SQQQ: ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ ETF (2024)

Established in February 2010 by ProShares, the UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) is an inverse-leveraged exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index. The Nasdaq 100 is composed of the largest companies, both domestic and international, listed on the Nasdaq stock market, prioritized by total market capitalization, but excluding financial institutions.

The inverse-leveraged strategy for SQQQ means it attempts to reproduce a daily investment result that is roughly opposite the daily performance of its underlying index, and then multiply those results by a certain factor. The stated objective of SQQQ is to triple the opposite results of the Nasdaq-100.

This means investors in SQQQ are preparing for the greater nonfinancial stock market to struggle. Since the Nasdaq-100 tends to be heavily weighted toward technology, telecommunications, and health care stocks, the SQQQ should tend to perform well when these sectors perform poorly.

All inversely leveraged funds are made up of financial derivatives, and sometimes even derivatives of derivatives. To achieve the opposite of a specific asset, the fund managers have to trade in short positions and swaps, which essentially are bets the underlying security or investment performs poorly.

Key Takeaways

  • The ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) is a 3x leveraged inverse ETF that tracks the Nasdaq 100.
  • It seeks to return the exact results of the Nasdaq 100 index times negative three.
  • This ETF follows the Nasdaq 100, which is heavily weighted toward technology and telecommunications stocks.
  • The SQQQ is meant to be held intraday and is not a long-term investment, where expenses and decay will quickly eat into returns.
  • It is not appropriate to be a long-term holding, even among bearish investors.

SQQQ Characteristics

The fund provider for SQQQ, ProShares, was launched in 2006 and focuses on specific, targeted and relatively risky satellite holdings. Most of its ETFs are moderately small or very small, and SQQQ is no exception; total assets under management, or AUM, in Q1 2022 is $2.5 billion.

To finance the leveraged inverse position, the ETF also owns a large amount of U.S. Treasury securities from the proceeds of short positions.

SQQQ carries a relatively high expense ratio of .95%. This should not be surprising since the fund strategy requires occasionally liquefying derivative contracts before their optimal point; in-kind redemptions are very tricky for inverse-leveraged ETFs.

Suitability

It is paramount that investors understand SQQQ is a daily-targeted inverse ETF. ProShares designed this for short-term, high-risk, and high-reward gains in the event the Nasdaq-100 struggles. This fund is not suitable for a long-term hold; investors who buy-and-hold SQQQ find their returns badly damaged by expenses and decay.

Several key factors prevent SQQQ from serving as an acceptable core holding in an investor's portfolio. The first is the short-term focus of the fund; it is not a buy-and-hold ETF. Another area of concern is the fund size; tiny ETFs such as SQQQ can go through wild fluctuations and are always close to closing altogether.

The share prices for SQQQ also bank on a deviation from historical market performance. The Nasdaq-100 Index does not perfectly correlate with total stock market performance, but it is certainly a cyclical index. Since the general trend of the Nasdaq is to grow over time, the long-term outlook for a 3x inverse-leveraged ETF is bleak at best.

Because they utilize margined short positions and derivatives contracts leveraged inverse ETFs experience a negative roll that erodes their value quite quickly. As a result, even in a declining market, holding such an ETF can result in losses if held too long.

Recommendations

Before an investor considers buying SQQQ, he should fit a very targeted profile. First and foremost, the investor should have knowledge of and be comfortable with an inverse-leveraged ETF. Second, the investor must be able to trade quickly or have an adviser/broker who can do the same, to avoid decay.

The investor must also be comfortable with volatility. As of Q1 2022, SQQQ carries a trailing five-year beta of -2.06 and an astoundingly low alpha of negative 81.8. Its Sharpe Ratio is -1.77. While these are considered somewhat in line with the fund category, they are considerably more risky than the average ETF or mutual fund.

There are some advantages to having a daily-targeted leveraged ETF. For example, the fund is considerably more liquid than other funds of its size.

What Is the Best ETF to Short the Nasdaq?

There are several inverse ETFs available that gain when the Nasdaq 100 index falls. The ProShares Short QQQ (PSQ) returns the inverse of the index on a one-to-one basis. The ProShares UltraShort QQQ (QID) is a 2x inverse ETF, and the ProShares UltraPro UltraShort QQQ (SQQQ) is a 3x inverse ETF. The more leverage you have (i.e., 2x or 3x), the more the price movements will be amplified. Leveraged ETFs, however, decay due to their composition. As a result, the more leverage an ETF has, the shorter the holding period you should keep it.

What Is SQQQ Best Used for?

SQQQ is ideal for very short-term short bets against the Nasdaq 100 index. Overall, SQQQ best serves as a very specific and small satellite holding in an aggressive investor's portfolio. It is probably best used as a countercyclical buy for those who are convinced large-cap stocks will suffer in the very near future.

Can You Sell Short QQQ?

Yes. The QQQ, like other ETFs, resembles shares of stock in many ways. As such, if your broker can locate QQQ shares for you to borrow, you can sell them short. In terms of whether shorting a long ETF or going long an inverse ETF is better, it is often up to the trader. For longer holding periods, an inverse ETF may behave in an unusual manner.

SQQQ: ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ ETF (2024)

FAQs

How long should I hold SQQQ? ›

The SQQQ is meant to be held intraday and is not a long-term investment, where expenses and decay will quickly eat into returns.

Is it OK to hold SQQQ overnight? ›

It is important to remember that these securities are designed for daily use only, and are not intended to be held overnight, because their returns over longer periods generally do not match the ETP's negative multiple of the underlying index over longer periods.

Does SQQQ reset every day? ›

Analyst Report

Investors should note that SQQQ's leverage resets on a daily basis, which results in compounding of returns when held for multiple periods.

Is SQQQ bullish or bearish? ›

[Timing] Mild bullish 3 day candlestick pattern with Mild 3 day accumulation.

What makes SQQQ go up? ›

SQQQ is a highly leveraged, volatile fund. It's an inverse index fund meaning the price should go up when the market declines.

How long should you hold a 3x leveraged ETF? ›

A trader can hold the majority of these ETFs including TQQQ, FAS, TNA, SPXL, ERX, SOXL, TECL, USLV, EDC, and YINN for 150-250 days before suffering a 5% underperformance although a few, like NUGT, JNUG, UGAZ, UWT, and LABU are more volatile and suffer a 5% underperformance in less than 130 days and, in the case of JNUG ...

Should you hold QQQ stock for long term? ›

On the downside, long-term investors in QQQ must deal with sector risk, possible overvaluation, and the absence of small caps. Overall, QQQ can be a good long-term investment as part of a larger portfolio.

What happens if you hold leveraged ETFs long? ›

In the long term, new risks arise. Because of how leveraged ETFs are constructed, they are only intended for very short holding periods, such as intraday. Over time, their value will tend to decay even if the underlying price movements are favorable.

How long should you hold an ETF for? ›

Holding period:

If you hold ETF shares for one year or less, then gain is short-term capital gain. If you hold ETF shares for more than one year, then gain is long-term capital gain.

Can you hold short ETFs overnight? ›

Inverse ETFs have a one-day holding period. If an investor wants to hold the inverse ETF for longer than one day, the inverse ETF must undergo an almost daily operation called rebalancing. Inverse ETFs can be used to hedge a portfolio against market declines.

Why is SQQQ so low? ›

Like most levered and inverse ETFs, SQQQ tends to decline over time due to leverage decay and the fact that stocks generally rise in the long run. As such, SQQQ is best suited for a holding period with a maximum of about three months.

Can you hold inverse ETF long term? ›

Inverse ETFs aren't intended for long-term bearish movements or for hedging your portfolio against longer-term downswings because of the disadvantage of daily rebalancing.

What's the difference between QQQ and SQQQ? ›

QQQ is the stock ticker symbol for the Invesco 100 Trust exchange-traded fund. QQQQ is the ticker used previously and replaced in 2011.

Can QQQ go to 0? ›

"They all go to 0 over time." "If you hold them for more than a few days, you will lose money." The 3x Long Nasdaq 100 ETF (TQQQ) was launched in February 2010, over 8 years ago. Since its inception, it has advanced 4,357%, versus a gain of 378% for the unleveraged Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ).

Can SQQQ go below zero? ›

If QQQ trades sideways, both TQQQ and SQQQ will lose value. Can leveraged ETFs go below zero? No. The fund manager will either do a reverse spilt or redeem the shareholders shares before that happens.

Is SQQQ a good buy right now? ›

SQQQ holds several negative signals and we believe that it will still perform weakly in the next couple of days or weeks. We, therefore, hold a negative evaluation of this ETF. SQQQ ETF can be purchased through just about any brokerage firm, including online brokerage services.

What is the highest SQQQ has ever been? ›

The highest adjusted close price of SQQQ was $53911.05. The date of occurrence was 04-18-2013. The corresponding close (unadjusted) was $35.41. If you want to know the highest single-share unadjusted price, here is your answer.

What are the expectations for SQQQ? ›

The SQQQ ("SQQQ" ) future stock price will be 130.904 USD .

How much can you lose with leveraged ETFs? ›

As with the first example above, a triple-leveraged S&P 500 ETF loses 60% when the underlying index only loses 20%. In some rare cases, particularly when derivatives are used, a leveraged ETF can even lose all or most of its value.

Can you make money with leveraged ETFs? ›

Leveraged ETFs utilize forms of leverage, such as debt, futures, options, and other financial instruments in an effort to yield these higher returns. This makes leveraged ETFs both deeply lucrative and incredibly risky; potential gains are multiplied, but potential losses are, too.

Can you get liquidated on 3X leverage? ›

If it has losses on a given day, it will sell off some of its positions to reduce its leverage back to 3X to avoid liquidation. In extremely volatile situations, the leveraged token can also rebalance itself intraday. For example, it usually requires a 33% adverse move to liquidate a 3X token.

What if I invested $1,000 in QQQ 10 years ago? ›

By investing 1000$ in QQQ 10 years ago, you would have earned a total dividend of 179$ (until 2023-03-31). For more detailed history of QQQ stock dividend report.

How high will QQQ stock go? ›

QQQ Analyst Price Target

Based on 1,765 Wall Street analysts offering 12 month price targets to QQQ holdings in the last 3 months. The average price target is $358.29 with a high forecast of $455.93 and a low forecast of $274.55. The average price target represents a 12.37% change from the last price of $318.86.

Where will QQQ be in 5 years? ›

What will Invesco QQQ Trust fund price be worth in five years (2028)? The QQQ ("QQQ" ) future fund price will be 503.026 USD.

Why should you not hold leveraged ETFs? ›

Because leveraged single-stock ETFs in particular amplify the effect of price movements of the underlying individual stocks, investors holding these funds will experience even greater volatility and risk than investors who hold the underlying stock itself.

Can you lose more than you invest in leveraged stocks? ›

Using leverage is another technique that professional investors may use to provide greater potential for profit. It can also result in greater losses, although typically not more than you put in. In essence, leveraging allows you to use borrowed money to invest a greater amount and therefore amplify your results.

Can you lose more money than you invest in leveraged stocks? ›

Can You Lose More Money Than You Invested in a Leveraged ETF? No, you cannot lose more money than you invested in a leveraged ETF. This is one of the main reasons why leveraged ETFs are considered less risky than traditional leveraged trading, such as buying on margin or short-selling stocks.

When should you pull out of an ETF? ›

The top reasons for closing or liquidating an ETF include a lack of investor interest and a limited amount of assets. An investor may not choose an ETF because it is too narrowly-focused, too complex, or has a poor return on investment.

When should I sell my ETFs? ›

To get an ETF price that is more likely to represent its underlying value, place your trades at least 30 minutes after the market opens. It's also better to buy or sell ETFs when the market for the underlying asset is open.

How much of your money should be in ETFs? ›

ETFs can provide an easy way to be diversified and as such, the investor may want to have 75% or more of the portfolio in ETFs." To that end, Conzo says a more sophisticated investor may have additional needs.

Can you lose more than you invest in inverse ETFs? ›

An investor can only lose as much as they paid for the ETF with inverse ETFs. The inverse ETF becomes worthless in a worst-case scenario, but at least you won't owe anyone money, as you might when you short an asset in a traditional sense.

Can you hold short stock indefinitely? ›

There is no time limit on how long a short sale can or cannot be open for. Thus, a short sale is, by default, held indefinitely.

What happens to inverse ETF if market crashes? ›

It's true that if a recession hits and the stock market goes down rapidly, an inverse ETF based on a broad index like the S&P 500 is likely to rise. However, there are a few reasons why adding an inverse ETF to your portfolio is still a bad idea.

Is there a time decay on SQQQ? ›

It should be noted that the SQQQ and TQQQ ETFs are prone to time decay because they are made up of financial derivatives.

What time does SQQQ trade? ›

Investors may trade in the Pre-Market (4:00-9:30 a.m. ET) and the After Hours Market (4:00-8:00 p.m. ET).

What is the max pain for SQQQ? ›

The Max Pain for SQQQ options expiring on Apr 28, 2023 (7 days) is $30.00.

Can inverse ETFs go to zero? ›

Over the long-term, inverse ETFs with high levels of leverage, i.e., the funds that deliver three times the opposite returns, tend to converge to zero (Carver 2009 ). This also applies to the short ETFs with a lower leverage in cases of high volatility of the underlying index. ...

How do you make money with an inverse ETF? ›

Inverse ETFs, however, make money when the price of those stocks goes down. By using derivatives, including futures contracts such as commodity futures, an inverse ETF allows you to bet on the decline of a market or index.

Can an ETF lose all its value? ›

10. Broken ETF risk. Most of the time, ETFs work just like they're supposed to: happily tracking their indexes and trading close to net asset value. But sometimes, something in the ETF breaks, and prices can get way out of whack, especially in international markets.

Is it better to trade QQQ or spy? ›

Aside from SPY featuring five times more holdings and 50% more daily trading volume, the biggest difference is that QQQ is significantly more tech-focused. As a result, QQQ's performance tends to be more erratic – but higher overall – than the more diverse and “boring” SPY.

What is the best QQQ fund? ›

Here are the four leading NDX ETFs for investors to consider while making investments:
  • Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)
  • Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM)
  • ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) (3x leveraged)
  • ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) ((-3x) inverse exposure)
Feb 16, 2023

Which is better QQQ or QQQ? ›

QQQM tracks the NASDAQ-100 Index. The QQQM is functionally the same as the QQQ ETF, except it charges a slightly lower management fee offset by lower liquidity. For most investors, it is worthwhile to switch from QQQ to QQQM.

Can you sell short QQQ? ›

Yes. The QQQ, like other ETFs, resembles shares of stock in many ways. As such, if your broker can locate QQQ shares for you to borrow, you can sell them short.

Should I own QQQ? ›

Conclusion. QQQ stock is a great option for investors who want to make sure they don't miss out on the next Amazon or Google. When leading Nasdaq stocks get big, they land on the QQQ. This is a low-fuss way to own a diversified basket of hot stocks.

How much does QQQ go up every year? ›

Calculate your return

Invesco QQQ Market Price: YTD: -32.65%; 1YR: -32.65%; 3YR: 8.52%; 5YR: 12.12%; 10YR: 16.22%; Since Inception: 7.86%.

Why triple leveraged ETFs are bad? ›

The inherent structural problem with leveraged ETFs, especially the triple leveraged ETFs, is they're only designed to be held short-term as they only mirror the single-day performance of the underlying asset. To maintain a consistent leverage ratio (2X or 3X), they're rebalanced nightly.

How long should you hold an inverse ETF? ›

How long should you hold inverse ETFs? Inverse ETFs are intended for intraday trading — not longer. Although they can seem simple, inverse ETFs require considerable skill since they rebalance daily.

How long should you hold a short stock? ›

An investor should ideally hold a short position for as long as the investment is profitable and as long as one can reasonably expect the profits to increase in the future.

Can 3x ETF go to zero? ›

What Happens If Triple Leveraged ETFs Go to Zero? Leveraged ETF prices tend to decay over time, and triple leverage will tend to decay at a faster rate than 2x leverage. As a result, they can tend toward zero.

What is the 7 day ETF rule? ›

Availability and Scope of the ETF Rule

maintain their exchange listing may no longer rely on the ETF Rule and must satisfy individual redemption requests within seven days pursuant to Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act or liquidate if not listed on an exchange. See ETF Release at 61.

Is QQQ a good long-term investment? ›

The QQQ ETF offers investors big rewards during bull markets, the potential for long-term growth, ready liquidity, and low fees. QQQ usually declines more in bear markets, has high sector risk, often appears overvalued, and holds no small-cap stocks.

When should you close a short? ›

There are no set rules regarding how long a short sale can last before being closed out. The lender of the shorted shares can request that the shares be returned by the investor at any time, with minimal notice, but this rarely happens in practice so long as the short seller keeps paying their margin interest.

What happens if you short a stock and it goes to zero? ›

If the shares you shorted become worthless, you don't need to buy them back and will have made a 100% profit. Congratulations! Your hunch proved true.

Do heavily shorted stocks go up? ›

There are many examples of stocks that moved higher after they had a heavy short interest. But there are also many heavily shorted stocks that then keep falling in price. A heavy short interest does not mean that the price will rise.

How often does SQQQ reset? ›

Fund Overview

The fund achieves the -3x daily return target by entering into total return swaps with large banks that are reset nightly.

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