SMDD vs. GUSH

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ProShares UltraPro Short MidCap400 (SMDD) and Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Bull 2x Shares (GUSH).

SMDD and GUSH are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SMDD is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index (-300%). It was launched on Feb 11, 2010. GUSH is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Select Industry Index (300%). It was launched on Apr 1, 2020. Both SMDD and GUSH are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

SMDD vs. GUSH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ProShares UltraPro Short MidCap400 (SMDD) and Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Bull 2x Shares (GUSH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SMDD vs. GUSH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SMDD ProShares UltraPro Short MidCap400	-10.57%	-27.46%	-31.02%	-38.37%	7.69%	-58.01%	-74.71%	-53.34%	33.50%	-39.87%
GUSH Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Bull 2x Shares	87.03%	-19.39%	-12.73%	-7.23%	66.47%	129.94%	-97.38%	-52.68%	-74.28%	-40.21%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMDD achieves a -10.57% return, which is significantly lower than GUSH's 87.03% return. Over the past 10 years, SMDD has underperformed GUSH with an annualized return of -39.17%, while GUSH has yielded a comparatively higher -32.91% annualized return.

SMDD

• 1D: -2.72%
• 1M: 16.07%
• YTD: -10.57%
• 6M: -13.86%
• 1Y: -45.30%
• 3Y*: -31.84%
• 5Y*: -27.12%
• 10Y*: -39.17%

GUSH

• 1D: -7.69%
• 1M: 19.66%
• YTD: 87.03%
• 6M: 61.77%
• 1Y: 53.22%
• 3Y*: 12.65%
• 5Y*: 17.99%
• 10Y*: -32.91%

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

SMDD vs. GUSH - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMDD has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is lower than GUSH's 1.17% expense ratio.

GUSH

Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Bull 2x Shares

SMDD

ProShares UltraPro Short MidCap400

Return for Risk

SMDD vs. GUSH — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SMDD

SMDD Risk / Return Rank: 3
SMDD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
SMDD Sortino Ratio Rank: 2
SMDD Omega Ratio Rank: 2
SMDD Calmar Ratio Rank: 2
SMDD Martin Ratio Rank: 5

GUSH

GUSH Risk / Return Rank: 43
GUSH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
GUSH Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
GUSH Omega Ratio Rank: 48
GUSH Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
GUSH Martin Ratio Rank: 34

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.

SMDD vs. GUSH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares UltraPro Short MidCap400 (SMDD) and Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Bull 2x Shares (GUSH). 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.

	SMDD	GUSH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.72	0.79	-1.51
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.86	1.35	-2.21
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.89	1.19	-0.30
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.69	1.26	-1.95
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.86	3.14	-4.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMDD vs. GUSH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMDD Sharpe Ratio is -0.72, which is lower than the GUSH Sharpe Ratio of 0.79. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMDD and GUSH, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SMDD	GUSH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.72	0.79	-1.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.46	0.26	-0.73
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.62	-0.35	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.69	-0.43	-0.26

Correlation

The correlation between SMDD and GUSH is -0.56. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

SMDD vs. GUSH - Dividend Comparison

SMDD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.21%, more than GUSH's 1.33% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
SMDD ProShares UltraPro Short MidCap400	5.21%	4.96%	4.09%	3.86%	0.14%	0.00%	0.13%	1.51%	0.09%	0.00%	0.00%
GUSH Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Bull 2x Shares	1.33%	2.60%	2.96%	3.00%	0.47%	0.00%	0.20%	1.68%	0.17%	0.00%	3.26%

Drawdowns

SMDD vs. GUSH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMDD drawdown since its inception was -99.99%, roughly equal to the maximum GUSH drawdown of -99.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMDD and GUSH.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMDD	GUSH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.99%	-99.98%	-0.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-67.39%	-43.67%	-23.72%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-85.18%	-73.64%	-11.54%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-99.45%	-99.94%	+0.49%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.98%	-99.77%	-0.21%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-92.89%	-92.81%	-0.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	53.54%	17.57%	+35.97%

Volatility

SMDD vs. GUSH - Volatility Comparison

ProShares UltraPro Short MidCap400 (SMDD) has a higher volatility of 19.19% compared to Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Bull 2x Shares (GUSH) at 16.69%. This indicates that SMDD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GUSH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMDD	GUSH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	19.19%	16.69%	+2.50%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	35.81%	39.24%	-3.43%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	63.00%	67.59%	-4.59%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	58.82%	68.73%	-9.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	63.27%	94.30%	-31.03%