SPXL vs. SGOV
SPXL (Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF) and SGOV (iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SPXL is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the S&P 500, while SGOV is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the ICE 0-3 Month US Treasury Securities Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SPXL returned 22.10%/yr vs 3.55%/yr for SGOV. At a correlation of -0.03, they often move in opposite directions. SPXL charges 0.84%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SGOV.
Performance
SPXL vs. SGOV - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SPXL achieves a 20.19% return, which is significantly higher than SGOV's 1.56% return.
SPXL
- 1D
- 0.75%
- 1M
- -0.39%
- YTD
- 20.19%
- 6M
- 19.28%
- 1Y
- 68.17%
- 3Y*
- 49.02%
- 5Y*
- 22.10%
- 10Y*
- 29.42%
SGOV
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 0.28%
- YTD
- 1.56%
- 6M
- 1.80%
- 1Y
- 3.95%
- 3Y*
- 4.70%
- 5Y*
- 3.55%
- 10Y*
- —
SPXL vs. SGOV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SPXL Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF | 20.19% | 31.94% | 63.61% | 69.49% | -56.55% | 98.75% | 79.95% |
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 1.56% | 4.24% | 5.27% | 5.12% | 1.58% | 0.04% | 0.04% |
Correlation
The correlation between SPXL and SGOV is -0.15, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.15 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.03 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.01 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 28, 2020 | -0.03 |
The correlation between SPXL and SGOV shifts across timeframes, from -0.15 (1 year) to -0.01 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
SPXL vs. SGOV — Risk / Return Rank
SPXL
SGOV
SPXL vs. SGOV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF (SPXL) and iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV). 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.
| SPXL | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -18.38 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -273.34 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 195.55 | -194.24 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.56 | 398.20 | -395.64 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.74 | 4,461.99 | -4,451.25 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| SPXL | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.89 | 20.28 | -18.38 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.44 | 14.78 | -14.34 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.55 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.52 | 12.50 | -11.98 |
Drawdowns
SPXL vs. SGOV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SPXL drawdown since its inception was -76.86%, which is greater than SGOV's maximum drawdown of -0.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPXL and SGOV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SPXL | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -76.86% | -0.03% | -76.83% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -26.77% | -0.01% | -26.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -48.95% | -0.01% | -48.94% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -63.80% | -0.03% | -63.77% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -76.86% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -8.16% | 0.00% | -8.16% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.72% | -0.00% | -15.72% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.37% | 0.00% | +6.37% |
Volatility
SPXL vs. SGOV - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF (SPXL) has a higher volatility of 11.41% compared to iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) at 0.06%. This indicates that SPXL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SGOV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SPXL | SGOV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 11.41% | 0.06% | +11.35% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 27.97% | 0.13% | +27.84% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 36.23% | 0.20% | +36.03% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 50.36% | 0.24% | +50.12% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 53.49% | 0.24% | +53.25% |
SPXL vs. SGOV - Expense Ratio Comparison
SPXL has a 0.84% expense ratio, which is higher than SGOV's 0.09% expense ratio.
Dividends
SPXL vs. SGOV - Dividend Comparison
SPXL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.56%, less than SGOV's 3.85% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SGOV iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 3.85% | 4.10% | 5.10% | 4.87% | 1.45% | 0.03% | 0.05% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SPXL Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X ETF | 0.56% | 0.69% | 0.74% | 0.98% | 0.32% | 0.11% | 0.22% | 0.84% | 1.02% | 3.88% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SPXL and SGOV have a correlation of -0.15, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SPXL has higher volatility (11.41%) compared to SGOV (0.06%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SPXL dropped -76.86% vs SGOV's -0.03%.
On 5-year performance, SPXL leads with 22.10% vs 3.55% for SGOV. On fees, SGOV is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SGOV has been the lower-risk option at 0.06%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, SPXL has performed better with a 22.10% return vs 3.55%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SGOV is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.84% for SPXL.
SGOV has the higher dividend yield at 3.85%, compared with 0.56% for SPXL.
SPXL is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while SGOV is Ultrashort Bond. SPXL tracks S&P 500, while SGOV tracks ICE 0-3 Month US Treasury Securities Index. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.84% for SPXL and 0.09% for SGOV.
SGOV currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (20.28 vs 1.89), 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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