SOXL vs. NRGU

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL) and MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU).

SOXL and NRGU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SOXL is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the PHLX Semiconductor Index (300%). It was launched on Mar 11, 2010. NRGU is a passively managed fund by BMO that tracks the performance of the Solactive MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index (-300%). It was launched on Apr 9, 2019. Both SOXL and NRGU 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

SOXL vs. NRGU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL) and MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SOXL vs. NRGU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
SOXL Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares	25.51%	33.46%
NRGU MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN	151.43%	-33.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SOXL achieves a 25.51% return, which is significantly lower than NRGU's 151.43% return.

SOXL

• 1D: 0.94%
• 1M: -1.25%
• YTD: 25.51%
• 6M: 34.98%
• 1Y: 225.54%
• 3Y*: 44.58%
• 5Y*: 5.09%
• 10Y*: 41.63%

NRGU

• 1D: 4.99%
• 1M: 33.05%
• YTD: 151.43%
• 6M: 127.39%
• 1Y: 77.42%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SOXL vs. NRGU - Expense Ratio Comparison

SOXL has a 0.99% expense ratio, which is higher than NRGU's 0.95% expense ratio.

SOXL

Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares

NRGU

MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN

Return for Risk

SOXL vs. NRGU — Risk / Return Rank

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

SOXL

SOXL Risk / Return Rank: 89
SOXL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
SOXL Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
SOXL Omega Ratio Rank: 84
SOXL Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
SOXL Martin Ratio Rank: 92

NRGU

NRGU Risk / Return Rank: 46
NRGU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
NRGU Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
NRGU Omega Ratio Rank: 56
NRGU Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
NRGU Martin Ratio Rank: 28

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.

SOXL vs. NRGU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL) and MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU). 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.

	SOXL	NRGU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.90	0.88	+1.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.45	1.56	+0.89
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	1.22	+0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.71	1.40	+3.30
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.21	2.86	+11.35
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SOXL vs. NRGU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SOXL Sharpe Ratio is 1.90, which is higher than the NRGU Sharpe Ratio of 0.88. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SOXL and NRGU, 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

	SOXL	NRGU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.90	0.88	+1.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.05	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.43	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.69	-0.33

Correlation

The correlation between SOXL and NRGU is 0.18, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

SOXL vs. NRGU - Dividend Comparison

SOXL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.15%, while NRGU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
SOXL Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares	0.15%	0.34%	1.18%	0.51%	1.07%	0.04%	0.05%	0.38%	1.30%	0.09%	4.84%
NRGU MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

SOXL vs. NRGU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SOXL drawdown since its inception was -90.46%, which is greater than NRGU's maximum drawdown of -57.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SOXL and NRGU.

Drawdown Indicators

	SOXL	NRGU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-90.46%	-57.50%	-32.96%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-43.47%	-35.74%	-7.73%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-90.46%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-90.46%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-26.59%	-13.28%	-13.31%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-35.33%	-25.34%	-9.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	16.32%	27.14%	-10.82%

Volatility

SOXL vs. NRGU - Volatility Comparison

Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL) has a higher volatility of 37.87% compared to MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU) at 23.60%. This indicates that SOXL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NRGU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SOXL	NRGU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	37.87%	23.60%	+14.27%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	79.76%	50.41%	+29.35%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	119.50%	88.30%	+31.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	105.36%	87.08%	+18.28%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	97.70%	87.08%	+10.62%