With market volatility on the rise due to heightened tensions from the U.S. trade beef with China, Brexit negotiations, and general global uncertainty and political unrest, savvy investors are looking for ways to both capitalize on the increased market movement, and also hedge existing portfolios against potential market declines. Leveraged ETFs are one of the tools that serve investors with these goals quite well.
A leveraged exchange-traded fund is a type of marketable security that uses financial derivatives such as options contracts, futures, margin accounts, and debt to boost the returns of an underlying index. While a traditional ETF typically follows the securities in its underlying index on a one-to-one basis, a leveraged ETF may aim for a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. These ETFs can be designed for both short and long trades, so investors can access the upside and downside of market activity.
Here are 5 Leveraged ETFs for the second quarter of 2019. They come from an assortment of different industries, but offer investors the chance to participate more heavily in market movement:
Direxion Daily Gold Miners Index Bear 3X Shares (DUST)
The Direxion Daily Gold Miners Index Bull and Bear 3X Shares seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of either 300% or 300% of the inverse (or opposite) of the performance of the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index. While there is no guarantee the funds will meet their stated investment objectives, these leveraged ETFs seek a return that is 300% or -300% of the return of their benchmark index for a single day. The funds should not be expected to provide three times or negative three times the return of the benchmark’s cumulative return for periods greater than a day. The expense ratio is 1.05%.
The NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies that operate globally in both developed and emerging markets, and are involved primarily in mining for gold and, to a lesser extent, in mining for silver. The Index will limit the weight of companies whose revenues are more significantly exposed to silver mining to less than 20% of the Index at each rebalance date. The Index may include small- and mid-capitalization companies and foreign issuers.
Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bull and Bear 3X Shares (JDST)
The Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bull and Bear 3X Shares seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300%, or 300% of the inverse (or opposite), of the performance of the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index. There is no guarantee these funds will meet their stated investment objectives. These leveraged ETFs seek a return that is 300% or -300% of the return of their benchmark index for a single day. The funds should not be expected to provide three times or negative three times the return of the benchmark’s cumulative return for periods greater than a day. The fund expense ratio is 1.05%.
Direxion Daily Homebuilders & Supplies Bull 3X Shares (NAIL)
The Direxion Daily Homebuilders & Supplies Bull 3X Shares seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300% of the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Home Construction Index. There is no guarantee the fund will meet its stated investment objectives. This leveraged ETF seeks a return that is 300% of the return of its benchmark index for a single day. The fund should not be expected to provide three times the return of the benchmark’s cumulative return for periods greater than a day. The expense ratio is 1.03%.
The Dow Jones U.S. Select Home Construction Index (DJSHMBT) measures U.S companies in the home construction sector that provide a wide range of products and services related to homebuilding, including home construction and producers, sellers and suppliers of building materials, furnishings and fixtures and also home improvement retailers. The Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies.
Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull and Bear 3X Shares (LABD)
The Direxion Daily S&P Biotech Bull and Bear 3X Shares seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300%, or 300% of the inverse (or opposite), of the performance of the S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index. There is no guarantee the funds will meet their stated investment objectives. These leveraged ETFs seek a return that is 300% or -300% of the return of their benchmark index for a single day. The funds should not be expected to provide three times or negative three times the return of the benchmark’s cumulative return for periods greater than a day.
The S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index (SPSIBITR) is provided by Standard & Poor’s and includes domestic companies from the biotechnology industry. The Index is designed to measure the performance of the biotechnology sub-industry based on the Global Industry Classification Standards (GICS).
Direxion Daily FTSE China Bear 3X Shares (YANG)
The Direxion Daily FTSE China Bull and Bear 3X Shares seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300%, or 300% of the inverse (or opposite), of the performance of the FTSE China 50 Index. There is no guarantee the funds will meet their stated investment objectives. These leveraged ETFs seeks a return that is 300% or -300% of the return of their benchmark index for a single day. The funds should not be expected to provide three times or negative three times the return of the benchmark’s cumulative return for periods greater than a day.
For more leveraged ETF ideas, visit our Leveraged & Inverse ETF Channel.