PILL vs. GSG
PILL (Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares) and GSG (iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust) are both exchange-traded funds - PILL is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the Dynamic Pharmaceuticals Intellidex Index, while GSG is a Commodities fund tracking the S&P GSCI Total Return Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, PILL returned -11.92%/yr vs 15.74%/yr for GSG. At a 0.16 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. PILL charges 0.98%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for GSG.
Performance
PILL vs. GSG - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PILL achieves a -9.17% return, which is significantly lower than GSG's 42.58% return.
PILL
- 1D
- 2.86%
- 1M
- -15.52%
- YTD
- -9.17%
- 6M
- 0.63%
- 1Y
- 106.72%
- 3Y*
- 13.99%
- 5Y*
- -11.92%
- 10Y*
- —
GSG
- 1D
- 0.77%
- 1M
- -4.83%
- YTD
- 42.58%
- 6M
- 41.06%
- 1Y
- 51.52%
- 3Y*
- 19.31%
- 5Y*
- 15.74%
- 10Y*
- 7.69%
PILL vs. GSG - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares | -9.17% | 75.14% | -7.26% | -12.06% | -43.16% | -37.33% | 0.28% | 19.26% | -21.15% | 16.39% |
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 42.58% | 5.93% | 8.52% | -5.51% | 24.08% | 38.77% | -23.94% | 15.62% | -13.88% | 4.69% |
Correlation
The correlation between PILL and GSG is -0.23, 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 | -0.23 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.05 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.05 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 16, 2017 | 0.16 |
The correlation between PILL and GSG shifts across timeframes, from -0.23 (1 year) to 0.16 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
PILL vs. GSG — Risk / Return Rank
PILL
GSG
PILL vs. GSG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) and iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG). 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.
| PILL | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.52 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.57 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.28 | 1.40 | -0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 5.47 | -2.24 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.63 | 14.39 | -3.76 |
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
| PILL | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.74 | 2.26 | -0.52 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.20 | 0.70 | -0.90 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.35 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.12 | -0.09 | -0.03 |
Drawdowns
PILL vs. GSG - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PILL drawdown since its inception was -88.76%, roughly equal to the maximum GSG drawdown of -89.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PILL and GSG.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PILL | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -88.76% | -89.62% | +0.86% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -33.21% | -9.46% | -23.75% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -60.43% | -14.94% | -45.49% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -83.38% | -29.12% | -54.26% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -57.64% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -68.88% | -56.95% | -11.93% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -58.54% | -63.71% | +5.17% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 10.07% | 3.59% | +6.48% |
Volatility
PILL vs. GSG - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) has a higher volatility of 20.62% compared to iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) at 7.65%. This indicates that PILL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GSG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PILL | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 20.62% | 7.65% | +12.97% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 48.56% | 20.42% | +28.14% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 61.71% | 22.95% | +38.76% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 60.42% | 22.61% | +37.81% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 63.79% | 22.03% | +41.76% |
PILL vs. GSG - Expense Ratio Comparison
PILL has a 0.98% expense ratio, which is higher than GSG's 0.75% expense ratio.
Dividends
PILL vs. GSG - Dividend Comparison
PILL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.69%, while GSG has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares | 0.69% | 0.69% | 1.28% | 1.83% | 0.67% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.38% | 0.91% | 0.10% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PILL and GSG have a correlation of -0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PILL has higher volatility (20.62%) compared to GSG (7.65%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PILL dropped -88.76% vs GSG's -89.62%.
On 5-year performance, GSG leads with 15.74% vs -11.92% for PILL. On fees, GSG is cheaper at 0.75% per year. On volatility, GSG has been the lower-risk option at 7.65%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, GSG has performed better with a 15.74% return vs -11.92%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
GSG is cheaper with a 0.75% expense ratio, compared with 0.98% for PILL.
PILL has the higher dividend yield at 0.69%, compared with 0.00% for GSG.
PILL is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while GSG is Commodities. PILL tracks Dynamic Pharmaceuticals Intellidex Index, while GSG tracks S&P GSCI Total Return Index. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.98% for PILL and 0.75% for GSG.
GSG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.26 vs 1.74), 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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