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Security Comparison

AMZN vs AMZU: Daily Leverage, or Just the Shares?

A head-to-head of Direxion Daily AMZN Bull 2X Shares and Amazon common stock covering daily reset, cost, and why they are not substitutes.

Updated October 16, 2026

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

Best for

  • AMZNInvestors who want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee.
  • AMZUInvestors who want higher current income (2.25% while AMZN makes no distribution).

Jump to the side-by-side numbers

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Total returns

100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.

AMZN has outpaced AMZU over the trailing twelve months, posting a 16.57% total return against 9.24%. The lead holds up over 3 years too: AMZN has compounded at 23.55% a year, against 19.12% for AMZU. AMZN has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 31.9% against 61.6% for AMZU. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
SymbolYTD cumulative1Y cumulative3Y annualizedSince Sep 2022Volatility Sharpe Sortino Max drawdown
AMZN8.31%16.57%23.55%17.38%31.9%0.530.80-30.9%
AMZU-1.37%9.24%19.12%10.91%61.6%0.220.31-55.5%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of October 16, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Sep 2022” measures every fund from September 7, 2022 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Not a distribution payer

AMZN (Amazon.com, Inc.) has no distribution rate on file and its distribution frequency is None. AMZN is not a payer. The blank yield is not a zero yield.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
MetricAMZNAMZU
Full nameAmazon.com, Inc.Direxion Daily AMZN Bull 2X Shares
Issuer—Direxion
Last Close$250.00 as of October 16, 2026$33.90 as of October 16, 2026
Distribution rate—2.25%
Trailing 12-month yield—5.86%
Distribution Safety Score™ —63
Safety-Adjusted Yield —1.42%
Expense ratio—0.99%
AUM—$356M
Distribution frequencyNoneQuarterly
Underlying index—Amazon (AMZN)
ObjectiveOperates as an online retailer and web services provider. Segments include North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing platform.Seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 200% of the daily performance of the common stock of Amazon.com, Inc.
Asset classEquityEquity
Inception dateN/A09/06/2022
Beta1.4563.04
Last dividend—$0.191
Ex-dividend date—09/22/2026

Bottom lineChoose AMZN if you want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee. Choose AMZU if you want higher current income (2.25% while AMZN makes no distribution).

AMZN vs AMZU: the stock or 2x daily?

AMZN is the shares. AMZU seeks twice Amazon's daily move and resets. It is a trading vehicle, not a substitute.

AMZNAMZU
What you ownAmazon common stock2x daily Amazon
Expense ratioNone (common stock)0.99%
Daily resetNoYes

How the risk works

Read this before the income numbers below: the strategy mechanics on this page shape what those payouts can cost you.

  • Daily leverage reset. AMZU targets a multiple of the index's DAILY move, resetting every session. Over weeks and months the compounding of daily resets (volatility decay) can drag returns far below the stated multiple, especially in choppy markets — and losses are magnified the same way gains are.

Learn the mechanics: Why daily-reset leverage decays

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Income calculator

See how much monthly income a hypothetical investment would generate in each security at current yields.

Direxion
ETFs134
Total AUM$69.4B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

Direxion is known for offering leveraged and inverse ETFs that enable investors to amplify or hedge market exposure across various asset classes and market segments. The firm's fund lineup focuses primarily on income-generating strategies and leveraged products, featuring both daily leveraged long positions and inverse (bearish) funds designed for tactical trading and hedging purposes. The issuer maintains a broad range of tickers covering sectors, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and equity indices, appealing to active traders and investors seeking non-traditional exposure management tools.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on AMZU.

See all ETFs from Direxion

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Quick verdict

AMZN (Amazon.com, Inc.) is a stock, while AMZU (Direxion Daily AMZN Bull 2X Shares) is an ETF — their trading structures differ.

AMZU currently shows a 2.25% distribution yield. AMZN has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

Who should choose each?

Choose AMZN

Amazon.com, Inc.

  • Want direct stock ownership — full upside and dividend growth potential, no fund wrapper or expense ratio.
  • Prefer lower volatility — a beta of 1.5 vs 3.0 for AMZU.

Choose AMZU

Direxion Daily AMZN Bull 2X Shares

  • Want higher current income — AMZU yields 2.25% while AMZN makes no distribution.
  • Want broad equity exposure.

Not sure? Use the income calculator and snapshot above to weigh these trade-offs against your own goals.

Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, AMZN has no reported distribution yield yet, so a cash estimate is not available, while AMZU would produce $56.25 cash per distribution, at current distribution rates.

AMZN yield—
AMZU yield2.25%

Cost & efficiency

AMZU charges a 0.99% expense ratio — roughly $990 over 10 years on $10,000 (simplified, not compounded). AMZN is a stock, not a fund, so it charges no expense ratio.

AMZU ER0.99%

Strategy & risk

AMZN is a stock built around e-commerce & cloud exposure, while AMZU tracks Amazon (AMZN) with a leverage approach. Beta is 1.456 for AMZN and 3.04 for AMZU, making AMZN the less volatile of the two by this measure.

AMZN beta1.456
AMZU beta3.04

Security details

AMZN (Amazon.com, Inc.) is a stock. AMZU is managed by Direxion (launched 09/06/2022) with $356M in assets.

AMZU AUM$356M
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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between AMZU and AMZN?

AMZN (Amazon.com, Inc.) is the common stock. It keeps every move in Amazon's price and pays no regular dividend. AMZU (Direxion Daily AMZN Bull 2X Shares) seeks twice Amazon's daily move, then resets. That daily reset is the product. AMZU charges 0.99%; the stock has no expense ratio. Distributions are 2.25% as of October 2026. AMZU is a trading vehicle, not a substitute for the shares.

Which of AMZN or AMZU pays more dividend income?

AMZU currently reports a distribution yield, while AMZN has not yet established a full distribution history. A direct income comparison is not yet meaningful — check back once both funds have published several consecutive distributions.

What is the difference between AMZN and AMZU?

AMZN (Amazon.com, Inc.) is a stock built around e-commerce & cloud exposure, while AMZU (Direxion Daily AMZN Bull 2X Shares) tracks Amazon (AMZN) with a leverage approach. They are issued by — and Direxion respectively.

Can I hold both AMZN and AMZU?

Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.

Which has lower fees, AMZN or AMZU?

AMZU charges a 0.99% expense ratio. AMZN is a stock, not a fund, so it has no expense ratio — owning it directly costs nothing in ongoing fund fees.

How much income does $10,000 in AMZN vs AMZU generate?

At current rates, AMZN does not pay distributions, so there is no cash income to estimate. The same in AMZU would produce about $56.25 cash per distribution ($225.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, AMZN or AMZU?

AMZN has outpaced AMZU over the trailing twelve months, posting a 16.57% total return against 9.24%. The lead holds up over 3 years too: AMZN has compounded at 23.55% a year, against 19.12% for AMZU. AMZN has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 31.9% against 61.6% for AMZU. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

More comparisons to explore

AMZN vs AMZU — at a glance

Generated October 17, 2026.

Overview

AMZN is Amazon.com stock, the direct equity ownership stake in the e-commerce and cloud computing company. The key distinction: AMZN offers buy-and-hold exposure with no fees or distributions, while AMZU amplifies daily moves through leverage and charges an expense ratio, making it a tactical instrument rather than a passive holding.

How they differ

AMZN is a stock with no expense ratio, no ongoing payouts, and no rebalancing costs—you hold it as long as you wish. AMZN has a beta of 1.456, reflecting its sensitivity to broad market moves; AMZU's beta of 3.04 is roughly double, a direct result of its 2× leverage. AMZU was 4 years old at inception (09/06/2022), whereas AMZN has traded since 05/15/1997.

Who each is best for

AMZN: Investors seeking long-term equity participation in Amazon's e-commerce and cloud platforms without the friction of rebalancing costs, distributions, or leverage decay. Fits portfolios anchored on core holdings with no near-term trading intent.

AMZU: Traders or tactical allocators betting on Amazon price appreciation over a short time horizon—days to weeks—who are comfortable with daily reset mechanics and willing to accept that volatility will erode returns relative to 2× simple leverage. Not designed for multi-year buy-and-hold investing. A volatile move up and down doesn't return to the same dollar amount after reset, eroding NAV over time for longer-term holders. This is a feature of the fund's design, not a bug, but it is often misunderstood.

  • Single-name concentration. Both securities offer pure Amazon exposure with no diversification. Any idiosyncratic risk to Amazon—regulatory action, competitive disruption, management change—hits both equally, though AMZU amplifies the percentage move via leverage. Combined with 0.99% drag annually, costs compound for frequent traders or longer holding periods.

Bottom line

AMZN suits investors who want direct equity ownership with no fees or distribution complexity and are indifferent to leverage. AMZU appeals to traders making short-term directional bets who accept that daily resets will erode returns in volatile markets and that leverage is a cost, not a free amplifier. Past performance of either security does not predict future results.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

Learn the method

The metrics behind this comparison, explained in the Academy.

How to read a fund's stats How expense ratios eat returns Correlation between two funds

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These comparisons follow the Dividend Vision methodology.