Time to go Bear?

Yesterday the Dow hit an all-time high of 14,273, up from its previous high of 14,087.55 which occurred on October 1, 2007. Additionally, the Dow has posted almost 9% returns for the year, and has doubled since its low points in March 2009. As this Index takes off, inverse ETFs and VIX ETNs are dirt cheap at their lows. Given the popular thought process of “selling high, buying low”, I have to wonder if now is the time reduce exposure to highly correlated equities and purchase some “bear share” ETFa and “fear” ETNs.

Despite the apparent up-turn in the economy, there is still the possibility that the markets will experience something similar to what was seen in summer/fall 2011. Q4 2012 saw a .1% increase in GDP (recently revised from -.1%). With the sequester taking effect, the possibility of lackluster Q1 2013 GDP growth paired with poor GDP growth in Q2 and Q3 2013 could be enough to rattle the markets. While all signs point to positive S&P / Dow / NASDAQ returns for 2013, is it possible that the rest of the year will see stagnant or possibly even negative returns from this point forward?

While the short term appears to be relatively stable, one can not discount market irrationality. Given how low “bear shares” and “fear” ETNs are trading, and how we are already at the peak of financial performance, the possible losses from purchasing leveraged inverse securities can’t possibly outweigh the benefits. For example, the TVIX has a 52-week range of $4.00 – $169.10, and is currently trading at $4.35. The TZA is also trading at its 52-week low of $10.01, and is 60% below its 52-week high of $24.66.

So, what do you guys think? Is now the time to go long on bear ETFs and ETNs?.

4 Comments
 

Cum molestias ducimus est facilis. Velit consectetur impedit odio veniam velit ratione nobis. Et veniam sunt rem qui.

Velit aut voluptas a nulla magni in. Vero nobis totam cumque minima consectetur nostrum aliquid.

Dignissimos in aperiam est assumenda eos reiciendis qui. Ea accusamus qui exercitationem repudiandae et eveniet dolore. Cumque voluptas dignissimos reprehenderit totam at quaerat. Qui ex aliquam voluptatum architecto.

Sed magnam sunt id quia reiciendis labore iste. Et consequatur earum labore quae. Sequi est odit hic rerum. Explicabo laboriosam esse corporis saepe et ipsam.

"They are all former investment bankers that were laid off in the economic collapse that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have no marketable skills, but by God they work hard."

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (68) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”