What is the riskiest ETF?
In contrast, the riskiest ETF in the Morningstar database, ProShares Ultra VIX Short-term Futures Fund (UVXY), has a three-year standard deviation of 132.9. The fund, of course, doesn't invest in stocks. It invests in volatility itself, as measured by the so-called Fear Index: The short-term CBOE VIX index.
The largest Aggressive ETF is the iShares Core Aggressive Allocation ETF AOA with $1.80B in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing Aggressive ETF was AOA at 12.08%. The most recent ETF launched in the Aggressive space was the iShares ESG Aware Aggressive Allocation ETF EAOA on 06/12/20.
Symbol | Name | YTD Return |
---|---|---|
NVD | GraniteShares 2x Short NVDA Daily ETF | -71.01% |
EVAV | Direxion Daily Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Bull 2X Shares | -63.05% |
TSLT | T-REX 2X Long Tesla Daily Target ETF | -62.43% |
TSLR | GraniteShares 2x Long TSLA Daily ETF | -60.71% |
The single biggest risk in ETFs is market risk.
For most standard, unleveraged ETFs that track an index, the maximum you can theoretically lose is the amount you invested, driving your investment value to zero. However, it's rare for broad-market ETFs to go to zero unless the entire market or sector it tracks collapses entirely.
- Simplify Volatility Premium ETF (SVOL) ...
- Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY) ...
- iPath S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ) ...
- iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) ...
- iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF (EFAV) ...
- SPDR SSGA US Small Cap Low Volatility Index ETF (SMLV)
QQQ is considered an aggressive growth investment, with higher short-term volatility than the S&P 500, which invests in companies in a more evenly distributed range of industries.
Symbol | Name | Avg Daily Share Volume (3mo) |
---|---|---|
SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 73,029,742 |
TQQQ | ProShares UltraPro QQQ | 72,957,648 |
SOXL | Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares | 71,244,563 |
XLF | Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund | 47,487,797 |
ETFs are less risky than individual stocks because they are diversified funds. Their investors also benefit from very low fees.
ETFs may close due to lack of investor interest or poor returns. For investors, the easiest way to exit an ETF investment is to sell it on the open market. Liquidation of ETFs is strictly regulated; when an ETF closes, any remaining shareholders will receive a payout based on what they had invested in the ETF.
Why is ETF not a good investment?
Buying high and selling low
At any given time, the spread on an ETF may be high, and the market price of shares may not correspond to the intraday value of the underlying securities. Those are not good times to transact business.
Typically, the issuer will give a minimum of 30 days' notice to allow investors to find an alternative ETF, or to alter their investment strategy. If you own ETF shares, you will receive cash equivalent to the value of your holding on the day of liquidation (not the value on the last day of trading).
Investing in an ETF that tracks a financial services index gives you ownership in a basket of financial stocks versus a single financial company. As the old cliché goes, you do not want to put all your eggs into one basket. An ETF can guard against volatility (up to a point) if some stocks within the ETF fall.
If Vanguard ever did go bankrupt, the funds would not be affected and would simply hire another firm to provide these services.
Since they maintain a fixed level of leverage, 3x ETFs eventually face complete collapse if the underlying index declines more than 33% on a single day. Even if none of these potential disasters occur, 3x ETFs have high fees that add up to significant losses in the long run.
For instance, some ETFs may come with fees, others might stray from the value of the underlying asset, ETFs are not always optimized for taxes, and of course — like any investment — ETFs also come with risk.
The largest Low Volatility ETF is the iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF USMV with $23.58B in assets. In the last trailing year, the best-performing Low Volatility ETF was USML at 14.31%. The most recent ETF launched in the Low Volatility space was the THOR Low Volatility ETF THLV on 09/12/22.
VTI - Volatility Comparison. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) have volatilities of 3.10% and 3.19%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations.
For these traders, there are more than 170 leveraged funds in the space targeting different asset classes. ProShares UltraPro QQQ is the most popular and liquid ETF in the leveraged space, with AUM of $21.9 billion and an average daily volume of 67.3 million shares a day.
Enter the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) and the Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM). For 2024, the S&P 500 is forecast to deliver EPS growth of 11.7%, solidly above the 10-year average of 8.4%. QQQ and QQQM follow the Nasdaq-100 Index. That benchmark has a long history of delivering EPS growth well in excess of the S&P 500.
How many ETFs should I own?
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
Ticker | Fund | 10-Yr Return |
---|---|---|
VGT | Vanguard Information Technology ETF | 19.60% |
IYW | iShares U.S. Technology ETF | 19.58% |
IXN | iShares Global Tech ETF | 18.20% |
IGM | iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF | 17.95% |
Mutual funds and ETFs may hold stocks, bonds, or commodities. Both can track indexes, but ETFs tend to be more cost-effective and liquid since they trade on exchanges like shares of stock. Mutual funds can offer active management and greater regulatory oversight at a higher cost and only allow transactions once daily.
Exchange-traded fund (ticker) | Assets under management | Expenses |
---|---|---|
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) | $78.2 billion | 0.06% |
Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) | $324.3 million | 0.13% |
SPDR Gold MiniShares (GLDM) | $6.8 billion | 0.10% |
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) | $24.8 billion | 0.15% |
Ticker | Fund name | 5-year return |
---|---|---|
SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | 30.70% |
XLK | Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund | 24.57% |
IYW | iShares U.S. Technology ETF | 24.09% |
FTEC | Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF | 22.79% |