As the ETF universe has expanded by leaps and bounds in recent years, investors now have tools at their disposal to accomplish almost every objective. From plain vanilla stock and bond indexes to hyper-targeted regional and sector funds, there are ETFs to bet on just about every asset class. And there are also a number of ETFs that can be used to bet against certain asset asset classes, which can be powerful tools for turning a profit in the types of environments that generally bring a sea of red ink to portfolio statements. Inverse ETFs, also known as short ETFs, have become extremely popular for a wide variety of objectives, including as hedging tools and vehicles for speculating on declines in value [see Free Report: How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time].
Short ETFs 101
Short or inverse ETFs generally seek to deliver results that correspond to the inverse, or -100%, of the movement in a specified index over a given period of time. The last part of that objective is critically important to understanding the risk profile offered by these products; inverse ETFs strive to deliver the target multiple (i.e., -100%) over a specified period of time, which is generally a single day. When held for longer periods of time, inverse ETFs will not always deliver returns that correspond to the opposite of the underlying index over that period of time. [click to continue…]
As the ETF industry has rapidly expanded, so too have the options investors have for slicing and dicing markets. One of the most popular innovations in recent years has been the ability to access volatility through the exchange-traded structure; there are now multiple ETPs for gaining exposure to VIX contracts, including a number of inverse [...]
UBS continued to expand its lineup of monthly leveraged ETPs this month, debuting a product that is designed to deliver amplified exposure to international real estate firms. The new Monthly Pay 2x Leveraged Dow Jones International Real Estate ETN (RWXL) will deliver leveraged exposure to a benchmark that consists of REITs from around the world, [...]
Perhaps the most popular fad among investors over the past couple of years has been interest in dividend-paying stocks; with yields at record lows and risk aversion regularly spiking, portfolios have shifted towards stocks of companies known for making regular distributions of their cash flows. Not surprisingly, many investors are embracing ETFs to achieve exposure [...]
Assets in bond exchange-traded products have been climbing steadily for the past several years, reflecting an increased degree of comfort among investors with the idea of achieving fixed income exposure through the exchange-traded wrapper. The bond ETF universe has expanded quite a bit in recent years; there are now exchange-traded products that cover most major international [...]
VelocityShares has significantly increased its leveraged ETP lineup, recently announcing eight new products that offer amplified exposure to various natural resources. The new ETNs will offer 3x and -3x exposure to natural gas, crude oil, and Brent crude, as well as 2x and -2x products targeting indexes comprised of copper futures. The new ETNs will [...]
Just a few years ago there were only a handful of bond ETFs available to U.S. investors, and almost all of them focused on securities from U.S. issuers denominated in U.S. dollars. One of the most noteworthy innovations to shape the ETF industry over the last several years has been a significant growth in international [...]
Between the beginning of the second half of 2011 and the middle of December, few exchange-traded products endured a tougher stretch than the VelocityShares Daily Inverse VIX Short Term ETN (XIV); the exchange-traded note plummeted last summer as the “fear index” spiked and VIX futures markets entered a rare stage of backwardation. Those two elements–increases [...]
Equity markets endured a rocky day of trading as mixed economic data paved the way for profit-taking and relatively light-volume price action. The Dow Jones Industrial Average proved most resilient, gaining 0.17% on the day, while the Nasdaq lagged behind, slipping into negative territory and closing down 0.01%. Conglomerates and industrial goods stocks led the [...]
Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective. That certainly seemed to be the case when it comes to dividend-focused exchange-traded products in 2011. As investors have sought to enhance current return profiles while scaling back the risk of equity investments, the landscape has become cluttered with ETPs targeting stocks of dividend-paying companies. Currently there [...]
With 2011 nearly in the books, the ETF industry has set yet another record for product development and innovation. More than 300 exchange-traded products debuted this year, beginning in early January with the launch of the first VIX ETFs from ProShares and continuing through late December when RBS added another Trendpilot ETN to its lineup. [...]
