UTSL vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

UTSL (Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - UTSL is a Leveraged Equities fund tracking the Utilities Select Sector Index (300%), while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, UTSL returned 8.32%/yr vs 13.83%/yr for SPY. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. UTSL charges 0.99%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

UTSL vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares (UTSL) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UTSL achieves a 1.14% return, which is significantly lower than SPY's 10.91% return.

UTSL

• 1D: -1.50%
• 1M: -17.87%
• YTD: 1.14%
• 6M: -5.29%
• 1Y: 9.70%
• 3Y*: 20.67%
• 5Y*: 8.32%
• 10Y*: —

SPY

• 1D: -0.70%
• 1M: 5.05%
• YTD: 10.91%
• 6M: 10.91%
• 1Y: 27.98%
• 3Y*: 22.35%
• 5Y*: 13.83%
• 10Y*: 15.49%

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

UTSL vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
UTSL Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares	1.14%	29.03%	54.24%	-35.55%	-14.06%	48.16%	-38.58%	81.07%	-2.27%	11.26%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	10.91%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	28.73%	18.33%	31.22%	-4.57%	13.58%

Correlation

The correlation between UTSL and SPY is 0.21, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.21
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.28
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.37
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 4, 2017	0.37

The correlation between UTSL and SPY shifts across timeframes, from 0.21 (1 year) to 0.37 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

UTSL vs. SPY - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	UTSL	SPY
Utilities	100.0%	2.4%
Basic Materials	-	1.8%
Communication Services	-	11.3%
Consumer Cyclical	-	10.3%
Consumer Defensive	-	4.8%
Energy	-	3.6%
Financial Services	-	11.8%
Healthcare	-	8.4%
Industrials	-	7.8%
Real Estate	-	1.9%
Technology	-	35.9%

Return for Risk

UTSL vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

UTSL

UTSL Risk / Return Rank: 13
UTSL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 12
UTSL Sortino Ratio Rank: 13
UTSL Omega Ratio Rank: 13
UTSL Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
UTSL Martin Ratio Rank: 12

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 70
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 70
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

UTSL vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares (UTSL) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.

	UTSL	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.22	2.38	-2.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.60	3.24	-2.64
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.43	-0.36
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.34	3.16	-2.82
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.73	14.72	-13.98
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

UTSL vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UTSL Sharpe Ratio is 0.22, which is lower than the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.38. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UTSL and SPY, 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

	UTSL	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.22	2.38	-2.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.16	0.82	-0.65
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.87	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.13	0.59	-0.45

Drawdowns

UTSL vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UTSL drawdown since its inception was -79.55%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UTSL and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	UTSL	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-79.55%	-55.19%	-24.36%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-28.45%	-8.88%	-19.57%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-46.22%	-18.76%	-27.46%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-68.01%	-24.50%	-43.51%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-33.72%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-25.53%	-0.70%	-24.83%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-33.23%	-9.05%	-24.18%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.34%	1.91%	+11.43%

Volatility

UTSL vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares (UTSL) has a higher volatility of 16.50% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 2.84%. This indicates that UTSL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UTSL	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	16.50%	2.84%	+13.66%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	34.86%	8.90%	+25.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	43.41%	11.83%	+31.58%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	52.02%	17.05%	+34.97%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	59.28%	17.94%	+41.34%

UTSL vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

UTSL has a 0.99% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.

Dividends

UTSL vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

UTSL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.80%, more than SPY's 0.98% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	0.98%	1.07%	1.21%	1.40%	1.65%	1.20%	1.52%	1.75%	2.04%	1.80%	2.03%	2.06%
UTSL Direxion Daily Utilities Bull 3X Shares	1.80%	1.69%	1.61%	3.61%	1.15%	1.19%	1.40%	5.01%	1.46%	0.57%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both UTSL and SPY in my portfolio?

UTSL and SPY have a correlation of 0.21, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, UTSL or SPY?

UTSL has higher volatility (16.50%) compared to SPY (2.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UTSL dropped -79.55% vs SPY's -55.19%.

Which ETF is better, UTSL or SPY?

On 5-year performance, SPY leads with 13.83% vs 8.32% for UTSL. On fees, SPY is cheaper at 0.09% per year. On volatility, SPY has been the lower-risk option at 2.84%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, UTSL or SPY?

Over the 5-year period, SPY has performed better with a 13.83% return vs 8.32%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, UTSL or SPY?

SPY is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.99% for UTSL.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, UTSL or SPY?

UTSL has the higher dividend yield at 1.80%, compared with 0.98% for SPY.

What is the main difference between UTSL and SPY?

UTSL is categorized as Leveraged Equities, while SPY is S&P 500. UTSL tracks Utilities Select Sector Index (300%), while SPY tracks S&P 500 Index. They also come from different issuers: Direxion and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.99% for UTSL and 0.09% for SPY.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.38 vs 0.22), 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.