over the past 10 years, LABU has underperformed UCO with an annualized return of -7.38%, while UCO has yielded a comparatively higher 19.62% annualized return.
LABU
- 1D
- 11.19%
- 1M
- 31.29%
- YTD
- 44.31%
- 6M
- 30.68%
- 1Y
- 313.64%
- 3Y*
- 22.45%
- 5Y*
- -30.40%
- 10Y*
- -7.38%
UCO
- 1D
- -2.87%
- 1M
- -24.66%
- YTD
- 84.21%
- 6M
- 80.57%
- 1Y
- 27.70%
- 3Y*
- 15.87%
- 5Y*
- 12.83%
- 10Y*
- 19.62%
LABU vs. UCO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LABU Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares | 44.31% | 79.17% | -26.02% | -13.41% | -80.36% | -64.15% | 74.66% | 75.50% | -57.61% | 149.12% |
UCO ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil | 84.21% | -29.75% | 5.36% | -13.89% | 39.71% | 139.26% | 77.27% | 53.83% | -43.26% | 0.34% |
Correlation
The correlation between LABU and UCO is -0.28, 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 | -0.28 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.11 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.00 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.10 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 28, 2015 | 0.11 |
The correlation between LABU and UCO shifts across timeframes, from -0.28 (1 year) to 0.11 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
LABU vs. UCO — Risk / Return Rank
LABU
UCO
LABU vs. UCO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares (LABU) and ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil (UCO). 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.
| LABU | UCO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +3.53 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.60 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 1.12 | +0.31 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 10.29 | 0.87 | +9.42 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 28.91 | 1.72 | +27.18 |
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Drawdowns
LABU vs. UCO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LABU drawdown since its inception was -99.18%, roughly equal to the maximum UCO drawdown of -99.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LABU and UCO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LABU | UCO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -99.18% | -99.86% | +0.68% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -30.70% | -31.96% | +1.26% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -78.30% | -50.38% | -27.92% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -97.59% | -67.24% | -30.35% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -98.96% | -96.50% | -2.46% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -94.92% | -85.71% | -9.21% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -81.71% | -82.11% | +0.40% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 10.91% | 18.90% | -7.99% |
Volatility
LABU vs. UCO - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares (LABU) has a higher volatility of 29.77% compared to ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil (UCO) at 16.18%. This indicates that LABU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UCO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LABU | UCO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 29.77% | 16.18% | +13.59% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 63.11% | 48.09% | +15.02% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 78.92% | 57.66% | +21.26% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 95.94% | 60.09% | +35.85% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 95.55% | 317.79% | -222.24% |
LABU vs. UCO - Expense Ratio Comparison
LABU has a 1.12% expense ratio, which is higher than UCO's 0.95% expense ratio.
Dividends
LABU vs. UCO - Dividend Comparison
LABU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.54%, while UCO has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LABU Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares | 0.54% | 0.84% | 0.35% | 0.35% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.28% | 0.64% | 0.17% |
UCO ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
LABU and UCO have a correlation of -0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LABU has higher volatility (29.77%) compared to UCO (16.18%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LABU dropped -99.18% vs UCO's -99.86%.
On 10-year performance, UCO leads with 19.62% vs -7.38% for LABU. On fees, UCO is cheaper at 0.95% per year. On volatility, UCO has been the lower-risk option at 16.18%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, UCO has performed better with a 19.62% return vs -7.38%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
UCO is cheaper with a 0.95% expense ratio, compared with 1.12% for LABU.
LABU has the higher dividend yield at 0.54%, compared with 0.00% for UCO.
LABU is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while UCO is Oil & Gas. LABU tracks S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index (300%), while UCO tracks Bloomberg Commodity Balanced WTI Crude Oil Index (200%). They also come from different issuers: Direxion and ProShares. Their fees differ too: 1.12% for LABU and 0.95% for UCO.
LABU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.01 vs 0.48), 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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