PILL vs. CMDT
PILL (Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares) and CMDT (PIMCO Commodity Strategy Active Exchange-Traded Fund) are both exchange-traded funds - PILL is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the Dynamic Pharmaceuticals Intellidex Index, while CMDT is a Commodities fund tracking the Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Total Return Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, PILL returned 24.44%/yr vs 12.77%/yr for CMDT. At a 0.00 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. PILL charges 0.98%/yr vs 0.65%/yr for CMDT.
Performance
PILL vs. CMDT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PILL achieves a 26.72% return, which is significantly higher than CMDT's 13.43% return.
PILL
- 1D
- 5.13%
- 1M
- 27.73%
- YTD
- 26.72%
- 6M
- 23.80%
- 1Y
- 194.90%
- 3Y*
- 24.44%
- 5Y*
- -7.89%
- 10Y*
- —
CMDT
- 1D
- -1.14%
- 1M
- -8.86%
- YTD
- 13.43%
- 6M
- 13.42%
- 1Y
- 21.34%
- 3Y*
- 12.77%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
PILL vs. CMDT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares | 26.72% | 75.14% | -7.26% | -14.45% |
CMDT PIMCO Commodity Strategy Active Exchange-Traded Fund | 13.43% | 12.78% | 6.93% | 5.37% |
Correlation
The correlation between PILL and CMDT is -0.14, 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 | -0.14 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.02 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 10, 2023 | 0.00 |
The correlation between PILL and CMDT shifts across timeframes, from -0.14 (1 year) to 0.00 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
PILL vs. CMDT — Risk / Return Rank
PILL
CMDT
PILL vs. CMDT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) and PIMCO Commodity Strategy Active Exchange-Traded Fund (CMDT). 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.
| PILL | CMDT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.43 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.87 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 1.29 | +0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.91 | 1.93 | +3.98 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 19.45 | 9.62 | +9.83 |
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Drawdowns
PILL vs. CMDT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PILL drawdown since its inception was -88.76%, which is greater than CMDT's maximum drawdown of -11.11%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PILL and CMDT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PILL | CMDT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -88.76% | -11.11% | -77.65% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -33.21% | -11.11% | -22.10% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -60.43% | -11.11% | -49.32% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -83.26% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -56.58% | -11.11% | -45.47% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -58.54% | -2.77% | -55.77% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 10.07% | 2.25% | +7.82% |
Volatility
PILL vs. CMDT - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) has a higher volatility of 18.07% compared to PIMCO Commodity Strategy Active Exchange-Traded Fund (CMDT) at 3.26%. This indicates that PILL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CMDT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PILL | CMDT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 18.07% | 3.26% | +14.81% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 48.23% | 10.60% | +37.63% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 62.55% | 12.65% | +49.90% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 60.62% | 12.24% | +48.38% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 63.79% | 12.24% | +51.55% |
PILL vs. CMDT - Expense Ratio Comparison
PILL has a 0.98% expense ratio, which is higher than CMDT's 0.65% expense ratio.
Dividends
PILL vs. CMDT - Dividend Comparison
PILL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.49%, less than CMDT's 2.67% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CMDT PIMCO Commodity Strategy Active Exchange-Traded Fund | 2.67% | 3.04% | 8.80% | 2.71% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares | 0.49% | 0.69% | 1.28% | 1.83% | 0.67% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.38% | 0.91% | 0.10% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PILL and CMDT have a correlation of -0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PILL has higher volatility (18.07%) compared to CMDT (3.26%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PILL dropped -88.76% vs CMDT's -11.11%.
On 3-year performance, PILL leads with 24.44% vs 12.77% for CMDT. On fees, CMDT is cheaper at 0.65% per year. On volatility, CMDT has been the lower-risk option at 3.26%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, PILL has performed better with a 24.44% return vs 12.77%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
CMDT is cheaper with a 0.65% expense ratio, compared with 0.98% for PILL.
CMDT has the higher dividend yield at 2.67%, compared with 0.49% for PILL.
PILL is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while CMDT is Commodities. PILL tracks Dynamic Pharmaceuticals Intellidex Index, while CMDT tracks Bloomberg Roll Select Commodity Total Return Index. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and PIMCO. Their fees differ too: 0.98% for PILL and 0.65% for CMDT.
PILL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.14 vs 1.71), 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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