FAZ 3x Short

Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares

Shorts: Financials (XLF)

Expense Ratio

1.03%

Leverage

3x Inverse

Issuer

Direxion

Inception

Nov 2008

FAZ ETF Quick Answer

FAZ is Direxion's 3x short financials ETF. It seeks daily investment results equal to 300% of the inverse of the Financial Select Sector Index, before fees and expenses. It is built for active short-term views on banks, brokers, insurers, and other financial-sector stocks.

Next step: compare FAZ against broader market shorts and use the short ETF calculator, then verify NAV, market price, volume, index, and expense ratio on the official Direxion FAZ page.

Short Financials ETF Fit Matrix

ChoiceExposureUse whenAvoid when
FAZ3x inverse financialsYou want a concentrated one-day bearish trade on financial-sector stocks.You cannot monitor intraday risk or tolerate rapid 3x losses.
SPXU3x inverse S&P 500You want broad market downside exposure instead of sector concentration.Your thesis is specifically about banks or financials underperforming.
SQQQ3x inverse Nasdaq-100Your bearish view is concentrated in mega-cap growth and technology.You are trying to isolate financial-sector risk.
⚠️

High Risk Leveraged Product

FAZ is a 3x leveraged inverse ETF designed for short-term trading only. Daily rebalancing causes significant decay over time. NOT suitable for buy-and-hold investors.

What FAZ Shorts

The Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) is designed to deliver -300% of the daily performance of the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF).

It uses swaps and other derivatives to achieve its daily 3x inverse leveraged goal, making it a tool for short-term bets against major U.S. financial stocks.

Official Source Checks

  • Objective: Direxion states that FAZ seeks 300% of the inverse daily performance of the Financial Select Sector Index before fees and expenses.
  • Costs: Direxion's product page currently lists FAZ at a 1.03% gross/net expense ratio. Confirm this before relying on stale data.
  • Execution: Check current NAV, market price, daily volume, index exposure, spread, and whether a financial-sector trade is preferable to a broad S&P 500 short.

Key Risks

  • Leverage Decay & Compounding Risk: Daily reset causes returns to diverge from 3x the inverse of XLF's return over periods longer than one day, especially in volatile markets.
  • High Expense Ratio (1.07%): The cost of the fund's complex derivatives strategy erodes returns over time.
  • Sector-Specific Risk: Concentrated exposure to the financial sector, which can be impacted by interest rates and regulation.
  • Extreme Volatility: The 3x leverage magnifies losses; the fund can lose most or all of its value rapidly.
  • Strictly Short-Term Instrument: Not suitable for buy-and-hold investing due to the effects of daily compounding.

Best Use Cases

  • Short-term hedging for investors with long positions in financial stocks.
  • Sophisticated, active traders making tactical bearish bets on the financial sector for a single day or a few days.
  • Expressing a high-conviction, leveraged view on impending negative news for banks and financial services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FAZ a good long-term investment?
No. FAZ is designed for daily performance only. Due to compounding effects in volatile markets, holding it for more than one day can lead to results that differ significantly from -300% of XLF's return over that period, often with severe decay.
What does FAZ short?
FAZ aims to deliver -300% of the daily return of the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF), which holds large U.S. financial companies like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Berkshire Hathaway.
Who should consider trading FAZ?
Only experienced, active traders who understand leveraged and inverse ETFs, can monitor positions daily, and can tolerate extreme volatility and the risk of total loss.