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NUGT vs. YCS
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

NUGT vs. YCS

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

NUGT (Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares) and YCS (ProShares UltraShort Yen) are both exchange-traded funds - NUGT is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (300%), while YCS is a Leveraged Currency fund tracking the USD/JPY Exchange Rate (-200%). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, NUGT returned -8.54%/yr vs 12.34%/yr for YCS. At a correlation of -0.30, they often move in opposite directions. NUGT charges 1.23%/yr vs 1.00%/yr for YCS.

Performance

NUGT vs. YCS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT) and ProShares UltraShort Yen (YCS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NUGT achieves a -16.05% return, which is significantly lower than YCS's 7.17% return. Over the past 10 years, NUGT has underperformed YCS with an annualized return of -8.54%, while YCS has yielded a comparatively higher 12.34% annualized return.

NUGT

1D
-6.64%
1M
-4.13%
YTD
-16.05%
6M
-6.29%
1Y
97.46%
3Y*
60.96%
5Y*
16.32%
10Y*
-8.54%

YCS

1D
0.17%
1M
4.42%
YTD
7.17%
6M
10.05%
1Y
32.82%
3Y*
19.84%
5Y*
23.54%
10Y*
12.34%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

NUGT vs. YCS - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
NUGT
Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares		-16.05%425.05%2.89%2.60%-32.10%-26.31%-60.16%100.73%-44.52%3.73%
YCS
ProShares UltraShort Yen		7.17%9.04%35.41%28.70%29.09%22.38%-11.18%3.37%-1.49%-6.57%

Correlation

The correlation between NUGT and YCS is -0.24, 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

-0.24

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

-0.26

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

-0.32

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.36

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 9, 2010

-0.30

The correlation between NUGT and YCS shifts across timeframes, from -0.36 (10 years) to -0.24 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares

ProShares UltraShort Yen

Often compared with NUGT:
NUGT vs. GDXUNUGT vs. UGLNUGT vs. JNUGNUGT vs. GLDNUGT vs. DUSTNUGT vs. SILNUGT vs. JDST
Often compared with YCS:
YCS vs. YCLYCS vs. JPYUSD=XYCS vs. PFIXYCS vs. TBTYCS vs. UUPYCS vs. BCSFYCS vs. SPY

Return for Risk

NUGT vs. YCS — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
NUGT
NUGT Risk / Return Rank: 3232
Overall Rank
NUGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2929
Sharpe Ratio Rank
NUGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 3030
Sortino Ratio Rank
NUGT Omega Ratio Rank: 3434
Omega Ratio Rank
NUGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 3737
Calmar Ratio Rank
NUGT Martin Ratio Rank: 2929
Martin Ratio Rank
YCS
YCS Risk / Return Rank: 6161
Overall Rank
YCS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5656
Sharpe Ratio Rank
YCS Sortino Ratio Rank: 4949
Sortino Ratio Rank
YCS Omega Ratio Rank: 5656
Omega Ratio Rank
YCS Calmar Ratio Rank: 7878
Calmar Ratio Rank
YCS Martin Ratio Rank: 6767
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

NUGT vs. YCS - 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 UltraShort Yen (YCS). 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.

NUGTYCSDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.09
1.92

-0.83

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.67
2.44

-0.77

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.23

1.35

-0.12

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.83

3.97

-2.14

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

4.18

12.40

-8.21

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NUGT vs. YCS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NUGT Sharpe Ratio is 1.09, which is lower than the YCS Sharpe Ratio of 1.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NUGT and YCS, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

NUGTYCSDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.09

1.92

-0.83

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.23

1.12

-0.89

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

-0.10

0.65

-0.75

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

-0.33

0.33

-0.66

Drawdowns

NUGT vs. YCS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NUGT drawdown since its inception was -99.97%, which is greater than YCS's maximum drawdown of -49.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NUGT and YCS.

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Drawdown Indicators

NUGTYCSDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-99.97%

-49.56%

-50.41%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-53.58%

-8.30%

-45.28%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-53.58%

-23.05%

-30.53%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-73.72%

-27.32%

-46.40%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-96.91%

-27.32%

-69.59%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-99.80%

0.00%

-99.80%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-91.52%

-19.93%

-71.59%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

23.39%

2.66%

+20.73%

Volatility

NUGT vs. YCS - Volatility Comparison

Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT) has a higher volatility of 30.32% compared to ProShares UltraShort Yen (YCS) at 2.75%. This indicates that NUGT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than YCS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

NUGTYCSDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

30.32%

2.75%

+27.57%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

75.18%

12.32%

+62.86%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

90.01%

17.27%

+72.74%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

71.96%

21.10%

+50.86%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

87.90%

19.01%

+68.89%

NUGT vs. YCS - Expense Ratio Comparison

NUGT has a 1.23% expense ratio, which is higher than YCS's 1.00% expense ratio.

Dividends

NUGT vs. YCS - Dividend Comparison

NUGT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.36%, while YCS has not paid dividends to shareholders.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018
NUGT
Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares		0.36%0.22%1.79%1.67%0.70%0.00%0.00%0.63%0.57%
YCS
ProShares UltraShort Yen		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

NUGT and YCS have a correlation of -0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

NUGT has higher volatility (30.32%) compared to YCS (2.75%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NUGT dropped -99.97% vs YCS's -49.56%.

On 10-year performance, YCS leads with 12.34% vs -8.54% for NUGT. On fees, YCS is cheaper at 1.00% per year. On volatility, YCS has been the lower-risk option at 2.75%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, YCS has performed better with a 12.34% return vs -8.54%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

YCS is cheaper with a 1.00% expense ratio, compared with 1.23% for NUGT.

NUGT has the higher dividend yield at 0.36%, compared with 0.00% for YCS.

NUGT is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while YCS is Leveraged Currency. NUGT tracks NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (300%), while YCS tracks USD/JPY Exchange Rate (-200%). They also come from different issuers: Direxion and ProShares. Their fees differ too: 1.23% for NUGT and 1.00% for YCS.

YCS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.92 vs 1.09), 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.

Portfolio Optimizer

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