PILL vs. SPXL

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

PILL (Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares) and SPXL (Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF) are both Leveraged Equities funds from Direxion - PILL tracks the Dynamic Pharmaceuticals Intellidex Index while SPXL tracks the S&P 500. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, PILL returned -1.67%/yr vs 19.59%/yr for SPXL. Their 0.61 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. PILL charges 0.98%/yr vs 0.84%/yr for SPXL.

Performance

PILL vs. SPXL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) and Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF (SPXL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PILL achieves a 53.57% return, which is significantly higher than SPXL's 22.10% return.

PILL

• 1D: -7.82%
• 1M: 2.28%
• 6M: 62.55%
• YTD: 53.57%
• 1Y: 244.12%
• 3Y*: 27.36%
• 5Y*: -1.67%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: -1.75%

SPXL

• 1D: 2.01%
• 1M: -0.23%
• 6M: 18.15%
• YTD: 22.10%
• 1Y: 54.55%
• 3Y*: 41.56%
• 5Y*: 19.59%
• 10Y*: 28.61%
• ALL TIME*: 27.32%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares	$1.07M	$1.58M	$1.17M
SPXL Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF	$473.70M	$462.79M	$534.56M

PILL vs. SPXL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares	53.57%	75.14%	-7.26%	-12.06%	-43.16%	-37.33%	0.28%	19.26%	-21.15%	16.39%
SPXL Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF	22.10%	31.94%	63.61%	69.49%	-56.55%	98.75%	9.64%	102.80%	-25.11%	12.09%

Correlation

The correlation between PILL and SPXL is 0.39, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.39
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.52
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.59
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 15, 2017	0.61

Over the past year, the correlation between PILL and SPXL has dropped to 0.39 - well below their long-term average of 0.61, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

PILL vs. SPXL - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	PILL	SPXL
Healthcare	100.0%	2.1%
Basic Materials	-	0.4%
Communication Services	-	2.2%
Consumer Cyclical	-	2.1%
Consumer Defensive	-	1.1%
Energy	-	0.8%
Financial Services	-	2.9%
Industrials	-	1.8%
Real Estate	-	0.5%
Technology	-	9.0%
Utilities	-	0.6%

Return for Risk

PILL vs. SPXL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

PILL

PILL Risk / Return Rank: 95
PILL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
PILL Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
PILL Omega Ratio Rank: 92
PILL Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
PILL Martin Ratio Rank: 96

SPXL

SPXL Risk / Return Rank: 51
SPXL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
SPXL Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
SPXL Omega Ratio Rank: 48
SPXL Calmar Ratio Rank: 49
SPXL Martin Ratio Rank: 57

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

PILL vs. SPXL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) and Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF (SPXL). 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	SPXL	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.93	1.22	+2.71
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.65	1.72	+1.93
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.45	1.22	+0.23
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	7.71	1.76	+5.95
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	25.14	6.74	+18.40

PILL vs. SPXL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PILL Sharpe Ratio is 3.93, which is higher than the SPXL Sharpe Ratio of 1.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PILL and SPXL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

PILL vs. SPXL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PILL drawdown since its inception was -88.76%, which is greater than SPXL's maximum drawdown of -76.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PILL and SPXL.

Drawdown Indicators

	PILL	SPXL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-88.76%	-76.86%	-11.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-33.21%	-26.77%	-6.44%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-60.43%	-48.95%	-11.48%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-82.00%	-63.80%	-18.20%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-76.86%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-47.38%	-6.70%	-40.68%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-58.40%	-16.04%	-42.36%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.17%	6.98%	+3.19%

Volatility

PILL vs. SPXL - Volatility Comparison

Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares (PILL) has a higher volatility of 24.20% compared to Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF (SPXL) at 10.75%. This indicates that PILL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPXL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PILL	SPXL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	24.20%	10.75%	+13.45%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	51.16%	30.45%	+20.71%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	65.62%	38.62%	+27.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	60.99%	50.62%	+10.37%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	64.02%	53.45%	+10.57%

PILL vs. SPXL - Expense Ratio Comparison

PILL has a 0.98% expense ratio, which is higher than SPXL's 0.84% expense ratio.

Dividends

PILL vs. SPXL - Dividend Comparison

PILL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.36%, less than SPXL's 0.53% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PILL Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull 3X Shares	0.36%	0.69%	1.28%	1.83%	0.67%	0.00%	0.00%	0.38%	0.91%	0.10%
SPXL Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF	0.53%	0.69%	0.74%	0.98%	0.32%	0.11%	0.22%	0.84%	1.02%	3.88%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PILL and SPXL in my portfolio?

PILL and SPXL have a correlation of 0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PILL or SPXL?

PILL has higher volatility (24.20%) compared to SPXL (10.75%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PILL dropped -88.76% vs SPXL's -76.86%.

Which ETF is better, PILL or SPXL?

On 5-year performance, SPXL leads with 19.59% vs -1.67% for PILL. On fees, SPXL is cheaper at 0.84% per year. On volatility, SPXL has been the lower-risk option at 10.75%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, PILL or SPXL?

Over the 5-year period, SPXL has performed better with a 19.59% return vs -1.67%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, PILL or SPXL?

SPXL is cheaper with a 0.84% expense ratio, compared with 0.98% for PILL.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, PILL or SPXL?

SPXL has the higher dividend yield at 0.53%, compared with 0.36% for PILL.

What is the main difference between PILL and SPXL?

PILL tracks Dynamic Pharmaceuticals Intellidex Index, while SPXL tracks S&P 500. Their fees differ too: 0.98% for PILL and 0.84% for SPXL.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PILL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.93 vs 1.22), 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.