RTH vs. RETL

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

RTH (VanEck Retail ETF) and RETL (Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares) are both exchange-traded funds - RTH is a Consumer Discretionary Equities fund tracking the MVIS US Listed Retail 25 Index, while RETL is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the Russell 1000 Retail Index (300%). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, RTH returned 14.09%/yr vs -4.91%/yr for RETL. Their 0.77 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. RTH charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.99%/yr for RETL.

Performance

RTH vs. RETL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (RETL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, RTH achieves a 7.50% return, which is significantly higher than RETL's 4.29% return. Over the past 10 years, RTH has outperformed RETL with an annualized return of 14.09%, while RETL has yielded a comparatively lower -4.91% annualized return.

RTH

• 1D: 2.96%
• 1M: 3.43%
• 6M: 2.95%
• YTD: 7.50%
• 1Y: 13.69%
• 3Y*: 15.58%
• 5Y*: 9.75%
• 10Y*: 14.09%
• ALL TIME*: 9.86%

RETL

• 1D: -2.65%
• 1M: 4.48%
• 6M: 1.86%
• YTD: 4.29%
• 1Y: 25.37%
• 3Y*: 6.42%
• 5Y*: -25.86%
• 10Y*: -4.91%
• ALL TIME*: 14.86%

*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)
RETL Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares	$3.76M	$4.05M	$5.48M
RTH VanEck Retail ETF	$1.33M	$1.20M	$1.33M

RTH vs. RETL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
RTH VanEck Retail ETF	7.50%	12.36%	20.02%	20.07%	-17.67%	24.94%	31.62%	29.06%	3.87%	22.45%
RETL Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares	4.29%	-5.98%	9.59%	33.62%	-80.80%	101.03%	63.63%	23.41%	-35.21%	-1.31%

Correlation

The correlation between RTH and RETL is 0.66, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.66
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.69
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.76
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.74
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 14, 2010	0.77

The correlation between RTH and RETL shifts across timeframes, from 0.66 (1 year) to 0.77 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

RTH vs. RETL - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	RTH	RETL
Consumer Cyclical	53.8%	75.2%
Consumer Defensive	28.2%	18.7%
Healthcare	15.0%	1.6%
Industrials	3.0%	-
Basic Materials	-	-
Communication Services	-	1.8%
Energy	-	0.3%
Financial Services	-	-
Real Estate	-	-
Technology	-	2.7%
Utilities	-	-

Return for Risk

RTH vs. RETL — Risk / Return Rank

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

RTH

RTH Risk / Return Rank: 39
RTH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
RTH Sortino Ratio Rank: 39
RTH Omega Ratio Rank: 35
RTH Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
RTH Martin Ratio Rank: 41

RETL

RETL Risk / Return Rank: 22
RETL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
RETL Sortino Ratio Rank: 26
RETL Omega Ratio Rank: 24
RETL Calmar Ratio Rank: 21
RETL Martin Ratio Rank: 19

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.

RTH vs. RETL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) and Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (RETL). 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.

	RTH	RETL	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.93	0.37	+0.56
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.46	0.97	+0.48
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.11	+0.06
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.57	0.59	+0.98
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.34	1.15	+3.19

RTH vs. RETL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current RTH Sharpe Ratio is 0.93, which is higher than the RETL Sharpe Ratio of 0.37. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of RTH and RETL, 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

RTH vs. RETL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum RTH drawdown since its inception was -42.32%, smaller than the maximum RETL drawdown of -92.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RTH and RETL.

Drawdown Indicators

	RTH	RETL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-42.32%	-92.00%	+49.68%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.83%	-38.08%	+30.25%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-13.80%	-62.72%	+48.92%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.00%	-92.00%	+67.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-25.00%	-92.00%	+67.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.65%	-82.09%	+81.44%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.32%	-37.99%	+30.67%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.83%	19.45%	-16.62%

Volatility

RTH vs. RETL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) is 5.18%, while Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (RETL) has a volatility of 17.87%. This indicates that RTH experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than RETL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	RTH	RETL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.18%	17.87%	-12.69%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.54%	44.19%	-33.65%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.28%	61.62%	-48.34%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.96%	79.45%	-62.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.62%	80.05%	-62.43%

RTH vs. RETL - Expense Ratio Comparison

RTH has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than RETL's 0.99% expense ratio.

Dividends

RTH vs. RETL - Dividend Comparison

RTH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.90%, more than RETL's 0.48% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
RETL Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares	0.48%	0.58%	1.13%	1.35%	0.71%	0.22%	0.19%	0.92%	1.19%	0.01%	2.60%	0.00%
RTH VanEck Retail ETF	0.90%	0.97%	0.77%	1.07%	1.16%	0.78%	0.64%	0.91%	1.05%	1.56%	1.84%	2.25%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both RTH and RETL in my portfolio?

RTH and RETL have a correlation of 0.66, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, RTH or RETL?

RETL has higher volatility (17.87%) compared to RTH (5.18%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RTH dropped -42.32% vs RETL's -92.00%.

Which ETF is better, RTH or RETL?

On 10-year performance, RTH leads with 14.09% vs -4.91% for RETL. On fees, RTH is cheaper at 0.35% per year. On volatility, RTH has been the lower-risk option at 5.18%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, RTH or RETL?

Over the 10-year period, RTH has performed better with a 14.09% return vs -4.91%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, RTH or RETL?

RTH is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.99% for RETL.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, RTH or RETL?

RTH has the higher dividend yield at 0.90%, compared with 0.48% for RETL.

What is the main difference between RTH and RETL?

RTH is categorized as Consumer Discretionary Equities, while RETL is Leveraged Equities. RTH tracks MVIS US Listed Retail 25 Index, while RETL tracks Russell 1000 Retail Index (300%). They also come from different issuers: VanEck and Direxion. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for RTH and 0.99% for RETL.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

RTH currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.93 vs 0.36), 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.