SPXS is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) launched in November 2008 and managed by Rafferty Asset Management. It seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300% of the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the S&P 500 Index. In practice, a 1% daily decline in the S&P 500 is designed to produce roughly a 3% gain for the fund before costs, while a 1% daily gain is designed to produce roughly a 3% loss.
The fund carries a net expense ratio of approximately 1.04% and is non-diversified, meaning it can concentrate risk more than a diversified fund. Rather than shorting hundreds of individual stocks, SPXS uses total return swaps (contracts that exchange the index's return for a financing payment) on the S&P 500, with cash and government or treasury money market instruments serving as collateral. Its reported holdings typically number around 13 positions; the largest include the Goldman Financial Square Treasury Instruments Fund, Dreyfus Government Cash Management, Dreyfus Treasury Securities Cash Management, and Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund, alongside multiple S&P 500 Index swap legs.
Because the fund has no conventional sector allocation, its effective exposure is inverse to the S&P 500's composition. The index is heavily weighted toward mega-cap technology, communication services, consumer discretionary, and financials. When those segments rise, SPXS tends to fall; when they decline, SPXS tends to rise. This structure explains why the fund's recent behavior has tracked broad index direction rather than any single industry catalyst.
Using the latest available price of $23.86 and the closing price of $26.98 from the session nearest 30 calendar days earlier, SPXS declined approximately 11.6%. The move was not a straight line: the fund initially edged higher in late July when the index briefly pulled back, then dropped sharply during a broad early-August equity rally before stabilizing near the lower end of its recent range.
Over the trailing quarter, the decline was larger. From a closing price of $27.69 roughly three months earlier to the latest price of $23.86, SPXS fell approximately 13.9%. The quarter's movement was trend-driven rather than range-bound, with intermittent countertrend bounces when large-cap equities paused or pulled back.
The dominant driver was a rising S&P 500. A widely followed S&P 500-tracking ETF, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), advanced about 4.3% over the same trailing 30-day window. Because SPXS is structured to deliver three times the inverse of the index's daily return, a moderately positive index stretch translates into a much larger percentage decline for the fund.
The sharpest losses occurred during a multi-session rally in large-cap equities in early August. In that stretch, the S&P 500 proxy climbed from roughly $747 to about $771, while SPXS dropped from about $26.57 to $24.08. Mega-cap technology and growth-oriented names, which carry substantial index weight, were central to the advance. Improved risk appetite and reduced demand for downside protection also weakened the tailwind that inverse products sometimes receive during volatile periods.
Because SPXS holds swaps rather than individual stocks, no single underlying company drove the decline. Instead, the performance reflected index-level strength, compounded by daily reset mechanics.
The trailing three-month trend was shaped by a persistent risk-on tone in U.S. large-cap equities. The S&P 500 advanced approximately 4.8% over the period, with gains concentrated in the index's largest constituents. For an inverse fund, a steady advance is especially challenging because the fund resets its exposure daily; in trending markets, daily rebalancing can create volatility drag, causing multi-period losses that differ from a simple -3x multiple of the index's cumulative return.
Sector rotation also mattered. Leadership from technology, communication services, and growth-oriented shares supported the index's advance and left SPXS with few sustained rallies. Meanwhile, cash-like collateral holdings contributed modest interest income but were not enough to offset the equity-driven decline.
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The most important forward-looking factors are the same forces that have driven the fund's recent decline: the direction and pace of the S&P 500, volatility, and the path of daily returns. Investors should monitor Federal Reserve policy expectations, inflation data, and economic growth indicators, since these influence large-cap equity sentiment and the leadership of mega-cap technology and growth shares.
Earnings cycles for the index's largest constituents, sector rotation between growth and value, and changes in equity-market volatility will also be critical. Sustained low volatility and gradual index gains historically create a difficult environment for daily-reset inverse funds, while sharper pullbacks can produce short-term gains. Additionally, fund-specific factors such as net expense ratio, swap costs, and the compounding effects of daily rebalancing remain relevant for any holding period longer than one day.
SPXS is designed for short-term tactical use by investors seeking to hedge or speculate on daily index declines, not as a long-term buy-and-hold position.
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
The RSI Oscillator for SPXS moved out of oversold territory on August 14, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is shifting from a downward trend to an upward trend. Traders may want to buy the stock or call options. The A.I.dvisor looked at 41 similar instances when the indicator left oversold territory. In of the 41 cases the stock moved higher. This puts the odds of a move higher at .
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on August 18, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on SPXS as a result. In of 76 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for SPXS just turned positive on August 20, 2026. Looking at past instances where SPXS's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 53 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where SPXS advanced for three days, in of 263 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
SPXS may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 47 cases where SPXS's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
SPXS moved below its 50-day moving average on July 31, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for SPXS crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on August 05, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 13 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SPXS declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
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