LABU vs. XBI

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares (LABU) and SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI).

LABU and XBI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. LABU 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. XBI is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index. It was launched on Feb 6, 2006. Both LABU and XBI 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

LABU vs. XBI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares (LABU) and SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

LABU vs. XBI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
LABU Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares	4.20%	79.17%	-26.02%	-13.41%	-80.36%	-64.15%	74.66%	75.50%	-57.61%	149.12%
XBI SPDR S&P Biotech ETF	4.76%	35.89%	1.01%	7.60%	-25.87%	-20.45%	48.33%	32.56%	-15.28%	43.77%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LABU achieves a 4.20% return, which is significantly lower than XBI's 4.76% return. Over the past 10 years, LABU has underperformed XBI with an annualized return of -11.81%, while XBI has yielded a comparatively higher 9.32% annualized return.

LABU

• 1D: 22.31%
• 1M: -3.83%
• YTD: 4.20%
• 6M: 78.34%
• 1Y: 175.22%
• 3Y*: 19.86%
• 5Y*: -36.38%
• 10Y*: -11.81%

XBI

• 1D: 7.53%
• 1M: 0.28%
• YTD: 4.76%
• 6M: 27.90%
• 1Y: 58.08%
• 3Y*: 19.00%
• 5Y*: -1.29%
• 10Y*: 9.32%

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

LABU vs. XBI - Expense Ratio Comparison

LABU has a 1.12% expense ratio, which is higher than XBI's 0.35% expense ratio.

LABU

Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares

XBI

SPDR S&P Biotech ETF

Return for Risk

LABU vs. XBI — Risk / Return Rank

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

LABU

LABU Risk / Return Rank: 90
LABU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
LABU Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
LABU Omega Ratio Rank: 82
LABU Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
LABU Martin Ratio Rank: 91

XBI

XBI Risk / Return Rank: 92
XBI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
XBI Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
XBI Omega Ratio Rank: 87
XBI Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
XBI Martin Ratio Rank: 94

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.

LABU vs. XBI - 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 SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI). 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.

	LABU	XBI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.04	2.02	+0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.48	2.70	-0.22
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.34	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.74	3.72	+0.01
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.90	13.98	-2.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LABU vs. XBI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LABU Sharpe Ratio is 2.04, which is comparable to the XBI Sharpe Ratio of 2.02. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LABU and XBI, 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

	LABU	XBI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.04	2.02	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.38	-0.04	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.12	0.29	-0.41
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.24	0.36	-0.60

Correlation

The correlation between LABU and XBI is 1.00, 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

LABU vs. XBI - Dividend Comparison

LABU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.74%, more than XBI's 0.34% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
LABU Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares	0.74%	0.84%	0.35%	0.35%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.28%	0.64%	0.17%	0.00%	0.00%
XBI SPDR S&P Biotech ETF	0.34%	0.37%	0.15%	0.02%	0.00%	0.04%	0.20%	0.00%	0.28%	0.24%	0.26%	0.61%

Drawdowns

LABU vs. XBI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LABU drawdown since its inception was -99.18%, which is greater than XBI's maximum drawdown of -63.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LABU and XBI.

Drawdown Indicators

	LABU	XBI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.18%	-63.89%	-35.29%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-36.66%	-13.39%	-23.27%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-97.75%	-55.04%	-42.71%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-98.96%	-63.89%	-35.07%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-96.33%	-26.17%	-70.16%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-81.45%	-20.91%	-60.54%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.01%	3.71%	+8.30%

Volatility

LABU vs. XBI - Volatility Comparison

Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull 3x Shares (LABU) has a higher volatility of 33.99% compared to SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) at 11.60%. This indicates that LABU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XBI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LABU	XBI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	33.99%	11.60%	+22.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	56.88%	19.25%	+37.63%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	87.36%	29.24%	+58.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	95.74%	32.23%	+63.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	95.91%	32.15%	+63.76%