Top leveraged ETFs: KORU leads week of June 14, 2026

Direxion’s KORU was the top performer among leveraged and inverse ETFs for the week ending June 14, 2026, gaining about 35% as South Korean stocks rallied on easing Middle East tensions and stronger demand for AI-related memory chips.

KORU, the Direxion Daily MSCI South Korea Bull 3X ETF, provides 300% daily exposure to large- and mid-cap South Korean companies. The fund’s one-week return reflected broad buying across the South Korean market and heavy gains in domestic technology firms tied to memory-chip demand.

The Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF, SOXL, rose more than 28% after investors increased bets on chip demand tied to artificial intelligence and re-entered the sector following a prior sell-off. The PHLX Semiconductor Index, which SOXL seeks to triple on a daily basis, advanced during the week.

Two funds that target Robinhood Markets shares moved higher. HOOX, a 2x long target ETF for Robinhood, and ROBN, another 2x Robinhood-focused fund, each climbed about 26% after Robinhood reported stronger May operating metrics, received analyst upgrades and attracted renewed retail interest in prediction markets.

Retail-exposed ETFs posted gains. The Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X ETF, RETL, returned about 18.6% as lower oil prices and hopes for a diplomatic outcome in U.S.-Iran relations eased inflation pressures and supported retail stocks.

Individual stock and sector leveraged ETFs also rose. AMDL, a 2x daily fund for Advanced Micro Devices, gained more than 17% as AMD shares rallied on analyst upgrades and demand for custom AI chips. RIOX, a 2x daily fund for Riot Platforms, rose roughly 14.3% after the company signaled a shift toward AI and high-performance computing, expanded a lease with AMD and announced investments in nuclear-powered energy projects. PILL, a pharmaceutical and medical 3x fund, returned over 16% amid heightened corporate activity. EDC, a 3x emerging markets ETF, climbed as a softer U.S. dollar and expectations for looser global monetary policy supported emerging market shares. DPST, a 3x regional banks fund, was among the top performers after U.S. regional banks rose about 3% on rotation out of high-priced technology stocks and increased merger-and-acquisition talk.

Leveraged and inverse ETFs reset their exposure daily and are intended for short-term trading. Because returns compound across days, multi-day performance can differ from a simple multiple of the underlying index. Leverage can increase both gains and losses.

Traders increased use of these funds during the week to amplify exposure to rapid shifts in market risk appetite driven by geopolitical developments, macroeconomic signals and sector-specific news such as AI chip demand and corporate expansion plans.