Inverse and leveraged exchange traded funds (ETFs) have gained the spotlight this year amid the market volatility, as they’re designed to appreciate in value when the index they track loses money. Some of these use leverage which can either double your profit or give a corresponding loss. Rydex and Profunds are two firms that specialize in this type of ETF. Bill Donoghue for MarketWatch reports that Profunds actually introduced their ETFs before last spring’s market correction and has recently added the first foreign stock inverse and leveraged funds.
Why are these ETFs getting all the attention lately? A few reasons:
- Investors are finding creative new applications for ETFs.
- Institutional investors who are restricted from investing on margin or selling stocks short can invest in inverse or leveraged ETFs.
- There is a lack of competition from other fund families. Only the two aforementioned providers offer them.
- Mutual funds are monetizing cash positions by investing late in the day to get closer to fully-invested but liquid positions to expedite redemptions.
Inverse ETFs include:
Read the disclosure, as Tom Lydon is a member of the board of Rydex Investments.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Mr. Lydon serves as an independent trustee of certain mutual funds and ETFs that are managed by Guggenheim Investments; however, any opinions or forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Mr. Lydon and not those of Guggenheim Funds, Guggenheim Investments, Guggenheim Specialized Products, LLC or any of their affiliates. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.