How Investors Can Make Money in a Bear Market With These 5 Inverse ETFs (VIDEO)
The Bears Have Had Their Time in the Sun For Most of 2022
A confluence of factors has resulted in rampant inflation and supply chain shortages. The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates to combat inflation, dramatically slowing home buying. The recently announced GDP numbers showed that GDP dropped relative to the prior year for the second quarter in a row, pointing toward the economy entering a recession.
Whether equities have fallen enough to account for the recession or if they have further to go is very much up for debate, with nobody knowing the correct answer. Any investors in the bear camp that believe there’s more downside coming should consider the following inverse ETFs, which should return significant gains if the fall continues.
1. ProShares Short S&P 500 (NYSE Arca: SH)
If one believes the overall market will fall due to the macro environment, one can’t go wrong by shorting the S&P 500. The ProShares Short S&P 500 ETF allows investors to do just that. The EFT uses a variety of financial instruments, including stock options, swaps and futures, to approximate the inverse performance of the S&P 500.
The large amount of work that goes into the ETF requires a relatively large fee to own the ETF. This makes day-trading the ETF the most attractive option for investors, but even those that buy and hold should profit handsomely if we enter a long-term recession.
Shares of ProShares Short S&P 500 are currently trading at $15.89 per share, up +0.32% on the day. YTD, SH ETF is up +17.36%.
Learn more about ProShares Short S&P 500: Website | Holdings | SH Chart
2. ProShares UltraShort S&P 500 (NYSE Arca: SDS)
This ETF is similar to the ProShares Short S&P 500 ETF, except it offers investors twice the leverage. This means it will move inversely to the S&P 500, but the swings will be twice as dramatic. Only those investors with a heightened risk tolerance should opt for this ETF. However, if the current trend continues, that higher risk would result in a higher return.
Shares of ProShares UltraShort S&P 500 last traded at $46.41 per share, up +0.78% on the day. YTD, SDS ETF is up +32.98%.
Learn more about ProShares UltraShort S&P 500: Website | Holdings | SDS Chart
Source: Optimized Portfolio YouTube
3. ProShares UltraPro Short S&P 500 (NYSE Arca: SPXU)
Again, this ETF is similar to the ProShares Short S&P 500 ETF, but this time the leverage is raised to three times the base ETF. This much leverage can result in huge swings in the share price, especially on days when major announcements or events occur. Only those with a rock-solid belief that the market is heading south and a very high-risk tolerance should consider this. All others, stay away.
Shares of ProShares UltraPro Short S&P 500 closed trading today at $17.73 per share, up +1.31% on the day. YTD, SPXU ETF is up +45.45%.
Learn more about ProShares UltraPro Short S&P 500: Website | Holdings | SPXU Chart
4. ProShares Short Russell 2000 (NYSE Arca: RWM)
While the S&P 500 comprises the 500 largest companies on the market, the Russell 2000 is a subset of the Russell 3000 index, which tracks the 3,000 largest companies. The Russell 2000 is the 2,000 smallest companies that make up the Russell 3000.
These companies are much smaller than those in the S&P 500, which means they are usually more volatile, making the ProShares Short Russell 2000 more volatile than its corresponding investment S&P 500 ETF. More volatility means higher returns and more significant losses, so risk tolerance again plays a factor.
Shares of ProShares Short Russell 2000 closed today’s trading session at $24.58 per share, up +0.82% on the day. YTD, RWM ETF is up +19.26%.
Learn more about ProShares Short Russell 2000: Website | Holdings | RWM Chart
5. ProShares UltraPro Short (NYSE Arca: SQQQ)
The last option on our list is the ProShares UltraPro Short, which seeks to return the inverse of the NASDAQ 100. Most of the companies in the NASDAQ 100 are tech companies, which have been some of the hardest hit during the correction. This ETF offers three times the leverage so that investors can expect large swings in the share price. If one believes that tech is still overvalued and has a significant risk, this is the inverse ETF to trade.
Shares of ProShares UltraPro Short are currently trading at $48.29 per share, up +2.24% on the day. YTD, SQQQ ETF is up +68.26%.
Learn more about ProShares UltraPro Short: Website | Holdings | SQQQ Chart
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Disclaimer: Wealthy VC does not hold a position in any of the stocks mentioned in this article.
