SOXL vs SOXX: Returns, Drawdowns and Dividends Since 2016
SOXL (Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF) moved the same way as SOXX (iShares Semiconductor ETF) on most days (a daily correlation of 0.998) but swung 3.0 times as much. SOXL came out ahead, returning 41.3% a year with dividends reinvested from January 2016 to November 2026, against 29.8% for SOXX.
Bought on any day and held five years, SOXX finished ahead 57% of the time, so the result depends on when you start. The extra return came with deeper falls: SOXL dropped 90.5% at its worst, SOXX 45.8%.
| Measure | SOXL | SOXX |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return | 41.3% | 29.8% |
| $10,000 grew to | $424,786 | $168,972 |
| Worst decline | −90.5%Oct 2022 | −45.8%Oct 2022 |
| Volatility Volatility How much the fund's daily returns swing: their standard deviation over this period, annualized with the square root of 252 trading days. | 101.6% | 34.3% |
| Sharpe ratio Sharpe ratio Return above T-bills for each unit of risk: daily returns minus the T-bill ETF BIL, averaged, divided by their standard deviation and annualized. Higher is better. T-bill funds show none. Sharpe ratio calculator | 0.83 | 0.87 |
| 12-month yield 12-month yield Cash dividends with ex-dividend dates in the past 12 months, divided by the latest closing price. | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Best year | +232.1%2019 | +67.1%2023 |
| Worst year | −85.7%2022 | −35.1%2022 |
| Correlation between them Correlation How closely the two funds' daily returns moved together over this period: 1 means identical every day, 0 means no relation. | 0.998 | |
SOXL: Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETFSOXX: iShares Semiconductor ETF
Jan 4, 2016 to Nov 4, 2026, dividends reinvested.
Hover or use the arrow keys to read any day.Tap or drag across the chart to read any day.
Worst declines
SOXL fell 90.5% from Dec 27, 2021 to Oct 14, 2022 and was back at its high on Feb 25, 2026. SOXX fell 45.8% from Dec 27, 2021 to Oct 14, 2022 and was back at its high on Dec 13, 2023.
Hover or use the arrow keys to read any day.Tap or drag across the chart to read any day.
Year by year
SOXL was ahead in 8 of the 11 calendar years.
| Year | SOXL | SOXX | Ahead (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Nov 4) | +58.5% | +49.8% | SOXL+8.6 |
| 2025 | +54.9% | +40.7% | SOXL+14.1 |
| 2024 | −12.3% | +12.9% | SOXX+25.3 |
| 2023 | +227.0% | +67.1% | SOXL+159.8 |
| 2022 | −85.7% | −35.1% | SOXX+50.6 |
| 2021 | +118.8% | +44.1% | SOXL+74.7 |
| 2020 | +70.0% | +52.7% | SOXL+17.3 |
| 2019 | +232.1% | +62.4% | SOXL+169.7 |
| 2018 | −39.1% | −6.5% | SOXX+32.6 |
| 2017 | +141.4% | +39.8% | SOXL+101.6 |
| 2016 (from Jan 4) | +131.8% | +40.0% | SOXL+91.8 |
Held for 1, 3 or 5 years: which came out ahead
Buy on any trading day from Jan 4, 2016, hold for a set time, and see which fund ended higher. The periods overlap, so they show how much the start date mattered, not separate results.
| Hold | Days tested | Ahead more often | Median lead (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 2,474 | SOXL62% | +32.7 |
| 3 years | 1,970 | SOXL58% | +39.9 |
| 5 years | 1,466 | SOXX57% | +34.8 |
Median lead is the typical gap in total return across all start dates, in percentage points. The latest 5-year hold starts on Oct 27, 2021.
Dividends
Over the past 12 months SOXL paid 0.1% of its price in dividends and SOXX 0.3%. The returns above already include them, reinvested on each ex-dividend date.
Dividends per share by year
| Year | SOXL | SOXX |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Nov 4) | $0.09 1 payment | $0.82 3 payments |
| 2025 | $0.14 3 payments | $1.72 4 payments |
| 2024 | $0.32 4 payments | $1.45 4 payments |
| 2023 | $0.16 4 payments | $1.50 4 payments |
| 2022 | $0.10 4 payments | $1.46 4 payments |
| 2021 | $0.03 2 payments | $1.15 5 payments |
| 2020 | $0.01 3 payments | $1.02 4 payments |
| 2019 | $0.07 4 payments | $1.03 4 payments |
| 2018 | $0.07 3 payments | $0.72 4 payments |
| 2017 | $0.01 1 payment | $0.51 4 payments |
| 2016 (from Jan 4) | $0.18 1 payment | $0.44 4 payments |
Per share in today's shares (earlier amounts are restated for share splits), by ex-dividend date.
The two funds
- SOXL
- Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF, an ETF launched Mar 11, 2010. FinLab prices start Jan 4, 2016.
- SOXL price and signal backtests
- SOXX
- iShares Semiconductor ETF, an ETF launched Jul 10, 2001. FinLab prices start Jan 4, 2016.
- SOXX price and signal backtests
More comparisons
Source: FinLab U.S. fund prices, Jan 4, 2016 to Nov 4, 2026, the days both funds traded. Returns use prices adjusted for dividends and splits, before taxes; annual return is compounded.
For research and education. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and this is not investment advice.