REK, SRS, and DRV are the three inverse REIT ETFs for Q3 2021 Inverse REIT ETFs aim to provide investors with short exposure to a basket of...
REK, SRS, and DRV are the three inverse REIT ETFs for Q3 2021
Traditional ETFs gain when their underlying index rises in price. However, inverse ETFs gain when the underlying index falls. They employ financial derivatives, such as index swaps, in order to provide short exposure for investors seeking to profit during a decline in the sector, or in a steeper downdraft such as a bear market.
Inverse ETFs can be riskier investments than non-inverse ETFs, because they are only designed to achieve the inverse of their benchmark's one-day returns. You should not expect that they will do so on longer-term returns. For example, an inverse ETF may return 1% on a day when its benchmark falls -1%, but you shouldn't expect it to return 10% in a year when its benchmark falls -10%. For more details, see this SEC alert.
Some inverse REIT ETFs employ leverage, amplifying the short exposure to the underlying index. An inverse REIT ETF that offers -2x leverage will increase 2% when the underlying index falls by 1%. But losses are also amplified, meaning that when the index rises 1%, the inverse REIT ETF offering -2x leverage falls 2%.
Leveraged ETFs can be riskier investments than non-leveraged ETFs given that they respond to daily movements in the underlying securities they represent, and losses can be amplified during adverse price moves. Furthermore, leveraged ETFs are designed to achieve their multiplier on one-day returns, but you should not expect that they will do so on longer-term returns. For example, a 2x ETF may return 2% on a day when its benchmark rises 1%, but you shouldn't expect it to return 20% in a year when its benchmark rises 10%. For more details, see this SEC alert.
There are 3 distinct inverse REIT ETFs that trade in the U.S. There is no benchmark for these ETFs as each one targets investment results on a daily basis. But for reference on how the overall REIT market and broader equity market have performed, the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index has provided a total return of 44.5% over the past year while the S&P 500 has provided a total return of 47.8%, as of May 17, 2021.1 The best-performing inverse REIT ETF, based on performance over the past year, is the ProShares Short Real Estate (REK). We examine the 3 inverse REIT ETFs below. All numbers below are as of May 18, 2021.
ETFs with very low assets under management (AUM), less than $50 million, usually have lower liquidity than larger ETFs. This can result in higher trading costs which can negate some of your investment gains or increase your losses.
ProShares Short Real Estate (REK)
Performance over 1-Year: -34.6%
Expense Ratio: 0.95%
Annual Dividend Yield: N/A
3-Month Average Daily Volume: 9,489
Assets Under Management: $8.3 million
Inception Date: March 16, 2010
Issuer: ProShares
REK offers daily short exposure to the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index, which has 82 constituents with a range of market capitalizations.3 The ETF uses various real estate index swaps to provide bearish investors with a daily return that is -1x that of its index. If the index falls by 1% on a given day, then REK is expected to rise 1%. The fund resets on a daily basis, resulting in compounding of returns when held for multiple periods. It is intended for investors with a high level of tolerance for risk and volatility, and is not meant to be held as a long-term investment.
ProShares Ultra Short Real Estate (SRS)
Performance over 1-Year: -58.8%
Expense Ratio: 0.95%
Annual Dividend Yield: N/A
3-Month Average Daily Volume: 83,079
Assets Under Management: $17.0 million
Inception Date: Jan. 30, 2007
Issuer: ProShares
SRS offers 2x daily short exposure to the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index. The ETF uses a variety of real estate index swaps to provide bearish investors with a return that is -2x that of its index. If the index falls 1% on a given day, then the fund is expected to return 2% on that day, before fees and expenses. SRS resets on a daily basis, resulting in compounding of returns over multiple periods. It is intended for sophisticated investors looking to hedge their real estate exposure or for speculating on declines in the real estate market.
Direxion Daily Real Estate Bear 3x Shares (DRV)
Performance over 1-Year: -76.9%
Expense Ratio: 1.08%
Annual Dividend Yield: N/A
3-Month Average Daily Volume: 143,916
Assets Under Management: $16.4 million
Inception Date: July 16, 2009
Issuer: Rafferty Asset Management
DRV offers 3x daily short exposure to the MSCI U.S. IMI Real Estate 25/50 Index, an index of all market cap segments of the U.S. real estate sector. The ETF uses various real estate index swaps to provide bearish investors with a daily return that is -3x the daily performance of its index. If the index falls 1% on a given day, DRV is expected to rise 3% on that same day. The fund resets on a daily basis, which results in the compounding of returns over multiple periods. It is intended for short-term hedging and speculative purposes, and not as part of a buy-and-hold strategy.
