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SGOL vs. SPUU
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

SGOL vs. SPUU

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

SGOL (abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF) and SPUU (Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SGOL is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt), while SPUU is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the S&P 500 Index (200% Daily). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SGOL returned 12.74%/yr vs 24.31%/yr for SPUU. At a 0.02 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SGOL charges 0.17%/yr vs 0.60%/yr for SPUU.

Performance

SGOL vs. SPUU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) and Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF (SPUU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SGOL achieves a 0.32% return, which is significantly lower than SPUU's 14.92% return. Over the past 10 years, SGOL has underperformed SPUU with an annualized return of 12.74%, while SPUU has yielded a comparatively higher 24.31% annualized return.

SGOL

1D
0.22%
1M
-8.40%
YTD
0.32%
6M
3.15%
1Y
30.41%
3Y*
29.97%
5Y*
17.81%
10Y*
12.74%

SPUU

1D
0.60%
1M
0.07%
YTD
14.92%
6M
14.42%
1Y
45.91%
3Y*
35.91%
5Y*
19.28%
10Y*
24.31%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SGOL vs. SPUU - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
SGOL
abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF		0.32%63.99%26.90%12.99%-0.51%-3.94%25.03%18.21%-1.94%12.86%
SPUU
Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF		14.92%26.55%44.25%47.28%-38.72%61.27%21.85%66.84%-14.59%44.33%

Correlation

The correlation between SGOL and SPUU is 0.22, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.22

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.16

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.12

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.06

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 6, 2014

0.02

Over the past year, SGOL and SPUU have become more correlated (0.22) than their long-term average of 0.02, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF

Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF

Often compared with SGOL:
SGOL vs. GLDSGOL vs. IAUSGOL vs. GLDMSGOL vs. PHYSSGOL vs. BARSGOL vs. IAUMSGOL vs. AAAU
Often compared with SPUU:
SPUU vs. SSOSPUU vs. SPYSPUU vs. SPXLSPUU vs. VOOSPUU vs. QLDSPUU vs. DDMSPUU vs. QQQ

Return for Risk

SGOL vs. SPUU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
SGOL
SGOL Risk / Return Rank: 3434
Overall Rank
SGOL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3535
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SGOL Sortino Ratio Rank: 3131
Sortino Ratio Rank
SGOL Omega Ratio Rank: 3939
Omega Ratio Rank
SGOL Calmar Ratio Rank: 3434
Calmar Ratio Rank
SGOL Martin Ratio Rank: 2929
Martin Ratio Rank
SPUU
SPUU Risk / Return Rank: 6060
Overall Rank
SPUU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6363
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SPUU Sortino Ratio Rank: 5656
Sortino Ratio Rank
SPUU Omega Ratio Rank: 5858
Omega Ratio Rank
SPUU Calmar Ratio Rank: 5757
Calmar Ratio Rank
SPUU Martin Ratio Rank: 6666
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SGOL vs. SPUU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) and Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF (SPUU). 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.

SGOLSPUUDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.15
1.89

-0.74

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.54
2.43

-0.89

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.23

1.32

-0.09

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.53

2.54

-1.01

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

3.82

11.10

-7.28

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SGOL vs. SPUU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SGOL Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is lower than the SPUU Sharpe Ratio of 1.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SGOL and SPUU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

SGOLSPUUDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.15

1.89

-0.74

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

1.00

0.58

+0.42

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.80

0.68

+0.12

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.54

0.62

-0.08

Drawdowns

SGOL vs. SPUU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SGOL drawdown since its inception was -45.51%, smaller than the maximum SPUU drawdown of -59.35%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SGOL and SPUU.

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Drawdown Indicators

SGOLSPUUDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-45.51%

-59.35%

+13.84%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-20.02%

-18.19%

-1.83%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-20.02%

-35.18%

+15.16%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-20.92%

-46.59%

+25.67%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-21.56%

-59.35%

+37.79%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-19.84%

-5.31%

-14.53%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-18.41%

-9.50%

-8.91%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

7.98%

4.15%

+3.83%

Volatility

SGOL vs. SPUU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) is 5.62%, while Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF (SPUU) has a volatility of 7.64%. This indicates that SGOL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPUU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

SGOLSPUUDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

5.62%

7.64%

-2.02%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

23.24%

18.95%

+4.29%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

26.58%

24.47%

+2.11%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

17.96%

33.54%

-15.58%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

15.95%

35.82%

-19.87%

SGOL vs. SPUU - Expense Ratio Comparison

SGOL has a 0.17% expense ratio, which is lower than SPUU's 0.60% expense ratio.

Dividends

SGOL vs. SPUU - Dividend Comparison

SGOL has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPUU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.40%.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
SGOL
abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
SPUU
Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF		1.40%1.63%0.55%0.83%0.88%3.04%8.03%1.80%5.50%6.96%8.08%4.42%

Frequently Asked Questions

SGOL and SPUU have a correlation of 0.22, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

SPUU has higher volatility (7.64%) compared to SGOL (5.62%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SGOL dropped -45.51% vs SPUU's -59.35%.

On 10-year performance, SPUU leads with 24.31% vs 12.74% for SGOL. On fees, SGOL is cheaper at 0.17% per year. On volatility, SGOL has been the lower-risk option at 5.62%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, SPUU has performed better with a 24.31% return vs 12.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SGOL is cheaper with a 0.17% expense ratio, compared with 0.60% for SPUU.

SPUU has the higher dividend yield at 1.40%, compared with 0.00% for SGOL.

SGOL is categorized as Gold, while SPUU is Leveraged Equities. SGOL tracks LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt), while SPUU tracks S&P 500 Index (200% Daily). They also come from different issuers: abrdn and Direxion. Their fees differ too: 0.17% for SGOL and 0.60% for SPUU.

SPUU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.89 vs 1.15), 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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