The Nasdaq and related ETFs have been among the better performers in U.S. markets in 2017 as investors shifted to growth stocks in an ongoing bull market rally.
The PowerShares QQQ (NasdaqGM: QQQ), which tracks the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 Index, increased 23.9% year-to-date.
This has been a good year for FAANG stocks, which include Facebook , Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google. As of the end of August, the FAANGs made up 35% of the Nasdaq-100’s total portfolio and contributed to 47% of the benchmark’s performance so far this year, according to a ProShares note.
Traders who believe in the ongoing momentum in the FAANGs and in growth stocks may capitalize on further moves through leveraged ETF options. For instance, the Ultra QQQ ProShares (NYSEArca: QLD) takes the double or 200% daily performance of the Nasdaq-100 and the ProShares UltraPro QQQ (NasdaqGM: TQQQ) mirrors the triple or 300% daily performance of the Nasdaq-100. Year-to-date, QLD jumped 50.1% while TQQQ surged 81.3%.
“Leveraged NASDAQ ETFs are useful and efficient investing tools with broad applications for enhancing returns,” according to a ProShares note. “Investors who believe the NASDAQ-100 is going to continue to rise might invest in a leveraged ETF like QLD or TQQQ to pursue greater potential gains than a traditional index fund could provide. Investors could also overweight the NASDAQ-100 in their portfolio while using less capital than they would with a conventional fund.”
On the other hand, traders who believe that the equity market rally has gone on too long and is due for a pullback may turn to inverse ETF options to hedge against potential market risks.
For example, the ProShares Short QQQ ETF (NYSEArca: PSQ) takes the inverse or -100% daily performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index. For the more aggressive trader, the ProShares UltraShort QQQ ETF (NYSEArca: QID) tracks the double inverse or -200% performance of the Nasdaq-100, and the ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ ETF (NasdaqGM: SQQQ) reflects the triple inverse or -300% of the Nasdaq-100.
“Inverse NASDAQ ETFs are useful and efficient investing tools for helping investors to profit from declines or to limit loss,” according to ProShares. “Investors who believe the NASDAQ-100 is going to fall might invest in PSQ, QID or SQQQ to pursue returns from the decline or to help hedge existing investments.”
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