Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull… (PILL) Performance
PILL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +13.2% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +69.1% total return
- 5 years
- −4.3% a year
- Since first price
- −5.0% a year since 2017
PILL trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | PILL total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −17.5% | −17.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −27.6% | −27.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +15.1% | +15.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +13.2% | +13.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +69.1% | +68.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +169.4%+39.2%/yr | +161.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | −19.7%−4.3%/yr | −23.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionNov 15, 2017 | −36.8%−5.0%/yr | −40.6% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: PILL vs SPY
From Nov 15, 2017: PILL grew to $6,320, SPY to $34,014.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
PILL returns by calendar year
3 of 8 full years positive. Best 2025 (+75.1%), worst 2022 (−43.2%). 2026 is year to date.
PILL annual returns table
| Year | PILL | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +13.2% | −43.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +75.1% | −51.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | −7.3% | −38.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | −12.1% | −56.3% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −43.2% | −48.8% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | −37.3% | −56.7% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +0.3% | −76.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +19.3% | −60.0% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −21.1% | −52.8% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
PILL largest drawdowns
Now 61.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2018 | −88.8% | Apr 10, 2025 | not yet | 6.6 years | 8.2 years so far |
| Jan 29, 2018 | −42.9% | May 3, 2018 | Aug 20, 2018 | 3 months | 7 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
PILL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +31.7% | −1.2% | −4.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 64.1% | 58.0% | 60.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.66 | 0.19 | 0.17 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.23 | 0.31 | 0.27 |
| Best month | +48.8% | +48.8% | +50.2% |
| Worst month | −28.5% | −28.5% | −44.6% |
| Best 12 months | +254.4% | +254.4% | +254.4% |
| Worst 12 months | −30.6% | −49.7% | −66.6% |
| Positive months | 58% | 53% | 52% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.72 | 1.79 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.33 | 0.48 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
PILL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 96 | −66.6% | −10.8% | +254.4% | 40% |
| 3-year (a year) | 72 | −35.3% | −15.0% | +40.9% | 18% |
| 5-year (a year) | 48 | −28.5% | −16.8% | +2.8% | 2% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
PILL performance overview
Direxion Daily Pharmaceutical & Medical Bull… (PILL) returned +69.1% over the past year and −4.3% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned −5.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $6,320. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −88.8%, from Aug 29, 2018 to Apr 10, 2025; the fund has not yet regained that high. PILL finished 3 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+75.1%) and the worst 2022 (−43.2%). Volatility has been 60.5% a year.
Related: PILL chart, PILL dividends. See the PILL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
PILL performance FAQ
What is the PILL return over the past year?
PILL returned +69.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 68.3%.
What is the average annual return of PILL?
PILL has returned −4.3% a year over 5 years, −5.0% a year since November 15, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in PILL be worth?
$10,000 invested in PILL at its first recorded close on November 15, 2017 would be worth about $6,320 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for PILL?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −43.2%. The best was 2025 at +75.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of PILL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −88.8% between August 29, 2018 and April 10, 2025. It has not yet recovered to that high; it is 61.2% below its peak.
How volatile is PILL?
Over the past 3 years PILL had an annualized volatility of 64.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.66 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).