Why Nasdaq-100 Inverse ETF SQQQ Is Up 8%

ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ SQQQ shares are trading higher by 8.2% to $38.36 during Friday’s session. Major indexes are lower following a greater-than-expected rise in the PCE price index in February while personal spending missed estimates. Additionally, auto stocks continued lower following recent tariff announcements.

What To Know: Shares of the SQQQ also surged following the release of the University of Michigan's final consumer sentiment report, which painted a bleak picture of inflation expectations and economic confidence.

SQQQ is a leveraged inverse ETF designed to deliver three times the inverse daily return of the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX), meaning it thrives when tech-heavy stocks decline.

Read Also: What’s Going On With GM Shares?

A sharp rise in five-year inflation expectations to 4.1%—the highest since 1993—alongside plunging consumer sentiment raised fears that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates higher for longer.

Higher inflation erodes corporate profitability, particularly for growth stocks in the Nasdaq-100, which are sensitive to rising borrowing costs.

As concerns over a weakening labor market and deteriorating consumer sentiment mounted, investors fled riskier assets Friday, triggering a selloff in technology stocks.

Read Also: Fed’s Favorite Inflation Gauge Rises More Than Expected In February, Casting Doubt On Near-Term Rate Cuts

According to data from Benzinga Pro, SQQQ has a 52-week high of $64.95 and a 52-week low of $26.21.