Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares ETF (ARCA: RETL)

Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares ETF (ARCA:RETL), Trade Ideas

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Nike Inc (NYSE: NKE) beat consensus estimates in the third-quarter, paying 79 cents per share on revenues of $12.4 billion. Nike Direct sales rose 17% year-over-year, while digital sales increased by 20% and wholesale grew 12%.

Nike&#39;s Momentum Confirmed In Earnings Report: Are Analysts Remaining Bullish?

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The Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares ETF (NYSE: RETL) was popping over 3% higher on Tuesday, in tandem with Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT).

Looking To Trade The Retail Sector Bullishly Following Target Earnings? This Fund Offers 3X Leverage

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The Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: RETL) was plunging more than 11% lower on Wednesday after Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) 

Looking To Trade A Reversal In Retail Stocks? This ETF Tracks Amazon, Target, Dollar Tree, Among Others

Nike Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nke#NYSE">NKE</a>) beat consensus estimates in the third-quarter, paying 79 cents per share on revenues of $12.4 billion. Nike Direct sales rose 17% year-over-year, while digital sales increased by 20% and wholesale grew 12%.
Despite some weakness in China, where Nike Brand revenues fell 8% year-over-year, analysts see a recovery in the near term, with many giving Outperform ratings on the stock.
The Raymond James Analyst: Rick Patel reiterated an Outperform rating on Nike, and raised the price target from $130 to $135.
Patel said he expects the company&#39;s revenue to benefit from ongoing strength in Nike Direct, global brand momentum, higher average selling prices, innovation, and FX in 2024. Raymond James sees a material GM expansion as Nike makes progress on recapturing &ldquo;trapped margins&rdquo; from transitory issues.
Check out more Nike ratings <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NKE/analyst-ratings">here</a>.&nbsp;
The Morgan Stanley Analyst: Alex Straton maintained an Overweight rating, and raised his price target from $138 to $140.
Straton said that while the report wasn&#39;t a game-changer, it did confirm ongoing revenue momentum, continued progress on working down excess inventory levels, and sequentially improving China trends. Morgan Stanley sees Nike&rsquo;s 2024 guidance as the next major catalyst for the stock, which will give a better sense of whether Nike&#39;s DTC transformation will yield the margin expansion promised by the company.
The RBC Capital Markets Analyst: Piral Dadhania reiterated his Outperform rating, and left its price target unchanged.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/23/03/31422631/michael-jordan-gave-ben-affleck-2-demands-to-secure-his-blessing-on-air-movie">Michael Jordan Gave Ben Affleck 2 Demands To Secure His Blessing On &#39;Air&#39; Movie</a>&nbsp;
Dadhania said RBC sees the report as confirmation of Nike&#39;s momentum and execution strength. The company&#39;s broad-based revenue growth was positive, although earnings were impacted by gross margins or supported by lower-than-expected demand creation expense in the quarter.
The Oppenheimer Analyst: Brian Nagel issued an Outperform rating on the stock and did not give a price target.
Nagel welcomed Nike&rsquo;s report, saying its guidance is solid and well above plan trends at the company. Oppenheimer sees sales growth across the Nike enterprise as strong, reflecting both unit demand and successful pricing actions on the part of management.
Third Bridge&#39;s Shoggi&nbsp;Ezeizat said that the sports footwear industry remains strong heading into the first half of 2023 despite squeezed consumer spending.
Nike has done well to reduce its elevated inventory levels, and its margin outlook is positive due to the easing of freight costs, a better inventory position, and its prioritization of direct-to-consumer.
Ezeizat sees Nike&#39;s sales in China as boosted by pent-up demand after the end of Covid restrictions, but is more cautious about the long-term growth prospects of Nike and Western brands in China due to intensified competition with local Chinese brands.
Price action: Shares of Nike closed 4.86% lower at&nbsp;$119.50 on Wednesday, according to data from <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwix4d-Eo_D9AhVlFdQBHX1JDYkYABAAGgJvYQ&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESbeD2WE8QVMcKT_PjSyDSktoZnUrz3ACRkIPvDlYYkko5nlZ6YJj1hkBUs6RqsiK57fghULd_7fxpsw9ugfzkRmkXcMHln4riaAgyMCrXtxa_oIUOOUdad_F38Uv3-wk5KGNKgme5Rd6kC8ycvdc&amp;sig=AOD64_31Yp9HYzFh7_RzZXHLaMJ0vm9oog&amp;q&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjcqteEo_D9AhVYnWoFHU_6BBsQ0Qx6BAgHEAE">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/03/31462259/fed-takes-another-swing-at-inflation-with-second-consecutive-0-25-rate-hike">&nbsp;Fed Takes Another Swing At Inflation With Second Consecutive 0.25% Rate Hike</a>

Nike's Momentum Confirmed In Earnings Report: Are Analysts Remaining Bullish?

The Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) was popping over 3% higher on Tuesday, in tandem with Target Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tgt#NYSE">TGT</a>). Target was reacting positively to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/23/02/31087781/target-tops-q4-estimates-overcoming-ongoing-softness-in-discretionary-categories">its earnings print</a>.
For the fourth-quarter, Target reported earnings of $1.89 per share on revenues of $31.395 billion, which beat the estimate of $1.40 EPS on revenues of $30.72 billion.
RETL is a triple leveraged fund that is designed to outperform the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index by 300%. The index includes a variety of companies from apparel, automotive retail, to specialty stores, food retail and department stores.
Some of the more familiar names in the ETF include Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), weighted at 0.86%, Dollar Tree, Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dltr#NASDAQ">DLTR</a>), weighted at 0.83% and Target Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tgt#NYSE">TGT</a>), which is weighted at 0.90% in the ETF.
It should be noted that leveraged ETFs are meant to be used as a trading vehicle as opposed to a long-term investment.
Traders looking to play the retail sector to the upside via RETL will want to watch for signs the ETF is going to buck its current trend and reverse higher.
Want direct analysis? Find me in the BZ Pro lounge! <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/1ih7p9hphj9p">Click here for a free trial</a>.
The RETL Chart: RETL is trading in a downtrend, making a consistent series of lower highs and lower lows. RETL&rsquo;s most recent lower high was formed on Monday at $9.04 and the most recent lower low was printed at the $8.47 mark on Friday.
On Friday, RETL lost support at the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages (SMAs) but the bears weren&rsquo;t able to take control to drop the ETF down significantly under the SMAs. Bullish traders may choose to wait to see RETL cross back above the 50-day and 200-day before taking a position.
On Tuesday, RETL was trading with an inside bar pattern, with all the price action taking place within Monday&rsquo;s trading range. The pattern is neutral in this case, and traders and investors can watch for RETL to break up or down from Monday&rsquo;s mother bar on higher-than-average volume to gauge future direction.
RETL has resistance above at $9.38 and $9.78 and support below at $8.79 and $8.22.
<img alt="screenshot_2215.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u278075/screenshot_2215.png" style="height:427px; width:760px" />
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/23/02/31073573/spy-gaps-higher-ahead-of-retail-earnings-but-looks-bearish-longer-term-why-this-3x-lever">SPY Gaps Higher Ahead Of Retail Earnings But Looks Bearish Longer-Term</a>
Photo: Shutterstock

The Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) was plunging more than&nbsp;11% lower on Wednesday after Target Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tgt#NYSE">TGT</a>)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/22/11/29744642/target-shares-plunge-on-q3-bottom-line-miss-hit-by-inflation">reported a big EPS miss</a>.
RETL is a triple-leveraged fund&nbsp;designed to outperform S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index by 300%. The index includes a variety of companies from apparel and&nbsp;automotive&nbsp;to specialty stores, food retail and department stores.
Some of the more familiar names in the ETF include Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), weighted at 0.58%, Dollar Tree&nbsp;Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dltr#NASDAQ">DLTR</a>), weighted at 0.91% and Target Corporation, which is weighted at 0.8% within the ETF.
It should be noted that leveraged ETFs are meant to be used as a trading vehicle as opposed to long-term investments.
<a href="https://www.direxion.com/product/daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">RETL</a> was likely slipping on Wednesday to account for a big decline in Target, and other retail stocks that slid in tandem after Target reported a massive miss on its bottom line.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/11/29751267/analysts-set-sights-on-long-term-prospects-after-target-stock-misses-the-mark-on-ea">Read how analysts responded to&nbsp;Target&rsquo;s third-quarter earnings print here</a>
Want direct analysis? Find me in the BZ Pro lounge! <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/1ih7p9hphj9p">Click here for a free trial</a>.
The RETL Chart: RETL started trading in a fairly consistent uptrend on Sept. 30, with the most recent higher high formed on Tuesday at $9.78 and the most recent confirmed higher low printed at the $6.78 mark on Nov. 9. On Wednesday, RETL was working to print a bearish kicker candlestick on the daily chart, which could indicate lower prices will come on Thursday.
<ul>
<li>If lower prices are on the horizon, bullish traders will be watching for RETL to eventually print a bearish reversal candlestick, such as a doji or hammer candlestick, above $7 to indicate the uptrend is intact and higher prices are in the cards. If the ETF falls under $7 or prints a lower high under $10, the uptrend will be negated.</li>
<li>Short-term bullish traders will want to see RETL bounce up to close Wednesday&rsquo;s session above the eight-day exponential moving average (EMA), which could cause the stock to print a hammer candlestick to indicate higher prices will come on Thursday. If the ETF closes the trading day under the eight-day EMA, RETL may find support at the 50-day simple moving average.</li>
<li>RETL has resistance above at $8.79 and $9.38 and support below at $8.22 and $7.44.</li>
</ul>
<img alt="retl_nov._16.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u278075/retl_nov._16.png" style="height:427px; width:760px" />
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/11/29745090/jim-cramer-sees-rally-lasting-at-least-through-mid-december-theres-a-lot-to-like-ab">Jim Cramer Sees Rally Lasting At Least Through Mid-December: &#39;There&#39;s A Lot To Like About This Market&#39;</a>
Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/solarseven">solarseven</a>&nbsp;via Shutterstock

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.
If the past year has illustrated anything about the U.S. economy, it&rsquo;s that most Americans are still willing and eager to spend their money on necessary or luxury items, even in times of great uncertainty and stress.
According to consumer spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal consumer outlays on goods and services dipped substantially in the second quarter of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, only to recover to about 2019 levels in the second half of the year. While initial spending data from 2021 has been mixed, with strong January sales mitigated by a pullback in February, analysts remain optimistic consumers will continue to spend as they look forward to a gradual reopening of the economy and continue to work through the two stimulus checks many received in the past three months.
&nbsp;
This is not, of course, a wholesale indication of the strength of the economy. It is, however, a signal that the retail sector is well situated for a potentially record-setting year as consumers return to some semblance of normalcy with the confidence that a few hundred dollars tend to instill in most people.
That sense of confidence has already translated into strong sector performance, as evidenced by the 100% year-to-date growth in the <a href="http://www.direxion.com/product/daily-retail-bull-3x-etf?utm_source=Benzinga&amp;utm_medium=NativeContent&amp;utm_campaign=RetailStocks">Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares</a> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>), which aims to deliver three times the daily performance of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index.
Given the massive price moves that have occurred in the retail sector, let&rsquo;s take a look at some of the prevailing factors that have contributed to the ETF&rsquo;s strength to this point and what catalysts might help the sector continue to outperform.
<h3>Strong Demand Helps Traditional Retailers</h3>
First and foremost behind the strength in retail is, of course, the huge demand among consumers. And while the government&rsquo;s figures already illustrate this point, there is a larger picture unfolding around this heightened spending that could ultimately signal an even greater unmet demand.
Quarterly earnings are the first sign of where the state of retail is right now, with Q4 reports from Macy&#39;s, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/m#NYSE">M</a>), The Kroger Co. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kr#NYSE">KR</a>), Target Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tgt#NYSE">TGT</a>) and a variety of other retailers across an array of specializations topping analyst expectations. The general consensus behind this strong performance is that holiday sales increased more than anticipated.
This sales growth was also noted among retailers who reported mixed earnings results like Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cost#NASDAQ">COST</a>) and Walmart, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wmt#NYSE">WMT</a>), which both posted positive topline results but came in lower than expected on their EPS numbers. The common refrain in this situation was that factors related to shipping congestion and rising fuel prices served to drag down the bottom-line results.
The same goes for direct-to-consumer brands like Nike, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nke#NYSE">NKE</a>), Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/urbn#NASDAQ">URBN</a>) and Lands&#39; End, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/le#NASDAQ">LE</a>), which all posted mixed to strong results while pointing to global supply issues and lingering international closures as the main contributor to any lagging segments within their fundamental performances.
Nevertheless, across the board, retailers have issued optimistic guidance for the remainder of the year on the premise that the disruptions caused by the pandemic will slowly alleviate and make room for continued revenue growth.
<h3>e-Commerce Grows Despite Shipping Troubles</h3>
Although online retailers are even more susceptible to the global shipping issues mentioned above, with higher rates costing some companies millions as a result of delays, e-commerce continues to see steady growth as consumers continue to gravitate to the internet for their purchases.
Tentpole marketplaces Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/etsy#NASDAQ">ETSY</a>), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ebay#NASDAQ">EBAY</a>) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) continue to string along a series of strong quarterly numbers, helped by their robust supply chains and beneficial relationships with transportation and delivery firms. As a result, their stock performance throughout the past year has been largely unchallenged with all three sitting at or near all-time highs.
Meanwhile, specialized online players like Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/w#NYSE">W</a>) and Carvana Co. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cvna#NASDAQ">CVNA</a>) have also emerged as standouts through the past year, with steadily rising revenue prompting year-over-year share price growth of more than 800%.
<h3>Money Spends</h3>
While the economic physics of the past year has thrown some areas of the market into flux, with many industries still reeling from the COVID-19 fallout, retail is one area that has shown a staggering resilience in its rebound. That&rsquo;s not only from the effects of the pandemic but also the uncertainty of retail as a sustainable business model in the age of Amazon.
Although the future of retail remains a moving target, the ongoing renaissance in the sector proves that there will be room for a diverse ecosystem of shops and storefronts so long as consumers have the cash to burn.
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Investing in a Direxion Shares ETF may be more volatile than investing in broadly diversified funds. The use of leverage by a Fund increases the risk to the Fund. The Direxion Shares ETFs are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by sophisticated investors who understand leverage risk, consequences of seeking daily leveraged, or daily inverse leveraged, investment results and intend to actively monitor and manage their investment.
RETL Top Ten Holdings as of 12/31/2021
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SzMEPKNshHVc5zXF7CIVmTpG7ya5uUs7Xs5P5wolxm6BQ7w0iBDuCHbLW3J6b73XX-9k4OsIJYKvXFM7JUxdkf-0UCjR2H_ZzZZl8AQSioUr4nScPCIiLd5gDwkB0lKUUbs5640" style="margin-left:0px; margin-top:0px" />
Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate. An investor&rsquo;s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. For the most recent month end and standardized performance <a href="https://www.direxion.com/product/daily-retail-bull-3x-etf?utm_source=Benzinga&amp;utm_medium=NativeContent&amp;utm_campaign=RetailStocks" style="text-decoration:none;">click here</a>
Short-term performance, in particular, is not a good indication of the fund&rsquo;s future performance, and an investment should not be made based solely on returns. Because of ongoing market volatility, fund performance may be subject to substantial short-term changes. For additional information, see the fund&rsquo;s prospectus.
Investing in a Direxion Shares ETF may be more volatile than investing in broadly diversified funds. The use of leverage by a Fund increases the risk to the Fund. The Direxion Shares ETFs are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by sophisticated investors who understand leverage risk, consequences of seeking daily leveraged, or daily inverse leveraged, investment results and intend to actively monitor and manage their investment.
An investor should carefully consider a Fund&rsquo;s investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Direxion Shares. To obtain a Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus call 866-476-7523 or visit our website at direxion.com. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
Shares of the Direxion Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from a Fund. Market Price returns are based upon the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4:00 pm EST (when NAV is normally calculated) and do not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Fund returns assume that dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at NAV. Some performance results reflect expense reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers in effect during certain periods shown. Absent these reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers, results would have been less favorable.
Direxion Shares ETF Risks &ndash; Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal. There is no guarantee the investment strategy will be successful. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on innovation and technology are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Innovative technology companies may struggle to capitalize on new technology or may face competition and obsolescence. Additional risks of the Fund include, but are not limited to, Index Correlation/Tracking Risk, Index Strategy Risk, Market Disruption Risk, and risks associated with the market capitalizations of the securities in which the Fund may invest. Please see the summary and full prospectuses for a more complete description of these and other risks of the Fund.
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Distributor: Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

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Retail Stocks Set The Stage For Strong 2021, And Maybe This Leveraged ETF

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs">Exchange Traded Funds</a> (ETFs) are excellent tools to help investors gain exposure in specific sectors on the <a href="https://investmentfirms.com/how-does-the-stock-market-work/">stock market</a>. Here are the highest performing ETFs this week that you should watch out for.&nbsp;
<h3>1. &nbsp;Direxion Daily Small Cap Bear 3X Shares - Up 526.87% Over 1 Month</h3>
Direxion Daily Small Cap Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tza#NYSE">TZA</a>) offers three times leveraged exposure to companies in the Russell 3000&reg; Index. This stock uses ETF and index swaps that provide inverse or short leveraged exposure to the Index. Their 1 month price performance is up to 16.55% with an average trading volume of 6.37 million units.&nbsp;
<h3>&nbsp;2. Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares - Up 439.35% Over 1 Month&nbsp;</h3>
Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/faz#NYSE">FAZ</a>) is a subset of the Russell 1000&reg; Index. It focuses on measuring the performance of the securities classified in the financial services sector of the large-capitalization U.S. equity market. It invests in swap agreements, futures contracts, and short positions that provide leveraged exposure to the index equal to at least 80% of the fund&#39;s assets. Their shares declined by 1% on Thursday along with many other stocks in the financial sector.
<h3>3. Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3x Shares - Up 42.08% Over 1 Month</h3>
Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3x Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300% of the performance of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index. The index is a modified equal-weighted index that measures the performance of the stocks that are classified in the GICS retail sub-industry. They recently declared a dividend of $0.0280 per share and their net assets equal 74 million.&nbsp;
<h3>4. Breakwave Dry Bulk Shipping ETF - Up 38.72% Over 1 Month</h3>
Breakwave Dry Bulk Shipping ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bdry#NYSE">BDRY</a>) is an exchange-traded commodity that provides exposure to the charter rate of freight futures. It tracks an index of long-only exposure for dry bulk freight futures contracts. Breakwave is one of the top performing ETFs due to shipping numbers being up 124% this year.
<h3>5. VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF - Up 31.76% Over 1 Month</h3>
VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/remx#NYSE">REMX</a>) allows investors to participate in the rare earth metals industry. It tracks the performance of companies that produce, refine, and recycling of rare earth metals and materials. Their YTD Daily Total Returns are up to 10.30% with net assets that equal 672.22 million.&nbsp;
The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

BDRY

Market Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Etf

REMX

Let's Take A Look At This Weeks Highest Performing ETFs

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.
If a <a href="https://investmentfirms.com/third-stimulus-check/">third stimulus check</a> is headed your way, investing that money in an <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs">exchange-traded fund</a> (ETF) could potentially pay off. ETFs are lower-risk investments that offer low management fees and allow investors to diversify their portfolios. Here are the highest performing ETFs this week that you should be watching out for.&nbsp;
<h3>1. &nbsp;Direxion Daily Small Cap Bear 3X Shares - Up 526.87% Over 1 Month</h3>
Direxion Daily Small Cap Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tza#NYSE">TZA</a>) offers three times leveraged exposure to companies in the Russell 3000&reg; Index.&nbsp; It invests in financial instruments that provide inverse or short leveraged exposure to the Index. They&#39;re up 9.14% today and their net assets equal 390.96M.&nbsp;
<h3>&nbsp;2. Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares - Up 439.35% Over 1 Month&nbsp;</h3>
Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/faz#NYSE">FAZ</a>) is a short-term trading tool that uses ETF and index swaps that provide inverse or short leveraged exposure. This index is a subset of the Russell 1000&reg; Index. It focuses on measuring the performance of the securities classified in the financial services sector of the large-capitalization U.S. equity market. This fund has 3,903,350 shares outstanding and dropped by 2.3% on Thursday.
3. Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3x Shares - Up 45.99% Over 1 Month
Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3x Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300% of the performance of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index. The index is a modified equal-weighted index that measures the performance of the stocks that are classified in the GICS retail sub-industry. The retail sector has been performing well and is up 54% so far this week due to consumers shopping more.&nbsp;
<h3>4. MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN - Up 40.20% Over 1 Month</h3>
MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nrgu#NYSE">NRGU</a>) is seeking a return of the notes to be linked in three-times leveraged participation of this stock&#39;s daily performance. The index is an equal-dollar weighted index that represents the 10 U.S. listed stocks with the largest market capitalization in the energy/oil sector. They are up 2.75% and their total net assets equal $448.700M.
<h3>5. VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF - Up 31.76% Over 1 Month</h3>
VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/remx#NYSE">REMX</a>) tracks the performance of companies involved in producing, refining, and recycling of rare earth and strategic metals and minerals. REMX offers investors the opportunity to participate in the rare earth metals arena, with much less risk involved.&nbsp;
The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

NRGU

Let's Take A Look At This Weeks Highest Performing ETF

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.
Despite the economic struggles gripping much of the domestic and global economy, consumers spent more than expected this holiday season.
The National Retail Federation reported Friday that holiday retail sales&mdash;a figure that tracks retail spending through November and December excluding restaurants, automobile dealers, and gas stations&mdash;rose 8.3% year-over-year in 2020.
According to the report, holiday sales increased in six of the nine retail categories, with online and other non-store sales (i.e. e-commerce, which was up 23.9%), building materials and garden supply stores (up 19%), and sporting goods stores (up 15.2%) leading the charge.
(It should also be noted that the Commerce Department, which tracks purchases made at stores, restaurants, and online, reported that U.S. retail sales declined 0.7% month-over-month in December, below the 0.2% estimate. The discrepancy could be due to high expectations from economists.)
<h3>Winners &amp; Losers</h3>
Recent reports from a number of retailers support the idea that e-commerce demand was exceedingly strong in Q4.
Target Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tgt#NYSE">TGT</a>) reported December comparable sales rose 17.2%, but much of that growth was due to a 102% increase in digital sales for the period. Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cost#NASDAQ">COST</a>) had similar results. December comparable sales for the warehouse giant rose 10.7% while e-commerce sales rose 62.5%.
However not every retailer was saved by online demand.
Department store Nordstrom Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jwn#NYSE">JWN</a>) reported holiday sales decreased 22% despite a 23% increase in digital sales. Signet Jewelers (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sig#NYSE">SIG</a>), the parent company of Kay Jewelers, Zales, and other jewelers, reported holiday sales did not grow year-over-year, despite a 60% increase in e-commerce.
In specialty retail, L Brands, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lb#NYSE">LB</a>) reported comparable sales rose 5% across its portfolio of companies. That was driven by a 17% increase in Bath &amp; Body Works, which counteracted a 9% decrease at Victoria&rsquo;s Secret. Zumiez (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/zumz#NASDAQ">ZUMZ</a>) said holiday sales rose just 1.7%.
<h3>Leveraging The Retail Trade</h3>
All of this to say that retail, at least its online iteration, is alive and well in the pandemic, and it&rsquo;s driving traders to the trade. This is evidenced by the recent performance of the <a href="http://www.direxion.com/product/daily-retail-bull-3x-etf?utm_source=Benzinga&amp;utm_medium=Native&amp;utm_campaign=JanuaryArticleFajardo">Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares</a> (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>), which has surged to a new all-time high in January.
Not only has RETL risen higher by nearly 40% in the last month, but the fund has taken in over $341 million in inflows during that span&mdash;over $100 million more than the next closest Direxion fund.
RETL provides three times the daily performance of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index, and holds all of the stocks mentioned above.
However what has really driven the fund in recent weeks is its exposure to several high-flying stocks. As of Jan. 19, nearly 5% of the fund was composed of Magnite Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mgni#NASDAQ">MGNI</a>), Blink Charging (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/blnk#NASDAQ">BLNK</a>) and Gamestop (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gme#NYSE">GME</a>).
Consumerism Is King
The bottom line is that strong retail sales are a product of the fact that American consumers are in a fairly healthy position in spite of the global pandemic. Government measures, as well as the convenience of e-commerce, have surely helped facilitate this trend.
Altogether, these factors may further support strong online spending in 2021. And with another round of stimulus expected from the Biden administration, it&rsquo;s not out of the question to think the bullish retail trade could continue.&nbsp;
<hr />
Past performance is not indicative of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate. An investor&rsquo;s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. Short term performance, in particular, is not a good indication of the fund&rsquo;s future performance, and an investment should not be made based solely on returns.
For month-end and standardized performance click here (<a href="https://www.direxion.com/product/daily-retail-bull-3x-etf" style="text-decoration:none;">https://www.direxion.com/product/daily-retail-bull-3x-etf</a>)
Investing in a Direxion Shares ETF may be more volatile than investing in broadly diversified funds. The use of leverage by a Fund increases the risk to the Fund. The Direxion Shares ETFs are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by sophisticated investors who understand leverage risk, consequences of seeking daily leveraged investment results and intend to actively monitor and manage their investment.
RETL as of 12/31/20
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/SpynlKVTNXazrAnCRbmq-6WIOjc28eFba-uwWDgwW6ilpyDBcU_1e6-YmalMcoIkPfnceOmbomdHwO_GojufeRGyBG3Iwkvj9JZ6ZrWfietHh2EX_aGBy298tkGJ1J-W3dkFdiY" style="height:276px; margin-left:0px; margin-top:0px; width:267px" />
(subject to change)
An investor should carefully consider a Fund&rsquo;s investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Direxion Shares. To obtain a Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus call 866-476-7523 or visit our website at <a href="http://www.direxion.com" title="www.direxion.com">www.direxion.com</a>. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
Market Disruptions Resulting from COVID-19.&nbsp;The outbreak of COVID-19 has negatively affected the worldwide economy, individual countries, individual companies and the market in general. The future impact of COVID-19 is currently unknown, and it may exacerbate other risks that apply to the Fund.
Shares of the Direxion Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from a Fund. Market Price returns are based upon the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4:00 pm EST (when NAV is normally calculated) and do not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Fund returns assume that dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at NAV. Some performance results reflect expense reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers in effect during certain periods shown. Absent these reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers, results would have been less favorable.
&nbsp;
The &ldquo;S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index&rdquo; is a product of S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices LLC (&ldquo;SPDJI&rdquo;), and has been licensed for use by Rafferty Asset Management, LLC (&ldquo;Rafferty&rdquo;). Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s&reg;&nbsp;and S&amp;P&reg;&nbsp;are registered trademarks of Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s Financial Services LLC (&ldquo;S&amp;P&rdquo;); Dow Jones&reg;&nbsp;is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (&ldquo;Dow Jones&rdquo;); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by Rafferty. Rafferty&rsquo;s ETFs are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&amp;P, their respective affiliates and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index.
Direxion Shares Risks&nbsp;&ndash; An investment in the Fund involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The Fund is non-diversified and includes risks associated with the Fund concentrating its investments in a particular industry, sector, or geographic region which can result in increased volatility. The use of derivatives such as futures contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. The Fund does not attempt to, and should not be expected to, provide returns which are three times the return of its underlying index for periods other than a single day. Risks of the Fund include Effects of Compounding and Market Volatility Risk, Leverage Risk, Market Risk, Market Disruption Risk, Aggressive Investment Techniques Risk, Counterparty Risk, Intra-Day Investment Risk, Daily Index Correlation/Tracking Risk, Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) Risk, and risks specific to the securities of the Retail Industry and Consumer Discretionary Sector. Retail and related industries can be significantly affected by the performance of the domestic and international economy, consumer confidence and spending, intense competition, changes in demographics, and changing consumer tastes and preferences. Please see the summary and full prospectuses for a more complete description of these and other risks of the Fund.
Distributor for Direxion Shares:&nbsp;Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

Markets

BLNK

MGNI

ZUMZ

The Consumer Is Still Surging In 2021 - Leveraging The Retail Trade

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.
As the broad market knocks on the door of all-time highs in the midst of a still-raging public health crisis, traders have had to simultaneously ride the bullish wave (in most sectors) while also moderating their expectations for corporate earnings. And although most corporate guidance has attempted to temper the hopes of those looking for an immediate rebound, a fair number of sectors are still riding the enthusiasm for a quick recovery.
The result is that some sector and industry exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are experiencing strong bullish trends through the second-quarter reporting season. Direxion&rsquo;s stable of leveraged bullish funds is no exception.
For traders looking to gauge the momentum of the leading market segments, we&rsquo;ve compiled three leveraged ETFs that are at various rallying stages and dissected the major components of each to see how this earnings season might inform the remaining months of 2020.
<h3>The Race For The Covid Cure</h3>
First up is an industry that many traders have had a keen eye on since the depths of the global pandemic: biotech. And though momentum has cooled significantly over the past month, this still remains one of the top-performing industries of the year.
From May to July, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P Biotech Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/labu#NYSE">LABU</a>) climbed about 70% to a new 52-week high as research laboratories have raced through clinical trials to find a viable vaccine for COVID-19. Chief among these is Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mrna#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>), largely considered the leading candidate with its mRNA-1273 in Phase 3 trial period. The company, which reported earnings on August 5, said it had received $400 million in customer deposits as of the end of July for its coronavirus vaccine candidate, and that the Phase 3 study is on track to be completed in September.
Other top performers with a stake in the COVID-19 vaccine race such as Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ino#NASDAQ">INO</a>) and Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvax#NASDAQ">NVAX</a>) will also be closely linked to incoming trial results. Though both sold off hard on Tuesday, traders will closely be watching for vaccine developments in the coming weeks.
<h3>Consumer Shopping Spree Stocks</h3>
Another industry riding high on hope, retail stocks are beginning to find some footing in the era of pandemic. That&rsquo;s at least the indication from the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>), which rose 75% from May-July.
While e-commerce giant Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) is among the obvious high-flyers in the segment, much of the recent price action among retailers is taking place in lower-profile names that have been thrust into the spotlight in the midst of the pandemic. This includes the likes of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rad#NYSE">RAD</a>), which is still riding the momentum of a strong Q1 report, and BJ&#39;s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bj#NYSE">BJ</a>), which received a host of rating upgrades and price target increases following its earnings delivery back in May that saw the wholesale membership store double its consensus bottom-line expectations.
Look for Q2 results the general stores and pharmacies like RAD as well as grocery stores and wholesalers like BJ later in August and into September.
<h3>Homebuilders Still NAILing It.</h3>
Finally, an industry that has proven extremely resilient through periods of volatility, the Direxion Daily Homebuilders &amp; Supplies Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nail#NYSE">NAIL</a>) is up roughly 200% since the start of May thanks to a perfect storm of steady demand for housing, a persistent supply shortage in the U.S. and historically low mortgage rates.
Since homebuilders are generally early to report, second-quarter results from industry tentpoles like Lennar Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/len#NYSE">LEN</a>) and D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dhi#NYSE">DHI</a>) have already begun rolling in, topping analyst expectations and propelling them to or near all-time highs. The strong results, paired with steady guidance and the array of economic conditions beneficial to the group, compelled Bank of America analysts to raise their price target on most of the major industry players, even among laggards like NVR, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvr#NYSE">NVR</a>) and KB Home (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kbh#NYSE">KBH</a>), which are still looking to go green on the year.
While many of the major homebuilders have already delivered their Q2 reports, traders should still keep an eye out for incoming numbers from suppliers like The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/hd#NYSE">HD</a>) and Lowe&#39;s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/low#NYSE">LOW</a>) on August 18 and 19, respectively. After which they can look forward to Q3 results in late-September.
&nbsp;
The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate. An investor&rsquo;s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost; current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. For the most recent month-end performance go to direxion.com
Short-term performance, in particular, is not a good indication of the fund&rsquo;s future performance, and an investment should not be made based solely on returns. Because of ongoing market volatility, fund performance may be subject to substantial short-term changes.
These leveraged ETFs seek investment results that are 300% of the return of its benchmark index for a single day. Investing in a Direxion Shares ETF may be more volatile than investing in broadly diversified funds. The use of leverage by an ETF increases the risk to the ETF. The Direxion Shares ETFs are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by sophisticated investors who understand leverage risk, consequences of seeking daily leveraged investment results and intend to actively monitor and manage their investment.
For the funds&rsquo; standardized and most recent month end performance <a href="http://www.direxion.com/etfs">click here</a>
LABU as of 7/31/2020
<img alt="capture_624.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u91860/capture_624.png" style="height:354px; width:250px" />
RETL as of 7/31/2020
<img alt="capture_625.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u91860/capture_625.png" style="height:359px; width:250px" />
NAIL as of 7/31/2020
<img alt="capture_626.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u91860/capture_626.png" style="height:354px; width:250px" />
An investor should carefully consider a Fund&rsquo;s investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Direxion Shares. To obtain a Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus call 866-301-9214 or visit our website at direxioninvestments.com. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
Market Disruptions Resulting from COVID-19. The outbreak of COVID-19 has negatively affected the worldwide economy, individual countries, individual companies and the market in general. The future impact of COVID-19 is currently unknown, and it may exacerbate other risks that apply to the Funds.
Shares of the Direxion Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from a Fund. Market Price returns are based upon the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4:00 pm EST (when NAV is normally calculated) and do not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Fund returns assume that dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at NAV. Some performance results reflect expense reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers in effect during certain periods shown. Absent these reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers, results would have been less favorable.
Direxion Shares Risks: An investment in the ETFs involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The ETFs are non-diversified and include risks associated with concentration that results from an ETF&rsquo;s investments in a particular industry or sector which can increase volatility. The use of derivatives such as futures contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. The ETFs do not attempt to, and should not be expected to, provide returns which are a multiple of the return of their respective index for periods other than a single day. For other risks including leverage, correlation, daily compounding, market volatility and risks specific to an industry or sector, please read the prospectus.
Distributor: Foreside Fund Services, LLC
The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

Biotech

Earnings

LABU

MRNA

NAIL

NVAX

Heating Up: Three Leveraged ETFs For Summer Earnings

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.
It may be an understatement to say that the economic environment of 2020 has created a lot of new and challenging realities to process. As a result of the ongoing global pandemic, traders have had to adapt to a collapsing energy market, a fractured global supply chain and, of course, waves of economic shutdowns that have affected all areas of the global economy to some degree.
Here in the U.S., many Americans who were still recovering from the 2008 recession have been dealt another blow. While this reality is no doubt alarming, particularly since much of the stock market&rsquo;s growth over the past few years was attributed to a strengthening consumer, the market has seemingly decided to place its faith in the consumer making a comeback.
Evidence of this can be seen in the performance of exchange-traded funds that track retail and consumer goods sectors, a variety of which have thrived over the past several weeks. Below are just a few of the top-performing ETFs from among the leveraged funds put out by Direxion.
<h3>Direxion Daily Dow Jones Internet Bull 3X Shares (WEBL)</h3>
Intuitively, in the age of social distancing, consumers have flocked to online storefronts and virtual exchange platforms. The Direxion Daily Dow Jones Internet Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/webl#NYSE">WEBL</a>), which tracks the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index, gained about 95% over the course of April, largely on the back of some of the segments&rsquo; best-performing stocks.
This includes e-commerce names like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), which was at new all-time highs prior to its earnings report, eBay, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ebay#NASDAQ">EBAY</a>), higher by 36% in April, and Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/etsy#NASDAQ">ETSY</a>), up 95% in April.
But the trend of buying consumer confidence has extended beyond digital storefronts and includes stocks with business models geared toward supporting the digitization of commerce. Stocks like CRM companies like DocuSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/docu#NASDAQ">DOCU</a>), higher by 30% in April, and HubSpot, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/hubs#NYSE">HUBS</a>), up almost 50% over the month, have also helped boost the Dow Jones index and WEBL to their current levels.
<h3>Direxion Daily Consumer Discretionary Bull 3X Shares (WANT)</h3>
Although the pandemic has undoubtedly caused pain in the finances of everyday consumers, the consumer discretionary sector maintained an unexpectedly strong surge in April. This is evidenced by the nearly 100% growth seen by the Direxion Daily Consumer Discretionary Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/want#NYSE">WANT</a>), which aims to deliver three-times the daily performance of the S&amp;P&rsquo;s the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index.
Components leading the index include a number of companies with heavy exposure to manufacturing like Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gpc#NYSE">GPC</a>) and Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/whr#NYSE">WHR</a>), which have both gained more than 35% over the month. Homebuilders have shown similar resilience in the start of the second quarter, with major actors like Lennar Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/len#NYSE">LEN</a>) and D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dhi#NYSE">DHI</a>) gaining more than 45% in the month.
<h3>Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (RETL)</h3>
Although a traditionally fraught industry, retail has experienced one of the strongest comebacks of any segment of the market. In just one month, the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) posted a 126% gain, with the underlying S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index adding more than 1,000 points to its total return.
As mentioned, the strength in online retail is one aspect of this. Some physical storefronts with a strong online presence, like Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bby#NYSE">BBY</a>) and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wmt#NYSE">WMT</a>) can also be counted among this contingent.
Nevertheless, more heavily brick-and-mortar outfits also managed to put up a comparable showing over the course of April despite many storefronts being limited in their business or shuttered entirely. Companies with a high reliance on same-store sales like Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/big#NYSE">BIG</a>) Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/five#NASDAQ">FIVE</a>) and Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pag#NYSE">PAG</a>) all ended the month higher by anywhere from 40-70%.
Whether or not these trends will extend past the depths of the pandemic as the economy cautiously attempts to regain some semblance of normalcy is another question entirely. However, at the moment, investors seem eager to put their faith that the consumer hasn&rsquo;t lost the same magic that helped bolster the economy to its prior stability.
The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate. An investor&rsquo;s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted.&nbsp; 
For the funds&rsquo; standardized and most recent month end performance click here (<a href="http://www.direxion.com/etfs" title="www.direxion.com/etfs">www.direxion.com/etfs</a>)
These leveraged ETFs seek investment results that are 300% of the return of its benchmark index for a single day. Investing in a Direxion Shares ETF may be more volatile than investing in broadly diversified funds. The use of leverage by an ETF increases the risk to the ETF. The Direxion Shares ETFs are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by sophisticated investors who understand leverage risk, consequences of seeking daily leveraged investment results and intend to actively monitor and manage their investment.
WEBL as of 3/31/2020. Source: direxion.com.
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/dIASzmp6AqufWVE_-QmCbMAdtiwWXvwKXeSYgNuPHV4UgkqYgJ2eOtFr0qfYIPqqm6hQisLFZgR51rj0yhnNemzOqhS5v035825hcYbWqVu7l7q8NdFcUWPUcmWRbFQxEvk329CaN6fgeJbJgA" style="height:208px; margin-left:0px; margin-top:0px; width:244px" />
WANT as of 3/31/2020. Source: direxion.com.
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/J8pWXWR5CLqU9QfyIecLmomgoAfQDnvQPFS2MFeMWxm-IlTzYExeK-zddO2rjUr5Ct0jm-mv322gdPxk4J3n4ikTUdE-zRk6ze9APc4hH_ABqfBrYRi3fLrRZARjNhHZ0pv8OpD6Sn1C6g6Waw" style="height:203px; margin-left:0px; margin-top:0px; width:243px" />
RETL as of 3/31/2020. Source: direxion.com.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MaxdJAmZj5EZ63jTXA0Ea31w3OgUdPRwkhWvcaNvvd5wh24ep9Ma1qk0igMSgLjWu2sRmQumDXKd3QUHOG1rUnoMRLieVPrN00l5aGvh8SxfFdxNXxuVB631WzTrvRFz5whZAfLW0uD9j-lqpg" style="height:213px; margin-left:0px; margin-top:0px; width:251px" />
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An investor should carefully consider a Fund&rsquo;s investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Direxion Shares. To obtain a Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus call 866-301-9214 or visit our website at direxioninvestments.com. A Fund&rsquo;s prospectus and summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
Market Disruptions Resulting from COVID-19. The outbreak of COVID-19 has negatively affected the worldwide economy, individual countries, individual companies and the market in general. The future impact of COVID-19 is currently unknown, and it may exacerbate other risks that apply to the Funds.
Shares of the Direxion Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from a Fund. Market Price returns are based upon the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4:00 pm EST (when NAV is normally calculated) and do not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Fund returns assume that dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at NAV. Some performance results reflect expense reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers in effect during certain periods shown. Absent these reimbursements or recoupments and fee waivers, results would have been less favorable.
Direxion Shares Risks: An investment in the ETFs involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The ETFs are non-diversified and include risks associated with concentration that results from an ETF&rsquo;s investments in a particular industry or sector which can increase volatility. The use of derivatives such as futures contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. The ETFs do not attempt to, and should not be expected to, provide returns which are a multiple of the return of their respective index for periods other than a single day. For other risks including leverage, correlation, daily compounding, market volatility and risks specific to an industry or sector, please read the prospectus. 
Distributor: Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

DOCU

FIVE

HUBS

WANT

Direxion Daily Dow Jones Internet Bull 3X Shares

WEBL

In Consumers We Trust: 3 Leveraged ETFs That Surged In April

With the holiday shopping season here, traders may be tempted to consider consumer discretionary and retail exchange traded funds (ETFs).
While holiday shopping is a valid reason to examine retail investments, there are other reasons for active traders to give the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) a look.
<h3>What Happened</h3>
RETL tries to deliver <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">triple the daily returns</a> of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index (SPSIRETR), an equal-weight collection of a variety of retailers. While RETL tumbled more than 6 percent on Friday, the leveraged retail ETF is still up more than 10 percent this month, making it one of Direxion&#39;s better-performing leveraged bullish funds to start November.
For the five days ending Thursday, Nov. 8, RETL&#39;s volume was nearly 46 percent above the trailing 20-day average, <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to issuer data</a>. That could be a sign traders are already revisiting the leveraged retail ETF.
<h3>Why It&#39;s Important </h3>
Other fundamental factors speak to RETL&#39;s near-term potential, including wage growth. However, wage growth can cut both ways for restaurants and retailers.
&ldquo;Retailers and restaurants tend to have large employee bases and are expected to be among companies most likely to feel the biggest impacts of higher wages,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks-weekahead/investors-focus-on-retailers-as-wages-rise-idUSKCN1NE27C?feedType=RSS&amp;feedName=businessNews&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed:+reuters/businessNews+(Business+News)">reports Reuters</a>. &ldquo;Morgan Stanley strategists wrote in a note this week that hotels, restaurants, retailers, energy equipment and services, and IT services may be among industries most exposed to rising wages.&rdquo;
RETL&#39;s underlying index allocates about 44 percent of its combined weight to apparel retailers, specialty retailers and food retailers.
<h3>What&#39;s Next </h3>
Believe it or not, what is next for RETL are a slew of earnings reports. While third-quarter earnings seasons is mostly in the books for other sectors, that is not the case with retail.
For the two weeks starting Monday, Nov. 12, nearly 31 percent of the components index report earnings, providing tactical traders with ample near-term opportunity with the triple leveraged retail ETF over the coming trading days.
Related Links:
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<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/18/11/12646607/paws-up-the-first-pets-etf-is-here">Check Out The Pet Industry ETF</a>

Time To Go Shopping With This Retail ETF

Last year, traditional retailers were being left for dead. While myriad issues, not the least of which is the competitive threat from e-commerce, still linger for brick-and-mortar retailers, price action says 2018 is marking a resurgence for the group.
On Monday, one of the three exchange traded funds (ETFs) hitting all-time highs was a retail fund and the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index is within striking distance of 52-week highs.
<h3>What Happened </h3>
The recent retail ebullience is driving the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) higher. RETL, the dominant name among leveraged retail ETFs, attempts to deliver<a href="https://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf"> triple the daily returns</a> of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index. RETL was one of the best-performing leveraged ETFs in the second quarter.
The fund gave back some of those gains Monday, but remains one of Direxion&#39;s best-performing leveraged bullish ETFs on a month-to-date basis.
&ldquo;Spending at retailers &mdash; excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants &mdash; is predicted to climb at least 4.5 percent, the National Retail Federation said Monday, giving an updated outlook for the remainder of the year. That&#39;s compared with a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/08/retail-sales-expected-to-climb-as-much-as-4-point-4-percent-in-2018.html">prior forecast range</a> of 3.8 to 4.4 percent,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/13/retail-sales-in-2018-could-climb-higher-than-previously-forecast-nrf.html">reports CNBC</a>.
<h3>Why It&#39;s Important </h3>
Data suggest traders have recently been displaying some enthusiasm for the triple-leveraged RETL. Volume in RETL has been higher than normal over the past several days and over the past month, traders have been allocation an average of nearly $148,000 per day to the fund, <a href="https://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to issuer data</a>.
RETL&#39;s underlying index devotes about 59 percent of its weight to specialty retailers while Internet and multi-line retailers combine for 29 percent.
<h3>What&#39;s Next </h3>
While second-quarter earnings season is winding down, RETL could be a valid earnings this week as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/13/in-a-big-week-for-retail-earnings-technician-says-only-one-is-a-stand.html">several marquee members</a> of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index step into the earnings confessional. That index is up 10.10 percent since the tart of the third quarter.
Related Links:
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Traders Embrace This Retail ETF

It feels like summer just started, but much to the chagrin of kids across the U.S., parents and retailers are already preparing for back-to-school shopping. Not surprisingly, back-to-school shopping season is big business for retailers.
&ldquo;Nearly half (47%) of parents say they expect to spend between $101 and $300 per child on back-to-school shopping,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survey-finds-back-to-school-shopping-creates-stress-300677936.html">according to the Coinstar Back-to-School Survey</a>. &ldquo;Nine in 10 parents say they will incur added expenses during the school year to cover extracurricular activities such as field trips, science fair projects and book fairs. These tacked-on expenses add up with two-thirds of parents expecting to spend an additional $51 to $300 this year.&rdquo;
<h3>What Happened</h3>
A brisk back-to-school shopping season could lift the already resurgent Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>), the most popular leveraged exchange traded fund dedicated to the retail sector.
RETL attempts to deliver <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">triple the daily returns</a> of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index. That equal-weight index devotes over 59 percent of its weight to specialty retailers and a combined 28.3 percent of its weight to Internet and food <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">and staples retailers</a>.
<h3>Why It&#39;s Important </h3>
Important to back-to-school sales this year is &ldquo;growth this year is the increase in disposable income due to the jump of 3.7 million full-time jobs since January 2017, which provides the steady cash flow households need,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.chainstoreage.com/finance-0/forecast-back-to-school-sales-to-hit-seven-year-high/">reports Chain Store Age</a>.
Important to RETL&#39;s near-term fortunes is broad-based strength across the retail space, including from some once struggling industries.
&ldquo;This is the most momentum we&rsquo;ve seen in seven years, and spans almost all retail sectors &mdash; even long-lagging apparel, where growth has tripled to 4.8% from its annual growth of barely 1.5% since 2011,&rdquo; said Craig Johnson, president, Customer Growth Partners, in an interview with Chain Store Age.
<h3>What&#39;s Next</h3>
The back-to-school shopping season lasts for close to two months, which is far too long to hold leveraged ETFs, but traders anxious to put RETL to the test can use the fund as an earnings play. Several of the top 10 components in RETL&#39;s underlying index deliver earnings reports <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/xchange/q2-earnings">later this month </a>and into early August.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/18/07/11995896/earnings-season-beckons-for-leveraged-etfs">Leveraged ETFs For Earnings Season</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/18/07/11995809/this-etf-is-looking-healthy-for-now">A Healthy Sector ETF</a>

Go Back-To-School Shopping With This ETF

Many investors believe the fourth quarter is the best time to embrace retail stocks and the related exchange traded funds (ETFs). Some data points suggest March is a fine time to consider the sector as well.
For example, the SPDR S&amp;P Retail ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xrt#NYSE">XRT</a>), the largest retail ETF, is usually an impressive performer in the third month of the year. The equal-weight XRT averages <a href="https://www.schaeffersresearch.com/content/analysis/2018/02/26/25-stocks-and-etfs-that-could-march-higher">a March gain of 4.41 percent</a> and March is usually the best month of the year for the retail ETF.
Knowing that, aggressive traders may want to consider the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) in the month ahead. RETL attempts to deliver triple the daily performance of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index, the same benchmark XRT tracks.
<h3>
	More Than Just Seasonality</h3>
Various data points and studies suggest there is something to seasonal trends and trading, but market participants looking to gain the full effects of a seasonal trade should not hold leveraged ETFs for more than a day or two. Like any leveraged ETF, RETL is a short-term instrument, not a buy-and-hold investment. Fortunately, there are imminent catalysts for RETL that speak to using leveraged ETFs over short holdings periods.
To kick-off March, a spate of well-known retailers report earnings. On Thursday, March 1, American Outdoor Brands (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aobc#NASDAQ">AOBC</a>), Barnes &amp; Noble, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bks#NYSE">BKS</a>), Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bby#NYSE">BBY</a>), The Gap, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gps#NYSE">GPS</a>), Kohl&#39;s Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kss#NYSE">KSS</a>) and Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jwn#NYSE">JWN</a>) step into the earnings confessional.
On Friday, March 2, Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/big#NYSE">BIG</a>), Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fl#NYSE">FL</a>) and J.C. Penney Co., Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jcp#NYSE">JCP</a>) report earnings.
<h3>
	Already Some Interest</h3>
RETL&#39;s underlying index devotes 56.6 percent of its weight to specialty retailers and 19.2 percent to Internet retailers, <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to issuer data</a>.
Over the past 30 days, RETL is averaging daily inflows of about $31,300, <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to Direxion</a>.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/18/02/11255428/assessing-an-all-star-goldman-sachs-etf">A Golden Goldman ETF.</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/18/02/11262778/another-political-test-for-this-italy-etf">Tests For The Italy ETF.</a>

AOBC

Consider This Leveraged Retail ETF In March

After scuffling for much of this year, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers soared in advance of the holiday shopping season, a jump that was confirmed Tuesday with some bullish retail data.
&ldquo;MasterCard&#39;s SpendingPulse report on national retail sales, across all payment types, said retail sales during the holiday season increased 4.9 percent from a year ago, the fastest pace of growth since 2011,&rdquo;<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/retail-stocks-rally-on-report-of-biggest-holiday-spending-jump-in-six-years-2017-12-26?siteid=rss&amp;rss=1"> reports MarketWatch</a>. &ldquo;Dollars spent this season set a record, helped by an 18.1 percent jump in online shopping and heavy early-season promotions.&rdquo;
That news sent the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) higher by 4 percent yesterday, extending the leveraged retail exchange traded fund&#39;s (ETF) gain over the past month to just over 40 percent.
<h3>
	Shopping With RETL</h3>
RETL is the dominant name among leveraged retail ETFs. The Direxion fund is designed to deliver triple the daily returns of the equal-weight <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index</a>, one of the most widely followed retail benchmarks.
Although no single stock accounts for more than 1.5 percent of RETL&#39;s underlying index, traders should still recognize what type of bet they are making with this leveraged ETF. Specifically, RETL&#39;s index devotes about three-quarters of its combined weight to specialty and Internet retailers.
The combination is working. With Tuesday&#39;s gain, RETL is up more than 16 percent since the start of December, making it one of Direxion&#39;s best-performing leveraged bull funds on a month-to-date basis. RETL also hit a new 52-week high yesterday.
<h3>
	Taking Profits</h3>
Data suggest traders have been taking profits in the resurgent RETL as the ETF is averaging daily outflows of nearly $670,000 over the past month, <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to issuer data</a>.
However, that does not diminish the allure of RETL as a short-term trade around marquee economic data releases, such as retail sales, jobs reports and consumer spending.
On Tuesday, RETL closed 39 percent above its 200-day moving average, bolstering a positive technical outlook for the leveraged retail ETF.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/17/12/10955919/the-first-us-listed-marijuana-etf-ignites-today">The First Marijuana ETF Is Here</a>. 
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Holiday Shopping Data Lifts Leveraged Retail ETF

With the holiday shopping season here, perhaps it&#39;s not surprising that retail stocks and the related exchange-traded funds are spending more time in the limelight. Even the previously moribund SPDR S&amp;P Retail ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xrt#NYSE">XRT</a>) is up 5 percent over the past week and about 11 percent over the past month.
XRT is still saddled with a year-to-date loss, underscoring previous weakness in shares of brick-and-mortar retailers, but data confirm investors are renewing their enthusiasm for the ETF.
&ldquo;About $320 million has been poured into the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/XRT:US">SPDR S&amp;P Retail ETF</a> over the past two days, the most since Jan. 17,&rdquo; reports <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com//news/articles/2017-11-30/investors-are-piling-into-retail-etfs-after-holiday-fueled-rally">Bloomberg</a>.
The renewed retail enthusiasm isn&#39;t confined to XRT. Aggressive have been pushing into XRT&#39;s leveraged equivalent, the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>) in a big way in recent weeks.
<h3>
	What RETL Does</h3>
RETL attempts to deliver triple the daily returns of the equal-weight S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index, the same index XRT follows.
That index allocates nearly 58 percent of its weight to specialty retailers and 17.1 percent to Internet retailers, according to Direxion data. Multi-line and <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">food and staples retailers </a>comprise the rest of the benchmark. No stock represents more than 1.5 percent of the index&#39;s weight.
RETL is designed to be a short-term, intraday instrument. As is the case with other leveraged ETFs, RETL can&#39;t be expected to deliver triple the returns of the underlying benchmark beyond a single trading day.
<h3>
	Shopping With RETL</h3>
Just as investors are pushing into XRT, traders are doing the same with RETL. For the five days ended Nov. 29, RETL&#39;s volume was 105.3 percent above the trailing 20-day average, according to issuer data. That marked the biggest increase among all Direxion leveraged ETFs <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">during that period</a>.
Over the past month, RETL has averaged daily inflows of nearly $438,000, also good for one of the best totals among Direxion&#39;s leveraged bullish ETFs.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/17/11/10850361/the-race-for-a-blockchain-etf-is-heating-up">Another Blockchain ETF is Coming</a>
<a href="http:// https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/17/11/10836688/preparing-for-opec-disappointment-with-leveraged-etfs">Leveraged Oil ETFs</a>

Leveraged Retail ETF Gets Some Love, Too

Thanksgiving week has historically been a good week for U.S. investors and an even better week for the retail sector. This year, the retail sector has lagged during Thanksgiving wee, but history suggests the ball could get rolling in the right direction for retail investors in the week ahead.
The National Retail Federation estimates that at least 164 million Americans are at least considering shopping this holiday season, making November and December critical months for the retail industry.
<h3>
	Holiday Cheer</h3>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/spy#NYSE">SPY</a>) finished the holiday-shortened week up 0.8 percent, while the struggling SPDR S&amp;P Retail (ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xrt#NYSE">XRT</a>) dropped 0.6 percent.
Overall, this Thanksgiving week was even better than average for U.S. investors. Since 1945, the S&amp;P 500 has delivered gains 75 percent of the time during Thanksgiving week for an average return of 0.6 percent.
<h3>
	The Retail Trade</h3>
Over the past 10 years, S&amp;P 500 retail stocks have returned an average of 5 percent during Thanksgiving week and the week after, according&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/17/retail-stocks-jump-historically-outperform-ahead-of-black-friday.html">to CNBC</a>.&nbsp;That return is even better than the overall 3 percent return of the S&amp;P 500. In fact, since 2007, S&amp;P 500 retail stocks have never generated a negative return during that two-week stretch.
For investors looking for a way to bet on retail stocks this holiday season, here are several popular <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/17/11/10801462/clix-over-bricks-going-shopping-with-a-couple-of-new-retail-">ETF options</a>:
<ul>
<li>
		SPDR Retail ETF</li>
<li>
		Direxion Daily Retail Bull 2C Shares ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>)</li>
<li>
		Amplify Online Retail ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ibuy#NASDAQ">IBUY</a>)</li>
</ul>
<h3>
	Buyer Beware</h3>
One thing retail investors should watch out for headed into the end of 2017 is tax loss selling among popular stocks. Another strong year for the market suggests investors will be looking to sell some of the worst-performing stocks to offset their gains before the end of the year. Macy&rsquo;s Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/m#NYSE">M</a>), J C Penney Company Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jcp#NYSE">JCP</a>) and Sears Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/shld#NASDAQ">SHLD</a>) and other retailers are all big losers in 2017 and could be prime targets for tax-loss selling.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/17/11/10823787/wage-pressures-and-holiday-comps-in-the-retail-sector">Wage Pressures And Holiday Comps In The Retail Sector</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/17/11/10265503/walmarts-crazy-christmas-plans">Walmart&#39;s Crazy Christmas Plans</a>
<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/investing/best-brokers-for-etfs/">Brokers for ETFs</a>

Education

IBUY

SHLD

Take Advantage Of The Retail Sector's Historical Black Friday Strength With These Stocks, ETFs

To say the retail sector is currently downtrodden is a delicate way of stating the group&#39;s current state of affairs. The S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index, a popular, equal-weight gauge of retail stocks, is down about 7 percent year-to-date while the S&amp;P 500 is up more than 14 percent and residing near record highs.
&nbsp;
Predictably, what is bad news for the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index is basically catastrophic for the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>). That ETF attempts to deliver triple <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">the daily returns</a> of the S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index. Proving that leveraged ETFs should be held for extended time frames, RETL is overshooting the index on the downside with a year-to-date loss of about 26 percent.&nbsp;
Top holdings in the index include Finish Line Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/finl#NASDAQ">FINL</a>) (1.53 percent), Groupon Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/grpn#NASDAQ">GRPN</a>) (1.4 percent), and Tailored Brands Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tlrd#NYSE">TLRD</a>) (1.4 percent).&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Still, plenty of traders and investors believe the fourth quarter is usually kind to retail stocks, a belief that could put RETL in play over the coming months.
&nbsp;
History As A Guide
&nbsp;
With a couple of exceptions, 2017 has been a pretty rough year for <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">retail investors</a>,&rdquo; said Direxion <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/xchange/will-retail-rise-as-the-leaves-fall">in a recent note</a>. &ldquo;Wall Street has continued to hit the sector amid the continued dominance of Amazon. And news of the company&rsquo;s acquisition of Whole Foods and its planned expansion into brick-and-mortar sales hasn&rsquo;t done much to quell that sentiment.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
RETL&#39;s underlying index allocates over 17 percent of its weight to Internet retailers, the best-performing corner of the broader retail space this year. That has not been enough to counteract the almost 58 percent the benchmark devotes to specialty retailers, plenty of which are slumping this year.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;However, the prevailing negative sentiment doesn&rsquo;t mean there isn&rsquo;t an opportunity in the sector,&rdquo; said Direxion. &ldquo;If history is any indication, the fourth quarter could signal a change in price trends within the industry overall, helped by a few names in particular.&rdquo;
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Some Enthusiasm
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RETL is down about 6 percent over the past month, but that is not keeping traders away. Over that period, the leveraged retail ETF is averaging daily inflows of more than $366,000, <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to Direxion data</a>.&nbsp;
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Last year, RETL&#39;s index surged from November through December after slumping late in the third quarter and to start the fourth quarter.
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&ldquo;<a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">RETL</a> is also well-positioned because of its holdings. With the exception of Sears, most of the fund&rsquo;s top holdings are in specialty retail (56 percent of the index, to be exact) which has proven more resilient against Amazon than big-box stores with massive amounts of inventory,&rdquo; adds Direxion.
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Related Links:
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/17/10/10196992/minimize-small-cap-risk-with-this-etf">Mute Small-Cap Risk With This ETF</a>. 
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/17/10/10196974/doting-on-dollar-etfs">Doting On Dollar ETFs</a>.&nbsp;

FINL

GRPN

TLRD

Leveraged ETF Traders Are Betting Q4 Will Be Kind To Retail

If 2017 has seen the continuation of one trend, it&#39;s the duality of retail. E-commerce giant Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) continues to soar, and the pummeling of traditional brick-and-mortar has not let up.&nbsp;
But, there could be some signs of life emerging for moribund retailers.
Retail sales, for one, have been on a positive uptrend. Though they actually slipped 0.3 percent in May, much of that was due to weakness in gasoline sales and auto sales. Core Retail Sales in the U.S. are actually up 3.9 percent through May compared to the first five months of 2016. That&#39;s mostly been driven by internet spending.&nbsp;
On top of that, the most recent Redbook reading, another measure of retail activity, reported that retail spending for the last week of June was up 0.6 percent vs May and up 2.4 percent year-over-year, and that retail sales were up 2.2 percent year-over-year.
For retail traders and investors, all eyes will be on the June retail sales report, which will be released July 14. A positive number could benefit those who&#39;ve bet on retail&#39;s comeback, especially who&#39;ve added leverage through&nbsp;the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>), the go-to choice for active traders looking to add leverage to the retail trade. The Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares looks to deliver triple the daily returns of the aforementioned <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index</a>.&nbsp;
That index allocates 56.5 percent of its weight to specialty retailers with another 17 percent devoted to Internet retailers. Food and staples retailers along with multi-line retailers combine for 26.5 percent, <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to Direxion data</a>.&nbsp;
Data suggests traders are comfortable betting on better days ahead for RETL. Over the past month, the leveraged bull retail ETF is averaging daily inflows of over $42,000.&nbsp;

Is The Retail Trade On The Comeback?

The following is a weekly recap of leveraged ETFs broken down by sector.&nbsp;
Energy
The best-performing sector for the final week of the quarter was the energy sector, which returned 2.2 percent overall. But despite the strong end to Q1, energy remains by far the weakest sector of 2017 with a -6.7 percent return.&nbsp;
Direxion Energy Bull 3x Shares ETF&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/erx#NYSE">ERX</a>), which seeks to deliver 300 percent the returns of the S&amp;P Energy Select Sector Index, finished the week up 8.7 percent.Direxion Shares Exchange Traded Fund Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/ery#NYSE">ERY</a>), which seeks to deliver -300 percent of the index, finished down about 8.9 percent for the week.&nbsp;
Financials
Financials finished the week up 0.9 percent. However at a 2.5 percent return year-to-date, it still lags behind all other sectors except energy and telecom.&nbsp;
The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fas#NYSE">FAS</a>), which seeks to deliver 300 percent the returns of the&nbsp;Russell 1000 Financial Services Index,&nbsp;opened the week at the lows, but closed up 7.2 percent. The&nbsp;Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/faz#NYSE">FAZ</a>), the inverse of FAS, finished down 0.8 percent.&nbsp;
Technology
The tech sector continued its strong 2017, closing up 1.1 percent for the week. With a 12.6 percent return year-to-date, the tech sector is by far the best performer of the year. The Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X Shares&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/tecl#NYSE"> TECL</a>), which aims to return 300 percent of the S&amp;P Technology Select Sector Index, closed the week up about 5.1 percent, while its bear counterpart, the&nbsp;Direxion&nbsp;Daily Technology Bear 3X Shares (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/tecs#NYSE">TECS</a>), finished down 5.1 percent.&nbsp;
Healthcare
In the first full week since Congress tabled healthcare reform as an agenda item, the healthcare sector finished about flat, up 0.2 percent. However for the year, the sector remains one of the strongest, up 8.4 percent. The&nbsp;Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X Shares&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cure#NYSE">CURE</a>), which is designed to deliver triple the returns of the S&amp;P Health Care Select Sector Index, finished the week up 1.9 percent. The&nbsp;Direxion Daily Healthcare Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sick#NYSE">SICK</a>), CURE&#39;s inverse ETF, closed down 1.1 percent.
Real Estate
The newest sector mimicked the financials last week, closing up 0.9 percent. Year-to-date the sector is up 3.5 percent, which while a full percent higher than the financials, is still the fourth-lowest return out of the 11 sectors.&nbsp;
The Direxion Daily Real Estate Bull 3x Shares (NYSE DRN), which tries to return 300 percent of the MSCI US REIT Index, closed up 2.9 percent for the week, while the&nbsp;Drexion Daily Real Estate Bear 3x Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/drv#NYSE">DRV</a>), which seeks to return 300 percent of the inverse performance, closed down 3 percent.&nbsp;
Materials&nbsp;
Materials finished up 1.5 percent last week, and is now up 5.9 percent for the year. The&nbsp;Direxion Daily Homebuilders &amp; Supplies Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/nail#NYSE">NAIL</a>), which measures the Dow Jones US Select Home Construction Index, and seeks to return 300 percent, finished up 4.4 percent. The&nbsp;Direxion Daily Homebuilders &amp; Supplies Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/claw#NYSE">CLAW</a>) finished the week down 1.3 percent
Consumer Discretionary
The consumer discretionary sector continued its rock-solid performance in 2017, closing up 1.7 percent for the week. At 8.4 percent for the year, it is the second-best performing sector of the year.
The&nbsp;Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>), which seeks 300 percent of the returns of the&nbsp;S&amp;P Retail Select Industry Index, closed the week&nbsp;up 10.8 percent.&nbsp;

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CURE

Direxion Daily Real Estate Bear 3x Shares

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How Leveraged Sector ETFs Performed Last Week

Broadly speaking, retail stocks and the corresponding exchange traded funds have been duds this year. Strip out the retail ETFs with heavy exposure to Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and the performances look even worse.

	Amazon is a difference maker. The VanEck Vectors Retail ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rth#NYSE">RTH</a>) has an almost 16.7% weight to Amazon and that ETF has outperformed the largest retail ETF this year by 80 basis points.

	&quot;In terms of year-over-year earnings growth, six of the thirteen retail sub-industries in the S&amp;P 500 are predicted to report growth in earnings for the fourth quarter, led by the Internet Retail (52.1 percent), Drug Retail (20.8 percent), and Home Improvement Retail (9.6 percent) sub-industries. &ldquo;On the other hand, seven of the thirteen retail sub-industries in the S&amp;P 500 are predicted to report declines in earnings, led by the Home Furnishing Retail (-14.0 percent) and Hypermarkets &amp; Super Centers (-9.0 percent) sub-industries,&quot; according to a <a href="http://www.factset.com/insight/2015/11/earningsinsight_11.27.15#.Vlxa7vmrTIU">FactSet</a> note.

	While gains have been hard to come by with retail ETFs, adventurous traders have recently been rewarded with the Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3x Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/retl#NYSE">RETL</a>). RETL, which attempts to deliver triple the daily returns of the Russell 1000 Retail Index, is up 18 percent over the past three months and currently offers an appealing technical outlook.

	&ldquo;From a technical perspective, RETL is currently in a short term uptrend. The price action has been trending higher with the 7-day moving average currently above the 20-day moving average. The RSI is currently at 59.39, above generally accepted uptrend technical level of 50. A continuation of current RSI trend in the short term could continue to support the current uptrend.The MACD is above the signal line and above the zero line. A continual widening spread between MACD and the signal line continues to support the current technical trend. Also worth noting, the percentage of positive days in the last 30 days is currently above 60%, supporting a higher chance of a continual uptrend in the short term,&rdquo; <a href="http://www.direxioninvestments.com/products/direxion-daily-retail-bull-3x-etf">according to Direxion</a>.&nbsp;

	At the fundamental level, RETL&#39;s allure is easily explained. The Russell 1000 Retail Index is light on battered apparel retailers. Additionally, that index is heavy on Internet retailers and home improvement names, two of the better performing areas of the consumer discretionary space this year. Those industries combine for over 46 of the index&#39;s weight.

Intraday Update

Merrill Lynch Retail HOLDRS Trust due 12/31/41

Going Shopping With A Leveraged Retail ETF

An aggressive way to maximize the return with leveraged ETF when trading the cup and handle pattern.