dglbgnd.info

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

Just how important it is to fuel yourself after a workout?In my opinion, it depends… it depends on your goals and it also depends highly on how good your nutrition throughout the rest of the day is.Post workout nutrition (PWO) is a much debated topic, some people will swear by the importance of PWO nutrition within 30-40min of finishing a workout, while others will claim it’s not as important as made out to be. In this article I will cover both topics and explain the reasoning behind them.A post-workout meal could be a solid meal or liquid nutrition (meal replacement shake). When it comes to PWO nutrition soon after exercise, liquid nutrition is known to be an easy way to get the nutrients to the muscles quickly while they are highly receptive to it. The theory is that the insulin elevation brought on by a PWO shake will help shuttle carbohydrates and amino acids (proteins) into muscle cells and encourage protein synthesis.If you’re goal is to increase muscle mass, I would recommend a post workout shake within a maximum of 40min of finishing up your exercise session, and following up with a meal 60-90min later. The post workout shake should consist of high GI (Glycemic Index) carbohydrates, protein, micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, etc) and should be low in fat.In this case, it’s necessary to consume enough carbohydrates to promote a substantial insulin release, as spiking the insulin hormone will open up the window for carbohydrates and proteins to get into the muscles and start repairing tissue. It’s hard to say exactly how much carbohydrates you should consume, because if you consume too much the excess carbohydrates not used could turn into stored body fat.Research has shown however, that an intake of 0.8 to 1.2 grams per 1kg of body weight (that’s lean body mass), increases the insulin response and accelerates protein/muscle repair. If you want to use this math, I would recommend 0.8g of carbohydrates per 1kg of lean body weight, unless you have done a really long intense training session, in which case you may feel better consuming more.It’s also important to include micronutrients in your initial post-workout nutrition, as the micronutrients help in the transportation of protein to muscles, and dramatically enhances the rate of repair of muscle tissue (as there are more nutrients the body needs and can use). In addition, during a workout session, the body’s immune system gets damaged and increasing the micronutrient consumption post-workout and during the rest of the day, will help boost the immune system back to optimal/above optimal levels.Make sure though that your workout is worth it. A 30min high intensity session probably won’t bring your glycogen levels down low enough for them to need to be replaced. If you have a high GI post workout drink and your glycogen levels aren’t lowered, chances are you’re probably just going to spike your insulin levels higher than they need to be to contribute to long term health benefits, and as a result you will store fat.Now, if your goal is to reduce body fat then there is a whole other side to the PWO nutrition story, and that is to not have PWO nutrition directly after a workout session, but to fast (not eat) for 1.5-2hrs after your session.The main factor to keep in mind here is what nutrition you are eating during the day, if you are providing your body with efficient amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients during the day, a post-workout nutrition shake/meal isn’t all that necessary especially if the body composition goal in mind it to reduce stored body fat.I will only recommend fasting after a workout if you have an extremely good diet throughout the day (meaning you are providing your body with efficient amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients), as this nutrition alone should be enough for the body to repair itself after a workout, leaving a post-workout nutrition shake/meal becoming not all that necessary, especially if the body composition goal in mind it to reduce stored body fat.If the day’s nutrition is solid, I see no reason why muscle repair and performance goals would be affected by a lack of initial post-workout nutrition. If you do not eat a good diet however, then you just won’t be fueling your body correctly for this to take place.The idea of a post workout fast isn’t to starve yourself in order to reduce your total calorie intake, the idea however is too delay the meal in order too obtain the benefits of fasting without the calorie deficit. Calorie depriving is a whole different topic all together, but in short, calorie depriving is not good for you in the long term.A 1.5-2hr fasting window after a workout will require the body to burn up energy; if there is no energy coming in through food consumption, the body will look elsewhere, and the number one place for that is stored body fat. Hence the reason the post-workout fast can be quite beneficial to those wanting to reduce body fat.So make sure your diet is good, which it should be anyway if you are wanting to achieve optimal health and performance. Un-fortunately I know too many people who believe they eat really well, but in reality have a very poor diet in regards to nutritional quality and quantity. So here are some quick pointers on determining whether or not your diet will balance up a post workout fast;If you don’t feed your body bad foods (i.e. grains, starches, sugar, processed foods) instead of real food, you are most likely eating healthy and your body is running effectively. On a more thorough note though, when it comes to looking into your diet on a daily basis, if you eat the following, you are definitely on your way to good heath;
Eat at least 1.2g protein per Kg of lean muscle mass

Obtain carbohydrate sources from fruits and vegetables

Consume omega3 fish oil everyday

Consume enough calories for your body to function properly

Be consistent with good nutrition

If you are un-sure about the quality of your meals and your nutrition, monitor it for a week and look over it, measure and write down the food you eat, you may be surprised at what you are actually eating.In conclusion, if you want to lean out, delaying your PWO nutrition could be a good option. But if you want to put on muscle mass or have just completed a long workout where your glycogen levels are low, a PWO nutrition shake may become pretty important.And if you’re still un-certain as to what to do, play around with what happens to your body composition when having a PWO shake Vs not having one, then make a decision. There are many studies out there which will show benefits in both of these situations, but its best if you take a personal approach on the situation and see what works best for you, as there isn’t a single protocol that works well for everyone.