The Evolution of Marketing Automation
While aiming to promote products and services successfully in the market, businesses had realized the importance of adopting marketing strategies early on. Due to the intense competition, marketing strategies got infused with the technological innovations in order to evolve out as the modern marketing, which is now embedded in the customer’s lives and affecting it at a rapid pace.Fortunately, from radio to internet and smart-phones, nowadays technology has revolutionized the ways marketers can reach to their potential customers. But, back then in the late 50′s, with almost no effective marketing channel, companies were finding it challenging to approach a huge customer base.This is how automation technology came into existence. It has traced its origins back from a Customer Relationship Management or CRM that came out of Rolodexes and a pack of business cards. It acted as a rescuer for the companies who were endeavoring to maintain their employees and client’s records into a central knowledge group. But, in no course of time, it became the fundamental business element and started finding its applications in professional business services as well.During the late 1980s, CRM platforms had gained more power in terms of customer support servicing, sales management, and forecasting. But, the high price tag kept it confined to few multinational corporations.In 1999, Mark Benioff, the founder of Salesforce, invented the Monthly Licence (MLC) fee model, with aiming to offer cost-effective and agile business model, that further introduced SaaS or Software as a Service. And in contrast, this technology evolved out as an amalgam of email capability, web analytics, and the Marketing Resource Management (MRM). With the advent of the internet, marketers were seeking potential ways to reach their customers. The pioneer of this space Eloqua came in 1999 and developed a product, later renowned as automated marketing service in 2003.Soon, the success of this trend led to the arrival of more players in the market such as Pardot, HubSpot, WhatsNexx etc, and industry started gaining momentum while shifting marketing automation services to cloud platforms.By 2008, new platforms such as HubSpot, Act-On, ruled the market, and the advent of social media marketing, content management, search engine optimization made marketers incorporating a variety of automation tools.In the period 2013-2014, the automation industry witnessed a huge growth financially through acquisitions when a giant marketing software company ExactTarget acquired a marketing automation company Pardot for $95.5 million and in turn, salesforce.com spent $2.5 billion to acquire ExactTarget, This is recorded as its largest acquisition ever.I found people wondering if CRM and marketing automation co-exists. In fact, few consider the later as a subset of the CRM industry which follows one of the marketing laws suggested by Al Ries and Jack Trout. To clarify, CRM is sales focused software while the other is user-centric software that completely focuses on marketing strategy. Where a CRM manages company’s interactions with their customers, a automation software streamlines company’s marketing tasks, and work-flows. However, these two, together, go hands in hand and reinforce company’s insights and efficiencies. A good CRM-marketing automation integration unleashes an opportunity to handle data management and strategies marketing plans.It can filter relevant data and required fields to standardize tagging and data, and ideal processes. Also, it can run auto-cleaning processes to clean the dumped data in a CRM system. Businesses utilizing automation software have witnessed an incredible growth of 451% in qualified leads and 14.5% in sales productivity as well as 12.2% marketing overhead reduction. We can conclude by saying that the future of marketing completely belongs to Marketing Automation.
SEO Marketing Services – Things to Consider When Hiring an Organic Internet Marketing Company
Being the owner of your business, you are already aware that without a focused Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign, your corporate website may not be able to draw the attention of sufficient number visitors. This in turn might prevent you from building a sufficiently large customer base in future. These days, when every business enterprise – small or big, has a web presence, it is a highly competitive task to make your site easily searchable by visitors. The SEO marketing industry thrives on this requirement. There are a lot of SEO marketing service providers in the market, practicing different SEO techniques. In this article, we will explore the points you should consider before hiring an organic SEO company.Organic SEO PracticesThe current trend in the SEO industry is organic SEO practices. What is organic SEO practice anyway? Organic SEO practice makes high-quality content as the weapon to beat competition. The high quality content is supplemented by meta-tag and title tag enhancements. Organic SEO service providers should be able to follow the workings of search engine algorithms closely. Researching for appropriate keywords and their distributed usage across the content is the key to success. Organic SEO service providers take step-by-step approach in dealing with your site’s SEO needs. The results, though it takes some time to trickle in, are usually long-lasting and cost-effective.Things to Consider Before You Sign upChoosing an organic SEO company from the market place teeming with SEO providers is not easy. You should take every precaution so that your hard-earned money is not wasted. Take care of the following points while evaluating an SEO provider:• The competition these days demands that your SEO provider should be a vertical expert. This means that the SEO provider should be sufficiently experienced in your industry domain.
• Secondly, the SEO company should practice clean SEO techniques. It should not indulge in gimmicky techniques like black hat SEO that are dubbed illegal by the search engines.
• Apart from focusing on high quality content, an organic SEO marketing company should be knowledgeable about advanced SEO techniques like keyword researching, optimization of internal website links, incorporation of SEO-friendly images etc.
• Your SEO service provider should be able to provide you with the following deliverables – a Website Status Report, and periodic status reports. The first report gives you a comprehensive analysis of your current search engine positioning, what you lack and where your competitors might gain. It also puts forward the SEO plan for your site. The periodic status report is a sort of progress report. It is very important in case of organic SEO campaign where results trickle in stages over a long period of time.At the end, I will like to reiterate a few things, which should be your take from this article. Firstly, you should subject your website to SEO techniques. Secondly, opt for organic SEO practices. Lastly, evaluate the credentials of shortlisted SEO companies well, before selecting one.
3 Sources Where Your Small Business Can Get A Loan Today – Yes, Even Your Small Business
Now, when we talk about small business loans, we mean just that – small business loans. We are not talking about a $1 million loan to purchase some commercial real estate or $500,000 to buy some investment property. We are not talking about a $3 million credit line just to show capital on a balance sheet. And, we are not talking about a $250,000 equipment loan for a regional construction company.We are talking about true small business credit – loans under $150,000. Capital amounts that the 22 million small businesses in this country could use at some point in time for working capital, to renovate their location, purchase inventory, marketing, meeting payroll, developing new products or to simply have the capital on hand to acquire and satisfy customers (what business is really about).But, we have heard ad nauseam that banks are just not lending to small businesses – claiming there is too much risk in smaller firms. So, many small companies are not even applying for credit anymore out of fear of being turned down. And, as a result, we are seeing small businesses not reach for or obtaining their full potential – essentially letting profitable opportunities slip by.However, just because banks don’t see the true value of small companies, that does not mean that others don’t – others who are willing to do what they can to fund your business.The Benefits Of Small BusinessThere are some 22 million small businesses in the U.S. and they are quite the power house.According to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, small businesses;Provide two-thirds of all new jobs in the nation.
Contribute almost 50% to our Gross Domestic Product.
Account for 97.8% of all exports. And,
Create 16.5% more innovation than larger firms.All items that help make America the country that it is.But, if banks think these firms are too risky, that is OK, because given the entrepreneurial spirit in this country, other financing firms (lenders) are stepping up to cover the small business loans that banks and traditional lenders will not. So now, you don’t have to be afraid of being turned down anymore.3 Sources That Will Fund Your Small Business1) SBA Loans: Sure, SBA loans have to go through banks – which are not lending. However, banks might not be lending for their own loan portfolios but they are lending under the SBA’s programs.Did you know that over the last three years, the SBA has been growing the number and dollar amount of the under $150,000 loans they back – even given that banks (who originate these products) are not approving them?From the latest SBA data;In 2012, the SBA guaranteed 14,520 under $150,000 loans for a total loan amount of over $802 million. In 2014 (two years later), the SBA increase the number of these loans to 16,043 with a total volume of $955 million – with a down year in 2013.Part of this increase is the fact that the SBA has reduced or waived its fees on these smaller loans. From the SBA’s website:”The SBA determined to eliminate the fees on loans of $150,000 or less after conducting a review of the 7(a) Loan Program. As a result, a small business owner obtaining a $150,000 loan will save more than $2,500.”Bottom line – the SBA is actually doing what it can to fund small businesses in this country – including yours.Programs to look for:The 7(a) program offers nearly any business loan under the sun from working capital to commercial real estate.The CDC/504 program only focuses on real estate and equipment lending. But, if your business needs either one of these under the $150,000 amount – including renovating your location – then by all means as this is a great program.And, the express program – which is capped at $350,000 – is a great program. Quick and easy access to needed capital.Now, for some quick benefits of SBA loans. The SBA’s guarantee does several things:By capping interest rates and fees, these products tend to be cheaper in the long-run for the borrower.
Lower down payment requirements – meaning that you can keep more of your own money in your own business.
Long loan terms also allow payments on these facilities to be more affordable. Just image which loan payment would be easier to make on a $100,000 loan at 10% interest. A bank may require the loan to be repaid in 36 months – making the monthly payment $3,227. While the SBA could extend the term to 6 years (72 months) making their monthly payment $1,853. The lower the payment amount, the easier it is to cover with current cash flow, making the overall loan less risky and easier to get approved.
Express programs can significantly speed up funding as some traditional business loans can take months to close while those under the express programs can be funded in the matter of weeks.If you have been fearful of applying for a SBA loan, knock it off and go apply!2) Alternative Lending: Alternative loans (non-bank loans) from factoring and business cash advances to revenue based loans have really picked up steam over the last 5 plus years.These lenders are focused solely on small businesses and as such have created products that allow them to approve more loans to companies that traditional lenders will not touch – by not using old and outdated underwriting standards but by focusing more on technology.Most alternative lenders – especially the leaders in this space – have seen their loan volumes (thus their approval rates) – increase by 150% or more year after year.A couple of examples: According to the SBA, their largest lender – Wells Fargo – approved and funded just over $266 million in small business financing last year. However, OnDeck Capital, a leading revenue based lender, nearly doubled that amount over the same period. Further, CAN Capital claims to have funded over $800 million in 2013 – far out pacing even the top 100 SBA lenders combined.While these loans are high-cost loans, they offer several benefits like approvals when other lenders say “no” as well as quick (in the matter of days) funding.3) New Players: Peer-to-peer lending is know for its ability to match regular people who have extra money to lend with regular people who need to borrow. These loans are typically personal loans that can be used for nearly any purpose – like starting or growing a small business.However, just this year, Lending Club – the leader in P2P lending – has begun to offer a true small business loan product where businesses can borrower anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000 at low rates. And, their approval and funding is not based on some standard cookie cutter formula that most businesses just do not meet but comes from regular people who listen to your story and decide for themselves the merit of your financing request.ConclusionCapital for your business is still available.Don’t always believe what you hear. Sure, small business lending is tight – when compared to the hey days of the mid-2000s. But, that does not mean that you still cannot get the funding your small business needs to start, grow and succeed.To truly know if your company is qualified for business loan all you have to do is one thing – and that is to apply. But, if you don’t apply, you will never know for sure and then all you can do is reflect on how far your business COULD have gone.
Wedding Entertainment Tips for Younger Guests
Children are notoriously restless and don’t have very long attention spans. Weddings are often a challenge for their patience and good behavior. If you anticipate having young children attend your wedding, choose wedding entertainment that makes allowances for them. You don’t have to turn your wedding into a playground, but having wedding entertainment to keep kids occupied means everyone will have a better time!Don’t test their patience.
While the speeches may be a part of the wedding entertainment for the adults, especially if they are funny, kids won’t understand and will be bored. Remind those making speeches to keep them short. Consider a break if there are many speeches, where guests can get up and walk around, and young children be released from sitting still!Bring in some help.
Most wedding entertainment is aimed at adults, so consider bringing someone in specifically to help entertain the kids. If you can, set up a small room for the kids to use and stock it with some books and toys. Hire a babysitter or two from a service for the evening, to read the kids stories and play games with them. It will be a small part of your wedding entertainment budget, but a big hit with guests. Not only will you keep the kids occupied, but their parents will be free to enjoy the rest of the wedding entertainment without worrying about the kids.Get into the groove.
Kids love to dance from the time they can stand, so when choosing the musical portion of your wedding entertainment, try to select music that kids will enjoy. This doesn’t mean you need to hire children’s musicians as your wedding entertainment! Just try to select a genre that young kids will enjoy dancing around to. If you have a DJ, ask them to play a good selection of bouncy, danceable beats. You will find the adults enjoy it just as much as the kids, and the dance floor will be packed. If you are planning to hire a band to provide wedding entertainment, look for a band that plays upbeat and of course appropriate music for kids to enjoy.A bag of fun.
Wedding entertainment for kids doesn’t have to be complicated. Take a cue from a children’s birthday party and provide goodie bags for the kids attending. Fill them with simple activities such as crayons and a small coloring book, small toys, play-dough, or travel versions of popular games. These things will let kids create their own wedding entertainment, and can occupy them both at the table and throughout the evening.Send them on a mission.
Another great wedding entertainment idea for kids is to set up a treasure hunt they can engage in throughout the evening. Give them a list of items to collect from around the reception hall. Plan ahead by placing the item around the hall so they can find them easily enough, but with enough effort to keep them occupied for a while. As part of the wedding entertainment for the rest of the guests, hand out prizes at the end.Wedding entertainment for kids simply means keeping them occupied and preventing boredom. When you incorporate these ideas into your wedding entertainment plans, you will be sure both parents and kids have a blast at your wedding!
401K Investing For Beginners
Most people investing money in a 401k plan in 2011 and beyond will likely feel like confused beginners because they don’t understand the various investment options. Investing in a 401k has great advantages and can be as simple as investing gets, even for beginners. Now that I’ve told you that let me prove it.Your 401k is the most convenient way to set aside money for retirement with a tax break, and the perfect place to start investing for beginners. You have your investment options spelled out for you, and you can make changes at will without income tax consequences every year. Plus, you automatically have money going into your account on an ongoing basis which mellows out your risk. Where else can you find such a retirement program? You can get help from human resources if you have questions. But they will not stick their necks out and get specific about investing and the investment options offered. I will.For 2011 and beyond, your first step should be to get your hands on the literature that describes your 401k plan, its investment options AND other features available to you. The second step is to be honest with yourself in terms of your risk profile for investing your hard earned money: conservative, moderate or aggressive. Third, simplify your life by eliminating from consideration the investment options and features that are not important to beginners. Since the vast majority of you are investing as beginners (don’t follow the markets daily and don’t care to) the following features and investment options you can or should ignore.If you have the option of investing in a brokerage account, ignore it. This is for people who want to pick specific stocks and bonds to invest money in. If your employer’s stock is one of your investment options, tread lightly because it’s just another stock in the eyes of the world of investing; and any single stock can be risky. If you have TARGET retirement funds as investment options I’d ignore them too if you are relatively safety conscious and want to control your own financial future. These funds sell themselves as the haven for investing for beginners, one stop shopping. Often they are riskier than you think.When investing money for 2011 and beyond, what investment options and features should beginners focus on? If you have a stable account or fixed account as one of your options, use it as your safe place to invest money. The interest rate will likely be higher than you’ll find anywhere else. Otherwise a money market fund will be your best safe investment option. If your 401k has an automatic rebalance feature, investing for beginners just got better. We’ll explain later.Now, we focus on the basic investment options in virtually all 401k plans that you really need to focus on: stocks funds and bond funds. These are simply professionally managed portfolios of securities ranging from safer to riskier. The stable account or money market fund is where you allocate money for safety, bond funds offer higher interest income with moderate risk, and stocks funds offer the greatest profit potential with the most risk. Investing money in all three of these basic investment options gives you diversification, and is your best way to get long term growth without excessive risk.Investing for beginners guidelines: go with high quality intermediate-term bond funds, and high quality equity-income stock funds that invest in large companies and pay yearly dividends of about 2%. Now the question becomes asset allocation: what percent of your money flowing in each pay period goes to each of the investment options. Secondly, what percentage of your invested assets (the value of your 401k account) should be allocated to each of the investment options? A simple example follows for beginners who consider themselves conservative to moderate in the risk department.Investing for beginners model portfolio: equal money (1/3 each) goes to your safe investment option, bond fund(s), and stock fund(s). Also keep the money already in your 401k account allocated the same way. If you have an automatic rebalance feature, request that your account be rebalanced each year. This way, you keep risk under control. Otherwise, you could end up with too much money in one place because the investment options will all perform differently. If you don’t have the auto rebalance feature, move money around once a year to get the investment options back to equal.If you are conservative invest money heaviest in the safe option, followed by bond funds with the least going to stock funds. Reverse the emphasis if you are a risk taker and want to be aggressive. Investing in 2011 and beyond could be tricky, especially for beginners. In a 401k you have the advantage of money flowing into your investment options each pay period to mellow out the ups and downs of the stock and bond funds. If you follow the investing for beginners guideline we’ve covered you should do just fine over the long term.
Dealing With Senior Health Care
Dealing with senior health care of an elderly family member, spouse, partner or friend can be a trying experience. You may have your grandparent to look after or perhaps it is your mother or father who has fallen ill, no matter who the person is, the fact is that you are the one responsible for looking out for their best interests. You are the advocate for your loved one and you need to be sure that all of their medical needs as well as personal needs are met. It is important to learn about the resources that you have available to you right in your community. You do not have to do all of this alone as there are resources and support groups to help you when it comes to elder care.There can be many reasons that your loved one is in need of senior health care such as: they suffered a broken hip where rehabilitation is a necessity, they are suffering with dementia or Alzheimer’s and are in need of constant care or maybe the effects of aging is limiting their ability to do things on their own. No matter what the cause is for the need of elder care, the fact is that you need to be cautious when it comes to senior health care. You really need to be aware of how they are caring for the person you are responsible for. If you put yourself in the senior’s shoes, it is easy to know what to look for. Are they feeding him or her right? Are they spending time with your loved one? Is your loved one’s needs being met?Overseeing one’s senior health care is not an easy job but with the right resources and knowledge you can make sure that your loved one is getting the best care possible. There are many things to consider when choosing a facility that will be caring for an elderly loved one. The first thing to consider is the type of care that your loved one will need. Do they need long term elder care, short term elder care or do they just need some extra help to get back on their feet after being in the hospital? Once you know the type of care they need, you can look into facilities or home health care to meet your loved one’s needs.Another thing to consider when making the choice for senior health care is what type of condition they have. In some cases the condition will pass and in other cases, it is a lifelong condition that will require frequent admissions to the hospital. This will help you in determining if you need to partner with senior health care providers that can give you the flexibility you need when it comes to your loved one. There is a great deal to remember when you are looking after an elderly loved one and you do not want to miss anything that is necessary for their well being. Most likely you are working with a limited budget so finding quality senior health care can be difficult, you have to make the most out of what you got.It often becomes necessary to lean on other resources to help you in this matter. There are plenty of free resources as well as ones that are covered on various types of medical insurance including Medicare that can help keep you focused on what needs to be done. They can walk you through what you need to do, what you will need and how to stay on top of things so that you can provide your loved one with the best possible care in a timely manner. It can be very helpful for you to make a checklist of all things that need to be managed where senior health care is concerned this way nothing will be missed.Since each care plan is based on the specific needs of the individual, you will need to have a complete copy of your loved ones medical history to include their current and past medications, test results that they have had done and their doctors information. You should also keep up to date on their financial resources and a resource list that details the patient’s personality so the potential caregivers will know what to expect from the patient. This can help to make a better bond between the patient and any caregivers that may be working with your loved one.In addition to your checklist, you should make a list of providers and various facilities in your area so you know where you can take your loved one when they need care. You should also educate yourself with their medications and possible drug interactions. Talk with the doctor to get a list of medications that the patient is on and what they used to be on. Learn about the side effects and drug interactions so you can oversee their medications and how they are being administered once they are in the facility. If your loved one is staying at home, it is very crucial to be on top of their medications so that they do not miss a dose of a crucial medication or so that they do not over medicate themselves.There is a great deal to remember when keeping up with senior health care but once you get all of the necessary information you need, have a check list of what your responsibilities are and a resource list of who you can turn to for help, you will find that everything will fall into place. You will have a better understanding of what you need to do and that will make staying on top of all of much easier. Remember that you are the advocate for your loved one and in some cases you will be the one taking care of all of their needs and all that goes with senior health care. Remember that you have a resource list in place to help you with this so you will not get overwhelmed or run down when you use the resources as needed.
Home Health Care: A Walk Through
Home health care is exactly what you’d expect. If you don’t like the hospital scene, can’t afford it, or would just rather stay in your house, these can be achieved by choosing home health care. Other advantages include lower cost, more individual attention, and easier access to the care provider. You will feel more at ease in your own home.The main purpose of this is to treat a sickness, injury, or other similar problem. Being able to remain in the comfort and familiarity of your home can be a very positive experience. A safe, well-known place to recover can allow visits from friends and family. Invite them over for coffee and to sign your cast.Wondering if your type of situation is right for this? Many people recovering from injuries and ailments can choose home health care, including those suffering from things that require physical therapy, speech therapy, patient and aid education, nutrition therapy, occupational therapy, and anything that benefits from monitoring. Even daily chores like cooking are under this.Many agencies offer home health care as an option. Do some research to find the location and services offered of all the home health care providers. Make sure home health care is certified by your insurance before making that your choice. Otherwise it might not be covered. No one needs extra stress when going through a time of turmoil.While on duty, staff hired from their agencies will provide services for daily activities like eating meals, checking pulse, lung function, medicine and other treatment timing, check on pain levels, make sure your area is safe, and coordinate with your doctor and other care providers to help you regain your independence as quickly and effectively as possible.In order to provide the best service, be sure to describe your situation, needs, and expectations for your helper. This is called your plan of care. Your doctor should be involved in this process to help make sure the complete care is given. Plans of care will be reviewed often to ensure it is on track and remaining effective.Don’t feel like you can’t speak up and ask questions to your care provider, either. Any concerns and questions should be answered in order to give you the best care. If they are impolite, won’t explain things to you, or delay responses when you ask for something, report this to any other health care professionals.Now that you know a little more about home health care, search some sources of information for more details. They will describe good and bad experiences from their patients, which ones benefitted from them the most, and pricing will be offered, as well. It can be a very helpful alternative for you and your loved one.
S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows
Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.
The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.
Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.
Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.
Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.
From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.
S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730
S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.
If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.
On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.
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.