SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls

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.

All Natural Skin Care – What Does it Mean and Why Should You Care?

As we get older our skin ages, and as we start to notice ageing skin our thoughts turn to skin care. Today I want to examine the problems with mainstream anti aging products, find out what all natural skin care is and why this is important for you to know.Anti aging products are supposed to be good for us. They are supposed to reverse the effects of skin ageing and to reduce the visible results, namely wrinkles, skin sagging, fine lines, age spots and more. Using skin care products is supposed to be a positive in our life.But unfortunately for many people this is not the case. The numbers of people who suffer from allergies, skin irritation and skin problems like eczema from the use of mainstream big brand skin care products is huge. I know this because it’s happened to a member of my family and because I spend my time researching this.And there is one simple reason for this, a reason that does not apply to all natural skin care products.The reason is this. Many of the antaging brands that you may take for granted and perhaps even use every day contain a range of chemical and petrochemical ingredients, many of which are known to cause cancer and many of which lead to skin problems as well as other health problems.I spend much of my time researching skin care products and looking at the health implications of many of the chemical ingredients which are used in them. For example just this morning I was reading the results of a study done on mice which has been published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology which concluded that the use of moisturizers containing sodium lauryl sulphate increase the risk of skin cancer in mice by 69 percent.This is just one of the hundreds or even thousands of studies which have shown that many of the chemical ingredients used in modern big brand name skin care products can have a range of health implications. Ingredients such as mineral oil, parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate, fragrances, petroleum products and more are all used in many if not most of the big brand anti aging products that you see on the shelves every day. And each of these has been shown in various studies to put consumers at risk of health and skin problems.There are a wide range of well-known natural ingredients which are firmly established to be very beneficial to the health of your skin and which are perfectly safe to use in anti aging products such as all natural anti aging products. These ingredients are known to be safe and in many cases have been eaten by generations of people without negative health implications.Of course these natural ingredients are all available to any company to use in it’s anti aging products. However with billions of dollars at stake in this industry competition is voracious, including competition on price. Whilst all of these natural ingredients found in so many good all natural skin care products are relatively expensive chemical ingredients such as mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulphate are extremely cheap. These companies use cheap ingredients so that they can market their products at a competitive price and include in the budget plenty of money for television advertising.However this situation offers an opportunity to new players in the market, and to some older players, to develop products which take advantage of the growing awareness of the problem of chemical ingredients in anti aging products. These niche companies produce excellent all natural anti aging products using ingredients which are known to be safe and which are highly effective, and usually more so than the chemical ingredients used in the big brands.All natural skin care products work very effectively, and if you choose wisely they are perfectly safe for you to use on your skin, regardless of skin type, and will not cause any skin irritation or allergies or any other health problems.Note that I said “if you choose wisely”. There are many anti aging products advertised as all natural skin care products which contain many of the chemical ingredients used in the big brand names. There is no government regulation determining what can or cannot be used in anti aging products and what can or cannot be said on the label, so cheating is rife.The best all natural skin care products offer you an opportunity for excellent skin care without risking your health or your skin. They are highly effective and they need to be, because the best ones come with a money back guarantee to ensure that all customers are able to try the products risk free to establish for themselves how well they work.So if you’re becoming concerned about the problems with mainstream anti aging skin care products and you can be confident in the knowledge that, if you choose wisely, you can find excellent all natural skin care products that really do produce optimum skin health without the chemical risks.Visit my website to find out more.

Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Marketing

Digital marketing or online marketing as it is popularly known is a tool to carry on marketing for our product online.Direct email marketing, search engine optimization and search engine marketing are few of the tools which come under this category. They are becoming more and more common in the online world. It is a very popular form of advertising,Media is important now because we have access to a large number of data and more and more people are having access to this large data. They often view and review the data pertaining to customers tastes, ever changing choices, etc.Other forms of marketing include text messaging, mobile apps, electronic billboards, digital television and radio messages. All are powerful tools to enhance our visibility to the customers.Digital marketing is an umbrella term for all of your online marketing efforts. Businesses leverage digital channels such as Google search, social media, email, and their websites to connect with their current and prospective customers.From your website itself to your online branding assets — digital advertising, email marketing, online brochures, and beyond — there’s a huge spectrum of tactics and assets that fall under the umbrella of digital marketing. And the best digital marketers have a clear picture of how each asset or tactic supports their overarching goals.So What Exactly is Digital Marketing?
It is an umbrella term for all of your online marketing efforts. Businesses leverage digital channels such as Google search, social media, email, and their websites to connect with their current and prospective customers.From your website itself to your online branding assets — digital advertising, email marketing, online brochures, and beyond — there’s a huge spectrum of tactics and assets that fall under the umbrella of digital marketing. And the best digital marketers have a clear picture of how each asset or tactic supports their overarching goals.Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most common assets and tactics:AssetsYour website
Blog posts
eBooks and whitepapers
Infographics
Interactive tools
Social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
Earned online coverage (PR, social media, and reviews)
Online brochures and lookbooks
Branding assets (logos, fonts, etc.)
TacticsSearch Engine Optimization (SEO)The process of optimizing your website to ‘rank’ higher in search engine results pages, therefore increasing the amount of organic (or free) traffic that your website receives. (Read this post to teach yourself SEO in 30 days.)Content MarketingThe creation and promotion of content assets for the purpose of generating brand awareness, traffic growth, lead generation, or customers. (Learn what goes into a modern content marketing strategy here.)Inbound MarketingInbound marketing refers to the ‘full-funnel’ approach to attracting, converting, closing, and delighting customers using online content.Social Media MarketingThe practice of promoting your brand and your content on social media channels to increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads for your business. (Discover 41 resources for learning how to leverage social media marketing here.)Pay-Per-Click (PPC)A method of driving traffic to your website by paying a publisher every time your ad is clicked. One of the most common types of PPC is Google AdWords.Affiliate MarketingA type of performance-based advertising where you receive commission for promoting someone else’s products or services on your website.Native AdvertisingNative advertising refers to advertisements that are primarily content-led and featured on a platform alongside other, non-paid content. BuzzFeed sponsored posts are a good example, but many people also consider social media advertising to be ‘native’ — for example, Facebook and Instagram advertising.Marketing AutomationMarketing automation refers to the software that exists with the goal of automating marketing actions. Many marketing departments have to automate repetitive tasks such as emails, social media, and other website actions.Email MarketingCompanies use email marketing as a way of communicating with their audiences. Email is often used to promote content, discounts and events, as well as to direct people towards the business’ website. (Check out these 15 successful email marketing campaigns for inspiration.)Online PROnline PR is the practice of securing earned online coverage with digital publications, blogs, and other content-based websites. It’s much like traditional PR, but in the online space.What’s the Difference Between Digital Marketing and Inbound Marketing?
On the surface, the two seem similar: Both occur primarily online, and both focus on creating digital content for people to consume. So what’s the difference?The term ‘digital marketing’ doesn’t differentiate between push and pull marketing tactics (or what we might now refer to as ‘inbound’ and ‘outbound’ methods). Both can still fall under the umbrella of digital marketing.Digital outbound tactics aim to put a marketing message directly in front of as many people as possible in the online space — regardless of whether it’s relevant or welcomed. For example, the garish banner ads you see at the top of many websites try to push a product or promotion onto people who aren’t necessarily ready to receive it.On the other hand, marketers who employ digital inbound tactics use online content to attract their target customers onto their websites by providing assets that are helpful to them. One of the simplest yet most powerful inbound digital marketing assets is a blog, which allows your website to capitalize on the terms which your ideal customers are searching for.Ultimately, inbound marketing is a methodology that uses digital marketing assets to attract, convert, close, and delight customers online. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is simply an umbrella term to describe online marketing tactics of any kind, regardless of whether they’re considered inbound or outbound.Does Digital Marketing Work for All Businesses? B2B and B2C?
Digital marketing can work for any business in any industry. Regardless of what your company sells, digital marketing still involves building out buyer personas to identify your audience’s needs, and creating valuable online content. However, that’s not to say that all businesses should implement a digital marketing strategy in the same way.