OILU vs. UTSL
OILU (MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3X Leveraged ETN) and UTSL (Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares) are both exchange-traded funds - OILU is a Leveraged Commodities fund managed by BMO, while UTSL is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the Utilities Select Sector Index (300%). Over the past 3 years, OILU returned 6.45%/yr vs 20.77%/yr for UTSL. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. OILU charges 0.95%/yr vs 0.99%/yr for UTSL.
Performance
OILU vs. UTSL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, OILU achieves a 80.85% return, which is significantly higher than UTSL's 6.35% return.
OILU
- 1D
- 2.31%
- 1M
- -12.57%
- YTD
- 80.85%
- 6M
- 71.72%
- 1Y
- 69.93%
- 3Y*
- 6.45%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
UTSL
- 1D
- 3.20%
- 1M
- 2.56%
- YTD
- 6.35%
- 6M
- 6.90%
- 1Y
- 20.28%
- 3Y*
- 20.77%
- 5Y*
- 8.66%
- 10Y*
- —
OILU vs. UTSL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OILU MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3X Leveraged ETN | 80.85% | -16.50% | -21.65% | -32.50% | 151.08% | -16.79% |
UTSL Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares | 6.35% | 29.03% | 54.24% | -35.55% | -14.06% | 27.37% |
Correlation
The correlation between OILU and UTSL is 0.00, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.00 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 9, 2021 | 0.23 |
Over the past year, the correlation between OILU and UTSL has dropped to 0.00 - well below their long-term average of 0.23, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
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Return for Risk
OILU vs. UTSL — Risk / Return Rank
OILU
UTSL
OILU vs. UTSL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3X Leveraged ETN (OILU) and Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares (UTSL). 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.
| OILU | UTSL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.86 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.95 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.22 | 1.10 | +0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.37 | 0.64 | +1.73 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.62 | 1.30 | +4.31 |
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Drawdowns
OILU vs. UTSL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum OILU drawdown since its inception was -81.00%, roughly equal to the maximum UTSL drawdown of -79.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for OILU and UTSL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| OILU | UTSL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -81.00% | -79.55% | -1.45% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -33.51% | -28.45% | -5.06% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -69.09% | -46.22% | -22.87% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -68.01% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -51.36% | -21.69% | -29.67% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -50.54% | -33.19% | -17.35% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 14.12% | 13.87% | +0.25% |
Volatility
OILU vs. UTSL - Volatility Comparison
MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3X Leveraged ETN (OILU) has a higher volatility of 21.88% compared to Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares (UTSL) at 17.03%. This indicates that OILU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UTSL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| OILU | UTSL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 21.88% | 17.03% | +4.85% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 50.72% | 35.33% | +15.39% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 62.50% | 43.73% | +18.77% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 81.07% | 52.08% | +28.99% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 81.07% | 59.23% | +21.84% |
OILU vs. UTSL - Expense Ratio Comparison
OILU has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is lower than UTSL's 0.99% expense ratio.
Dividends
OILU vs. UTSL - Dividend Comparison
OILU has not paid dividends to shareholders, while UTSL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.71%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OILU MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3X Leveraged ETN | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
UTSL Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares | 1.71% | 1.69% | 1.61% | 3.61% | 1.15% | 1.19% | 1.40% | 5.01% | 1.46% | 0.57% |
Frequently Asked Questions
OILU and UTSL have a correlation of 0.00, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
OILU has higher volatility (21.88%) compared to UTSL (17.03%). In terms of maximum drawdown, OILU dropped -81.00% vs UTSL's -79.55%.
On 3-year performance, UTSL leads with 20.77% vs 6.45% for OILU. On fees, OILU is cheaper at 0.95% per year. On volatility, UTSL has been the lower-risk option at 17.03%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, UTSL has performed better with a 20.77% return vs 6.45%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
OILU is cheaper with a 0.95% expense ratio, compared with 0.99% for UTSL.
UTSL has the higher dividend yield at 1.71%, compared with 0.00% for OILU.
OILU is categorized as Leveraged Commodities, while UTSL is Leveraged Equities. They also come from different issuers: BMO and Direxion. Their fees differ too: 0.95% for OILU and 0.99% for UTSL.
OILU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.27 vs 0.42), 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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