Feeling Bearish? Try These ETFs That Take a Contrarian Approach

The S&P 500 was up about 17% in 2025, but has traded essentially flat so far in 2026, as investors wonder whether a prolonged rally may be about to give way to a major selloff—or whether a potentially overhyped AI market may collapse. For pessimists, one approach may be to focus on more stable stocks, including dividend payers, that can withstand potential upcoming volatility.

MarketBeat • Feb 23, 2026

SOXS: Inverse Leveraged Strategy To Play Short-Term Volatility In Semiconductor Stocks

Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares ETF offers -3x daily exposure to the NYSE Semiconductor Index, appealing for tactical trades amid AI skepticism. SOXS is best suited for short-term, daily positioning due to compounding risks and potential NAV erosion if held longer. Semiconductor valuations remain high, increasing scrutiny and volatility, with Nvidia's upcoming earnings as a key catalyst.

Seeking Alpha • Feb 6, 2026

Direxion Announces Reverse Split of JDST, SOXS, DUST, HIBS, MUD & TSLS

New York, United States, Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Direxion , a leading provider of ETFs for tactical traders, has announced it will execute a reverse split of the issued and outstanding shares of the Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 2X Shares, Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares, Direxion Daily Gold Miners Index Bear 2X Shares, Daily S&P 500 High Beta Bear 3X Shares, Direxion Daily MU Bear 1X Shares and Direxion Daily TSLA Bear 1X Shares, (the “Funds”). The total market value of the shares outstanding will not be affected as a result of this split, except with respect to the redemption of fractional shares, as outlined below.After the close of the markets on March 4, 2026 (the “Effective Date”), each Fund will effect a reverse split of its issued and outstanding shares as follows: Please note the CUSIP changes, effective March 5, 2026: As a result of these reverse splits, every twenty, or ten shares of a Fund will be exchanged for one share as indicated in the table above. Accordingly, the total number of the issued and outstanding shares for a Fund will decrease by the approximate percentage indicated above. In addition, the per share net asset value (“NAV”) and next day's opening market price will be approximately twenty, or ten-times higher for the Funds. Shares of the Funds will begin trading on their respective listing exchange (the “Exchange”) on a split-adjusted basis on March 5, 2026.The next day's opening market value of the Funds' issued and outstanding shares, and thus a shareholder's investment value, will not be affected by the reverse split. The table below illustrates the effect of a hypothetical one-for-twenty or one-for-ten reverse split anticipated for the Funds: 1-for-20 Reverse Split

GlobeNewsWire • Feb 5, 2026

Top Performing Leveraged/Inverse ETFs: 12/14/2025

Top Performing Leveraged/Inverse ETFs Last Week These were last week's top performing leveraged and inverse ETFs. Note that because of leverage, these kinds of funds can move quickly.

ETF Trends • Dec 16, 2025

SOXS May Pay a 20% Dividend, But It Lost 87% Betting Against Nvidia | SOXS NVDA Pays a 20% Dividend, But lost 87% ofBet Against NVIDIA, and Lost 87%

Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3x Shares (NYSEARCA:SOXS) offers a contrarian bet against the AI boom, delivering three times the inverse daily performance of semiconductor stocks.

24/7 Wall Street • Dec 12, 2025

5 Worst Performing ETFs of 2025 So Far

Leveraged ETFs that have shorted some of the year's winningest sectors have lost more than 80% of their value. Strategy (MSTR), formerly MicroStrategy, has seen its bubble burst in 2025.

The Motley Fool • Dec 10, 2025

Top Performing Leveraged/Inverse ETFs: 11/23/2025

Top Performing Leveraged/Inverse ETFs Last Week These were last week's top performing leveraged and inverse ETFs. Note that because of leverage, these kinds of funds can move quickly.

ETF Trends • Nov 26, 2025

Video: ETF of the Week: SOXL

On this episode of the “ETF of the Week” podcast, VettaFi's Head of Research, Todd Rosenbluth, discussed the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL) with Chuck Jaffe of Money Life. The pair discussed several topics related to the fund to give investors a deeper understanding of the ETF.

ETF Trends • Oct 28, 2025

Short-bias ETFs see big inflows on stock market pullback bets

Short-bias exchange-traded funds, which bet against stock indexes and fast-rising sectors like technology and artificial intelligence, are drawing strong inflows as lofty prices and policy risks spur some investors to position for a pullback.

Reuters • Oct 9, 2025

SOXS: Betting Time Is Over, Switching Over To SOXL

The tech sector pullback last week was a healthy and mild correction after the AI-driven rally, not a sign of a bursting bubble, yet. Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares ETF and Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares ETF are high-risk, triple-leveraged ETFs, but, in our opinion, are the easiest way to play on volatile times, keeping in mind, however, they are not for the faint-hearted. We think traders should take profits on SOXS now and reallocate to SOXL ahead of Nvidia earnings and a potential rate cut, expecting a short-term bounce.

Seeking Alpha • Aug 27, 2025