NUGT vs. UGL
Compare and contrast key facts about Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT) and ProShares Ultra Gold (UGL).
NUGT and UGL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. UGL is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Gold Subindex (200%). It was launched on Dec 1, 2008. Both NUGT and UGL 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
NUGT vs. UGL - Performance Comparison
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NUGT vs. UGL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NUGT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares | 11.72% | 425.05% | 2.89% | 2.60% | -32.10% | -26.31% | -60.16% | 100.73% | -44.52% | 3.73% |
UGL ProShares Ultra Gold | 14.36% | 137.57% | 46.36% | 15.56% | -7.59% | -12.30% | 39.04% | 31.11% | -8.02% | 22.50% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, NUGT achieves a 11.72% return, which is significantly lower than UGL's 14.36% return. Over the past 10 years, NUGT has underperformed UGL with an annualized return of -0.92%, while UGL has yielded a comparatively higher 20.61% annualized return.
NUGT
- 1D
- 8.90%
- 1M
- -33.79%
- YTD
- 11.72%
- 6M
- 30.46%
- 1Y
- 233.84%
- 3Y*
- 71.95%
- 5Y*
- 29.87%
- 10Y*
- -0.92%
UGL
- 1D
- 3.30%
- 1M
- -21.80%
- YTD
- 14.36%
- 6M
- 37.39%
- 1Y
- 98.00%
- 3Y*
- 59.13%
- 5Y*
- 35.67%
- 10Y*
- 20.61%
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NUGT vs. UGL - Expense Ratio Comparison
NUGT has a 1.23% expense ratio, which is higher than UGL's 0.95% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
NUGT vs. UGL — Risk / Return Rank
NUGT
UGL
NUGT vs. UGL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT) and ProShares Ultra Gold (UGL). 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.
| NUGT | UGL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.57 | 1.78 | +0.79 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.51 | 2.11 | +0.40 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.37 | 1.31 | +0.06 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.31 | 2.59 | +1.72 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.80 | 8.76 | +5.05 |
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
| NUGT | UGL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.57 | 1.78 | +0.79 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.42 | 1.00 | -0.58 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.01 | 0.64 | -0.65 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.32 | 0.42 | -0.75 |
Correlation
The correlation between NUGT and UGL is 0.76, 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
NUGT vs. UGL - Dividend Comparison
NUGT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.27%, while UGL has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NUGT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares | 0.27% | 0.22% | 1.79% | 1.67% | 0.70% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.63% | 0.57% |
UGL ProShares Ultra Gold | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
NUGT vs. UGL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum NUGT drawdown since its inception was -99.97%, which is greater than UGL's maximum drawdown of -75.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NUGT and UGL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| NUGT | UGL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -99.97% | -75.93% | -24.04% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -53.58% | -37.56% | -16.02% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -73.79% | -40.23% | -33.56% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -96.91% | -46.23% | -50.68% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -99.74% | -25.85% | -73.89% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -91.43% | -43.76% | -47.67% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 16.75% | 11.11% | +5.64% |
Volatility
NUGT vs. UGL - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT) has a higher volatility of 33.96% compared to ProShares Ultra Gold (UGL) at 20.81%. This indicates that NUGT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UGL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| NUGT | UGL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 33.96% | 20.81% | +13.15% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 77.66% | 49.09% | +28.57% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 91.60% | 55.46% | +36.14% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 70.75% | 35.70% | +35.05% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 89.98% | 32.19% | +57.79% |