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SPUU vs. SGOL
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

SPUU vs. SGOL

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

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

Performance

SPUU vs. SGOL - Performance Comparison

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

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Returns By Period

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

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%

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

SPUU vs. SGOL - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
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%
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%

Correlation

The correlation between SPUU and SGOL 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, SPUU and SGOL 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.

Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF

abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF

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

Return for Risk

SPUU vs. SGOL — Risk / Return Rank

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

SPUU vs. SGOL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

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

SPUUSGOLDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.89
1.15

+0.74

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.43
1.54

+0.89

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.32

1.23

+0.09

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.54

1.53

+1.01

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

11.10

3.82

+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.

SPUU vs. SGOL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SPUU Sharpe Ratio is 1.89, which is higher than the SGOL Sharpe Ratio of 1.15. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SPUU and SGOL, 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

SPUUSGOLDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.89

1.15

+0.74

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.58

1.00

-0.42

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.68

0.80

-0.12

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.62

0.54

+0.08

Drawdowns

SPUU vs. SGOL - Drawdown Comparison

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

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Drawdown Indicators

SPUUSGOLDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-59.35%

-45.51%

-13.84%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-18.19%

-20.02%

+1.83%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-35.18%

-20.02%

-15.16%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-46.59%

-20.92%

-25.67%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-59.35%

-21.56%

-37.79%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-5.31%

-19.84%

+14.53%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-9.50%

-18.41%

+8.91%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

4.15%

7.98%

-3.83%

Volatility

SPUU vs. SGOL - Volatility Comparison

Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF (SPUU) has a higher volatility of 7.64% compared to abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) at 5.62%. This indicates that SPUU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SGOL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

SPUUSGOLDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

7.64%

5.62%

+2.02%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

18.95%

23.24%

-4.29%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

24.47%

26.58%

-2.11%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

33.54%

17.96%

+15.58%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

35.82%

15.95%

+19.87%

SPUU vs. SGOL - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

Dividends

SPUU vs. SGOL - Dividend Comparison

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

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

SPUU and SGOL 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, SPUU dropped -59.35% vs SGOL's -45.51%.

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.

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

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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