URAA vs. NUGT

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

URAA (Direxion Daily Uranium Industry Bull 2X Shares) and NUGT (Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares) are both Leveraged Equities funds from Direxion - URAA tracks the Solactive United States Uranium and Nuclear Energy ETF Select Index (200%) while NUGT tracks the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (300%). Both are passively managed. Over the past year, URAA returned 69.53% vs 102.38% for NUGT. At a 0.45 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. URAA charges 1.28%/yr vs 1.23%/yr for NUGT.

Performance

URAA vs. NUGT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Direxion Daily Uranium Industry Bull 2X Shares (URAA) and Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, URAA achieves a 10.16% return, which is significantly higher than NUGT's -13.45% return.

URAA

• 1D: -1.33%
• 1M: -16.02%
• YTD: 10.16%
• 6M: -9.50%
• 1Y: 69.53%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

NUGT

• 1D: 3.10%
• 1M: -1.32%
• YTD: -13.45%
• 6M: -4.04%
• 1Y: 102.38%
• 3Y*: 62.10%
• 5Y*: 17.04%
• 10Y*: -8.36%

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

URAA vs. NUGT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
URAA Direxion Daily Uranium Industry Bull 2X Shares	10.16%	88.33%	-26.53%
NUGT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares	-13.45%	425.05%	-5.25%

Correlation

The correlation between URAA and NUGT is 0.49, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.49
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 27, 2024	0.45

URAA vs. NUGT - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	URAA	NUGT
Energy	63.0%	-
Industrials	17.2%	-
Utilities	16.2%	-
Basic Materials	2.6%	100.0%
Technology	0.9%	-
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Financial Services	-	-
Healthcare	-	-
Real Estate	-	-

Return for Risk

URAA vs. NUGT — Risk / Return Rank

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

URAA

URAA Risk / Return Rank: 26
URAA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
URAA Sortino Ratio Rank: 29
URAA Omega Ratio Rank: 27
URAA Calmar Ratio Rank: 29
URAA Martin Ratio Rank: 22

NUGT

NUGT Risk / Return Rank: 34
NUGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
NUGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 33
NUGT Omega Ratio Rank: 37
NUGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
NUGT Martin Ratio Rank: 30

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.

URAA vs. NUGT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Uranium Industry Bull 2X Shares (URAA) and Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT). 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.

	URAA	NUGT	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.74	1.14	-0.40
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.57	1.71	-0.14
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.24	-0.06
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.40	1.92	-0.52
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.57	4.36	-1.79
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

URAA vs. NUGT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current URAA Sharpe Ratio is 0.74, which is lower than the NUGT Sharpe Ratio of 1.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of URAA and NUGT, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	URAA	NUGT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.74	1.14	-0.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.24	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	-0.10	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.28	-0.33	+0.60

Drawdowns

URAA vs. NUGT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum URAA drawdown since its inception was -67.45%, smaller than the maximum NUGT drawdown of -99.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for URAA and NUGT.

Drawdown Indicators

	URAA	NUGT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-67.45%	-99.97%	+32.52%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-49.91%	-53.58%	+3.67%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	—	-53.58%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-73.72%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-96.91%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-44.53%	-99.80%	+55.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-27.30%	-91.52%	+64.22%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	27.19%	23.59%	+3.60%

Volatility

URAA vs. NUGT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Direxion Daily Uranium Industry Bull 2X Shares (URAA) is 28.36%, while Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares (NUGT) has a volatility of 30.49%. This indicates that URAA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NUGT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	URAA	NUGT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	28.36%	30.49%	-2.13%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	72.56%	75.18%	-2.62%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	94.12%	90.00%	+4.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	88.87%	71.96%	+16.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	88.87%	87.89%	+0.98%

URAA vs. NUGT - Expense Ratio Comparison

URAA has a 1.28% expense ratio, which is higher than NUGT's 1.23% expense ratio.

Dividends

URAA vs. NUGT - Dividend Comparison

URAA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.24%, more than NUGT's 0.35% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
NUGT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 2X Shares	0.35%	0.22%	1.79%	1.67%	0.70%	0.00%	0.00%	0.63%	0.57%
URAA Direxion Daily Uranium Industry Bull 2X Shares	9.24%	9.14%	4.36%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both URAA and NUGT in my portfolio?

URAA and NUGT have a correlation of 0.49, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, URAA or NUGT?

NUGT has higher volatility (30.49%) compared to URAA (28.36%). In terms of maximum drawdown, URAA dropped -67.45% vs NUGT's -99.97%.

Which ETF is better, URAA or NUGT?

On 1-year performance, NUGT leads with 102.38% vs 69.53% for URAA. On fees, NUGT is cheaper at 1.23% per year. On volatility, URAA has been the lower-risk option at 28.36%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, URAA or NUGT?

Over the 1-year period, NUGT has performed better with a 102.38% return vs 69.53%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, URAA or NUGT?

NUGT is cheaper with a 1.23% expense ratio, compared with 1.28% for URAA.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, URAA or NUGT?

URAA has the higher dividend yield at 9.24%, compared with 0.35% for NUGT.

What is the main difference between URAA and NUGT?

URAA tracks Solactive United States Uranium and Nuclear Energy ETF Select Index (200%), while NUGT tracks NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (300%). Their fees differ too: 1.28% for URAA and 1.23% for NUGT.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NUGT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.14 vs 0.74), 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.