I have a confession to make. I’ve never shorted a stock or ETF in my life. That’s right, the guy who ran a few “long-short” mutual funds has never shorted anything. Or have I? You see, shorting involves borrowing shares, and taking the risk that the stock or ETF could move against you. Infinitely. There’s no limit to how much you can lose. Whereas with buying a put option, if you are the buyer, you can only lose the capital you put up. More News from Barchart I’ve always been very comfortable with that ...

For all things ETF, there’s no time like the present. There have been an astounding 1,000-plus ETF launches in the US this year. About $1.25 trillion flowed into those funds year to date through November, putting sales on track to surpass $1.4 trillion for the year. And assets are now well over $13 trillion. All of those, if it’s not obvious, are records. It’s been a popcorn-worthy event. While there have been plenty of bread-and-butter funds coming to the market (large blend, large value, etc.) there h ...

Core Insights - The article compares two leveraged ETFs, Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X Shares (SPXL) and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (SOXL), highlighting their different risk profiles and performance metrics [1][8]. Cost & Size Comparison - SPXL has an expense ratio of 0.87% and AUM of $6.2 billion, while SOXL has a lower expense ratio of 0.75% and AUM of $13.6 billion [3]. - The one-year return for SPXL is 30.47%, whereas SOXL has a significantly higher return of 50.52% [3]. - SPXL offers a dividend yield of 0.75%, compared to SOXL's yield of 0.53% [3]. Performance & Risk Comparison - Over five years, SPXL has a maximum drawdown of -63.80%, while SOXL has a much steeper drawdown of -90.46% [4]. - An investment of $1,000 in SPXL would grow to $3,158 over five years, while the same investment in SOXL would only grow to $1,390 [4]. Holdings Composition - SOXL is fully invested in the semiconductor sector, with 100% of its assets in technology stocks and 44 holdings, including major companies like Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom, and Nvidia [5]. - SPXL tracks the S&P 500, diversifying its risk across more than 500 stocks, with significant allocations in technology, financial services, and consumer cyclicals, featuring top holdings like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft [6]. Investment Implications - SOXL is characterized by higher volatility and risk, with a beta of 5.32, compared to SPXL's beta of 3.07, indicating more extreme price swings [3][9]. - Investors must weigh the potential for higher returns from SOXL against its increased risk, while SPXL offers more diversification and less volatility [11].

Core Insights - SSO and TQQQ are both leveraged ETFs designed for short-term traders seeking amplified index exposure, with SSO targeting 2x daily returns of the S&P 500 and TQQQ aiming for 3x daily returns of the Nasdaq-100 [5][6][8] - TQQQ has a higher concentration in technology (55% of total assets) compared to SSO, which has a more diversified sector mix [2][5] - Despite TQQQ's higher potential returns, it has exhibited greater volatility and downside risk, with a five-year max drawdown nearly double that of SSO [3][7][8] Fund Performance - Over the past five years, both SSO and TQQQ have roughly doubled an initial investment of $1,000, but SSO achieved this with less severe declines [3][6] - TQQQ's one- and five-year total returns are nearly identical to SSO's, despite experiencing much more volatility [7][8] Investment Considerations - Both funds are high-risk, high-reward investments, but SSO has been the stronger performer in recent years [6][8] - TQQQ offers advantages for fee-conscious and income-driven investors due to its lower expense ratio and higher yield, but these factors primarily benefit long-term investors [4][6]

Core Insights - The Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF (SPXL) and the ProShares - Ultra QQQ ETF (QLD) provide leveraged exposure to major U.S. stock indexes, with SPXL targeting triple the daily performance of the S&P 500 and QLD aiming for double the daily move in the Nasdaq-100 [1][2] Group 1: Fund Characteristics - SPXL has an expense ratio of 0.87% and a 1-year return of 12.12%, while QLD has an expense ratio of 0.95% and a 1-year return of 12.27% [3] - SPXL has a higher dividend yield of 0.75% compared to QLD's 0.18% [3] - SPXL manages $6.2 billion in assets under management (AUM), while QLD manages $10.6 billion [3] Group 2: Performance Metrics - Over the past five years, SPXL has a maximum drawdown of -63.80% and has grown $1,000 to $3,025, while QLD has a maximum drawdown of -63.68% and has grown $1,000 to $2,417 [4] Group 3: Sector Focus and Holdings - QLD is heavily concentrated in technology, with 55% of its assets allocated to that sector, while SPXL offers broader diversification across more than 500 stocks [5][6] - QLD holds just 101 stocks, with significant positions in Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft, whereas SPXL's largest holdings are similar but represent a smaller portion of its portfolio [5][6] Group 4: Investment Considerations - Both SPXL and QLD exhibit high volatility, with significant price fluctuations and similar performance metrics, but SPXL has slightly higher returns over the last five years [7] - Investors seeking exposure to tech stocks may prefer QLD, while those looking for magnified exposure to the S&P 500 might opt for SPXL [11]

Core Viewpoint - The ProShares Ultra S&P 500 ETF (SSO) and the Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF (SPXL) are both leveraged ETFs designed to amplify returns from daily movements in the S&P 500, with SPXL offering triple leverage and SSO offering double leverage, impacting their risk profiles and potential returns [1][2][7]. Cost and Size Comparison - Both SSO and SPXL have an expense ratio of 0.87% and similar costs, but SPXL has a slightly higher dividend yield of 0.75% compared to SSO's 0.69% [3]. - As of December 16, 2025, SSO has a one-year return of 16.54% while SPXL has a return of 17.10% [3]. - SSO has assets under management (AUM) of $7.3 billion, while SPXL has $6.2 billion [3]. Performance and Risk Comparison - Over five years, SSO has a maximum drawdown of -46.73%, while SPXL has a significantly higher drawdown of -63.80% [4]. - An investment of $1,000 would grow to $2,588 in SSO and $3,144 in SPXL over five years, indicating higher potential gains with SPXL but also greater risk [4]. - SPXL's higher beta of 3.07 compared to SSO's 2.02 indicates greater volatility and risk associated with SPXL [3][4]. Portfolio Composition - SPXL holds just over 500 stocks, with significant allocations in technology (35%), financial services (14%), and consumer cyclical (11%), with top holdings including Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft [5]. - SSO has a similar sector profile and top holdings as SPXL, but with 2x daily leverage [6]. Implications for Investors - Leveraged ETFs like SSO and SPXL present higher risks but also the potential for significant returns, with SPXL offering higher earning potential at the cost of increased volatility [7][8]. - SPXL's total returns have outperformed SSO over the past five years, but its higher max drawdown indicates more severe price fluctuations [8][9].

Although the broader equities market can occasionally vacillate between order and outright chaos, small-capitalization enterprises tend to amplify the extreme ends of behavioral distribution. By their nature, businesses that are less financially resourced must operate with tighter margins for error. They also tend to enjoy less diversified revenue streams and have greater dependence on economic momentum.In effect, small caps act as high-beta expressions of investor confidence — or lack thereof. It's no wond ...

All right, let's talk about the change in retail investor sentiment when it comes to the Mag 7. So, right now they're driving about a third of the action, a third of the volume when it comes to the Mag 7, but you say that's down quite a bit from the levels that we were at last year and the year before. What does that say about the thoughts that this is a bubble. What does that say about retail investor confidence in the AI trade.>> Well, we're we're still only like, you know, one 2% off all-time highs. So, ...

Recently the SEC halted its review of highly levered ETFs in a signal they may be attempting to curb this burgeoning asset class. Source: Bloomberg, 1-year return data from 12/31/2024 – 12/3/2025. 3-year return data from 12/4/2021 – 12/4/2025. For illustrative purposes only. In the past, levered ETFs like the ones above have been reserved for large index-like asset classes which typically don't exhibit outsized volatility before additional leverage is applied. Even so, when adjusting for their Beta (Risk!) ...

TECL data by YCharts Education is Paramount Risk-fueled and volatile — these are words that investors with low-risk profiles typically don't want to hear. However, for the uninhibited short-term trader, it's music to their ears. With that, leveraged exchange- traded funds (ETFs) have seen greater demand this year amid heavier volatility. Douglas Yones, Direxion Investments CEO, visited Bloomberg to discuss the opportunities for current and prospective investors in leveraged ETF products. "It's an exciting t ...