SEO Services You Can’t Live Without

Some agencies specialise in only SEO or link building whereas other large consultancies can offer end-to-end packages from developing or redesigning your website to ongoing SEO maintenance. Here are five of the key SEO services that you should look for when evaluating online marketing agencies.Keyword researchCreating your keyword portfolio is one of the most important SEO services offered by agencies and the foundation of your online marketing campaign. This is best conducted by a professional trained in keyword research. A specialised SEO company or consultant will use different techniques to find the best keywords for your site. This may include client and customer feedback, keyword research tools, competitor analysis, social media and so on.SEO strategiesAn experienced SEO consultant will help you map out an SEO strategy (online and offline) that drives traffic to your site, increases the conversion rate and gives you the highest return on your investment. The keyword research (see above) and technical analysis of your site forms the basis for your campaigns so that a comprehensive marketing plan can be mapped out in order to start implementing the SEO activity.Link buildingWhen you are researching the SEO services that you require, ask the consultant or agency about link building campaigns. Search Engines see a back link to your site from other credible, trustworthy, authoritative and relative websites as a validation for your website. A professional SEO company should have developed a network of contacts, established relationships with webmasters and know how to find the best link building opportunities.SEO copywritingCopywriting is another of the SEO services that a larger agency may offer. Off page and on page optimisation is crucial to your SEO campaign but it’s not always the first click that you need to worry about, it’s the second one. The difference between a high or low bounce rates may come down to the quality of your SEO copywriting. An SEO company will help you find a balance between keyword-rich copy and engaging copy that encourages conversions.SEO web designThis can be one of the most vital elements of your campaign and yet one of the most neglected SEO services. With new websites, SEO consultants should ideally be consulted at the start of the process when you are deciding on a technical platform, a Content Management System (CMS), shopping cart software or other key design elements. Sadly choosing the wrong platform can have serious implications on your potential SEO success.When looking for an SEO company, it may be more cost-effective and more efficient to take a streamlined approach to your SEO activities and hire a full-service agency that can deliver a whole spectrum of SEO services. Some agencies may have web designers that can help create a beautiful website with all the SEO functionality you require, experienced link analysts developing link building campaigns and offer professional copywriting SEO services.

Link Popularity Building Made Easy

In order to “sell” your website to the highest ranking search engines in the world, you’ll need to more than likely use a link popularity building service. There are many companies that offer these services, to try to increase your link building campaign to drive relevant traffic, you’re branding and improve your link popularity and search engine rankings. Some people are actually afraid to admit that they used such a service, but in the world of e-Commerce, and web based businesses, this is the most crucial thing you can do to increase your web page ranking on these search engines, and “out link” your opponent.The internet is a dog eat dog world when it comes to marketing, and when it comes to search engine optimization. Link popularity building tools such as SEO Elite, and other backlink software, and boosters, and even some paid companies that offer services to make your website backlink better, are making it big, and helping to get millions of successful businesses off the ground. The more backlinks you have pointing your website to a search engine, the higher ranking for that specific keyword you’ll get.Many of the top competitor businesses in the world know about this method of “backlinking” in the business, and are using the knowledge of this to increase their profiles on social networks, their website for their business, their Twitter pages for their business or company, their music, and much more. But they wouldn’t be able to do any of this without link popularity building tools. Main reason why so many use this to increase Google ranking.Most companies and businesses have these services because they pay either someone, a team of people, or even another company for these services to ensure their business ranks high on search engines. Other small companies starting out find this software, and services for free, and using freeware programs, or other low priced programs that offer link popularity building settings so that they can do all of the ecommerce and marketing themselves.The link popularity building tools that most popular programs, from SEO Elite, to Link Boosters, and other backlink boosting software use are crucial, and time consuming, and time sensitive, but they are essential in making your website the strongest and most reached website on a particular search engine. If you want to reach a high number of traffic, and get your product out there easier, then using one of these programs will make it much easier to succeed online with your business.Another thing is that with link popularity building, whether it be tools, software, or services, you can make your page come up first in a search engine. Many people click on links because they are curious, and when your page is listed first, many people want to know why. So due to this backlinking method of increasing your page ranks on the search engine, people will see your page, wonder why, and go to it. This can increase the number of people who are interested in your page or service, and can even mean more customers, making your business succeed where other companies don’t.

The Promise of Technology is Intangible

Technology-enabled solutions are intangible sales. People don’t buy the machine; they buy what it enables. Average sales people tend to perceive technology as a tangible, so they focus on the functionality. Exceptional sales people understand that customers only care about the results the technology enables, which is intangible. This difference in perception about the nature of technology is the fundamental factor in determining a sales person’s success.Technology is the actualization of abstract theories. The more theories that are actualized, the more powerful the technology is. For example, there is a computer chip in my car that makes me a better driver. The computer chip senses the car beginning to skid on a patch of ice much faster than I can. It automatically sends messages to the anti-lock brake system so the car responds to the changing road conditions before I am even aware there may be a problem. This simple application is the actualization of theories that span the disciplines of physics, mechanical engineering, human perception, and computer software. It would take a long time to explain how it all worked. As a car buyer, however, I only care about the fact that it makes me a safer driver.The more sophisticated the technology is, the greater the abstraction. Selling abstractions is more than just relating benefits. It is about linking the functionality of the technology to the desired end result, which is the intangible promise of the technology. I can only appreciate the value of the car’s computer controlled anti-locking device when I understand how it improves my driving. If the sales person just explains anti-locking brakes, I don’t perceive the benefit. If she tells me that I will be a better driver, but doesn’t explain how, then I won’t believe her. She must help me understand the relationship between the how the technology is applied and the results that are important to me before I will value the technology.Selling the value of your technology. The translation of abstract theory into useful applications that deliver strategic benefits is the essence of selling value. Value is created when the customer believes the technology solution will help them accomplish their objectives. To develop the customer’s conviction you must integrate their learning process with their decision-making process.The sales person must provide the customer with the right information at the right time. Furthermore, it must be done in a way that increases the customer’s perception of need, urgency to buy and appreciation of the value contribution of the solution.The information puzzle gets even more complex as we incorporate the relentless rate of change associated with any technology solution. As the technology evolves and its applications expand, it becomes practically impossible to stay current and informed about the solution. The body of information that the sales person draws upon to sell a technology solution is constantly evolving. Products mutate. New technologies replace old ones. Competitors’ products change. Markets accelerate. Each change has multiple implications for how customers buy and the best ways to sell the solution.Keeping current about all the factors that influence a technology sale is not easy. It is hard enough to keep track of the ever-changing information. The fact that you must synthesize it into strategically sequenced, customer learning experiences that build credibility and value exponentially increases its complexity. No wonder the sales superstars make so much money!

Finding Agencies For Corporate Event Entertainment Content

Have you run a search for corporate event entertainment on the Internet thinking you were going to have an easy time finding one to fit your company holiday party? Perhaps you were looking for a little unwind time with the team and do some team building after a hectic and grueling work season that never seemed to slow down? Thought you could relax while you picked up the closest agency that sponsored corporate entertainment? Think again. Run a search and you could find thousands of agencies that would love to book your corporate team challenge or social evening out. The problem may be that you have more to make up for once it is all over.As in any event you need to make sure to pick an agency that has the experience and the professionalism that can cater to your event. With the state of the economy these days just about anyone is desperate for work and will try to sell their company as experienced.The best way to check out the local agency is to find an event that they are putting on and attend for yourself. Just as if you were planning a wedding or another once in a blue moon event. The agencies booking these events usually want you to come and check out a venue or two that they have booked so that you have complete confidence in your selection. With that, they are also protecting themselves knowing that you will both be happy with the entertainment provided.Another important aspect to look for if you are trying to find corporate event entertainment is to check out the selection of entertainers that they have and would be able to provide. If the selection is slim either they do not have the experience they are boasting about or there is a reason entertainers are not signing on with them.Finally, which goes without saying is check the references of the agency and the corporate event entertainment that you may have already focused on. This can be the greatest recommendation and the truest prediction of how your event will be handled. Compare apples to apples. Your type of corporation with the type of entertainment with the venue. Make sure the agency you are working with can provide credible references for you to get the most of this hopefully relaxing and entertaining function for your company.

How To Build A Brand On The Internet

Sir George D Beauchamp was the father of electric guitars. He was the oldest electric guitar manufacturer in the industry. When he started manufacturing guitars he realized that his last name was not catchy enough for the brand to sell. He needed a catchy name that would make his brand sell. He chose his best friend and partner’s name Rickenbacker for the purpose. He had chosen Ro-Pat-In Corporation and Electro String for his brand earlier.Rickenbacker was a very famous surname back then. Sir George felt that choosing such a famous name for his brand would do good for his struggling business. He was absolutely correct. The name he chose eighty years back has become a legacy today. It is synonymous to ingenuity and class. It has become symbolic to music and several artists across the globeBrand Names with a DifferenceA brand name can make or break a business. Goldstar was one of the world’s leaders in making high quality home appliances. It was South Korea’s second largest exporter in the category. GoldStar stood apart from the rest of the category in several ways. It symbolized unattainable grandeur, superiority and high brand values. It stood apart from the rest of the brands because it made high quality products at very economical prices.There was a huge financial crisis in Asia in 1995. The sales of the company saw a huge decline. The company lost a major chunk of its market to newer companies who offered products at a lesser price. The company did not get deterred due to the downfall. They revised their branding strategy, renamed their company “lucky goldstar” and relaunched themselves into the market with a huge bang. The shortened brand name “LG” sounds more appealing and classier than its predecessor. It recreated a space for itself on the international market. LG maintains that their rebranding strategy was not designed to make a place on the market. They wanted to launch into the western markets too.Brands and AssociationsBranding is like creating a personality from scratch. You are responsible for giving it a face, a personality, a behaviour etc. the personality you give to a brand becomes something that people will remember the brand by. There are times when the graphic designer plays a very crucial role in creating the brand. The name, logo, colour scheme etc play a vital role in forming the brand. Firstly it is important for you to choose the kind of image you would like your brand to portray.If you use a sans-serif font for your logo, you will portray a formal, upscale image which is suitable if you are into manufacturing or some upmarket services. Designer, ornate fonts are normally associated with designers or the wedding industry. If you use curly, bubbly types then you are a young brand. Neon Green is a colour that is typically associated with web services.Branding OnlineThe internet has become a very cheap method of marketing. Almost all brands today have an online presence. As a result of which, you need to have a very catchy name or a logo that stands apart from the crowd. Since online branding is not restricted to a particular geographic location, your name and logo should have a global appeal. Do not use names which are in a regional language. People normally don’t remember names that don’t mean anything to them. Use English preferably. It is a universal language. Do not use any such symbology that might hurt the religious sentiments of any particular caste or society.BrandverbingBrandverbing is something that has had mixed opinions from several marketing experts over the years. Some experts feel that brandverbing makes the brand a part and parcel of our day to day language. Brand recall is higher if the brand is successfully brandverbed. Till about ten years back, marketers rejected the idea completely. They did not give any specific reason for doing so. Brandverbing is an age old practise. It was not created intentionally by some clever marketer. It has evolved over the years. The consumers are solely responsible for creating the culture of brandverbing.One of the most popular examples of brandverbing are “just Google it!” instead of saying look for specific information on Google, people just take the shorter way out.Lennon is symbolic to the western rock and roll world. His name has become a symbolic brand “Lennonized it” is another way of saying that you sang something the rock and roll way. Brandverbing is good only when it is created over a period of time. The popular search engine Bing paid an American crime show huge amounts of money to displace Google as a popular brandverb. It failed in doing so.Word of Mouth Marketing using BrandverbingBrandverbing works wonders when it comes to word of mouth marketing. Word of mouth is probably the oldest known form of marketing where people relied on old loyal customers to promote their products or services. Brand experts always recommend names that are attractive and easy to remember. They also prefer shorter names to long complicated ones. No brand has ever been successful without proper word of mouth marketing. No matter how big a brand is, it needs its share of word of mouth publicity. Negative publicity can really bring a brand down. Brandverbing and word of mouth marketing always go hand in hand.Having Humorous Brand NamesBrandverbing can be deceptive. It does not succeed in all cases. One in ten brands succeeds in this marketing strategy. Another great way of making your brand a huge success is to use humour in the brand name itself. The comic element of the brand makes people remember the name. Hundreds of brands across the globe try funny, witty names for their brands. In California itself, there are over sixty brands that use the humour element. Some of the most famous brands among them are Escape from New York Pizza and 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.

Online Education – An Internet Education & Course Checklist

If you’ve chosen to go to college via an online education distance learning program, there are a few things you’ll want to know before getting started. This listing should be considered as a general guide on the subject and not as a replacement for the guidelines provided by the university that supports the online education program that you’ll be participating in.Online Education Courses are Just as ‘Real’ as ‘Real’ CollegeFor some reason, many students that are beginning a distance learning education get the idea that it’s not “real” college, so it doesn’t matter if they do the coursework on time, pass the exams, etc. This is just as common in adults who are returning to school after a lapse in education as it is in young students who are fresh out of high school. This type of attitude is a recipe for failure in any educational program. Remember that it is your time and your money that is going into this; you want to be sure that you get everything you can out of it.School Supplies are Your ResponsibilityIf you were attending a traditional university you’d expect to pay for your books, pens, paper, and other products necessary for your education. It is no different when attending online education courses. The supplies are different; you’ll need a computer, internet access (preferably broadband), email, and specific software to complete your online courses. In most cases these are all things that you’ll be required to supply yourself. If you do find a college that is offering to give you a PC, you’ll probably want to double check their accreditation or start having your email sent to [email protected] because you’ve found yourself a fly-by-night university.Financial Aid is Available for Those Who QualifyMany students miss out on college because they believe they can’t afford it. Perhaps their parents were unwilling or unable to pay for college yet they made too much money for the student to qualify for aid. Then, as older adults, they do not continue their education because they still believe they can’t afford it. Remember that students in online education programs from accredited schools can qualify for many of the same grants that they would in on-campus programs. Don’t miss your opportunity because you think you can’t afford to pay for your online education.To view our recommended sources for online education and
degrees, visit us here Recommended Sources For Online Education [http://www.ezerk.com/articulos.php?category=47].

Social Network Marketing – What Network Marketing Professionals Need To Know

Social Network Marketing is a term we are going to be hearing a lot as Social Media and Network Marketing are drawn together. Network marketing has always been a social experience, so what’s the big deal? Social networking is the big deal and it is going to get much, much bigger.Studies not so long ago indicated that the 500 million plus Facebook users didn’t pay much attention to the Facebook ads. It was thought that people go to Facebook to hangout with friends and not much more. However, that may be changing. The fastest growing user group on Facebook are women in the 55 – 65 age group.Yes, these are the same women that make 80% of the family buying decision. Turns out that currently the majority of Facebooks advertising revenues are from casual gaming promoters. Why? The users of casual games (FarmVille, Mafia Wars) are women.A recent PopCap study showed that 55 percent of all social gamers in the U.S. are women. The average age of the women users is 48. Interestingly, 46 percent of American social gamers are 50 or older while only 6 percent of all social gamers are age 21 or younger. So, it appears the kids aren’t playing the Facebook games as much as the women who just happen to be the target of most advertisers.Why is this such good news for network marketers? Since women make up approximately 85% of the distributor force it would seem that a lot of our new distributors are on Facebook and other social media sites waiting for us to contact them.How do we contact them? Advertising? Not on your life. Social media marketing is about communicating, not advertising. Recent studies have shown that while 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations only 14% trust advertisements. That brings us back to the question, how do you contact them?Obviously, if consumers want peer recommendations the trick is going to be how to get them to listen to your recommendations. The key is to establish a Web presence that establishes you as a peer and an expert.Networking presentations were once dominated by presentations that brought forth an emotional response. There was the saying that “people hear your music not your words.” In fact, scientific studies indicate that an audience is influenced 7% by your content, 38% by your vocal presentation and 55% by your visual presence. The keys to great presentation were your tonality and your enthusiasm.How do we make inspiring presentation using social media? Sincerity. Yep, there it is again, you have to be real. You must be authentic and transparent. Presentations using social media are not a filled with emotional triggers. For a social media product launch when you are filling a specific need by providing specific product you may be able to be effective by using hard sell and emotional triggers. However, using social media to find compatible business partners requires that you build a relationship.Sure you have webinars, product presentations and meetings over the Internet, however, they are just extensions of your relationship building. These events are not what creates a social network marketing organization. The important elements to creating your online social network marketing organization are the social media funnels you develop to encourage people to want to find out more about you and ultimately join you or purchase what you have to offer.Your social network marketing matrix consists of your Facebook site, twitter account, YouTube channel, blog, website, newsletter and/or capture page. You are creating a funnel that will pre-qualify your business partners. By the way, the pre-qualifying goes both ways. Your potential partners are using the elements of your social network marketing matrix to determine if they want to get to know you better and possibly become your business partner.Do you need all of these elements to integrate social media into you network marketing business plan? Yes. It takes some time to set things up properly, however, once your funnels are in place you will have the tools to build an online home based business social networking organization that is yours and will last.

Education in 50 Years: A Futurist’s Perspective

Education is an important tool that is applied in the contemporary world to succeed. The word education means ‘to bring up’. Education provides the basic knowledge that makes a human a human. Since the start of human history people have been learning and educating. People in the past struggled very much to get education. Education has progressed from that time. In the present time only educated people can get success in the world. Without education success is impossible.Education helps an individual to live a respectful life. Educated people are more helpful in the progress of a country. It is playing an important role in the economic and social prosperity. Career wise, education is the foundation of developing individuals by providing knowledge regarding humanity all over the world. Individuals in the society acquire new approaches in life that build opinions on the economical and social life. Education enables the society to interpret the world around them rightly, innovating to new ways and means that conform to their environment.Contrary to the ways of getting education in the past, now a day’s getting education is easy. New technologies, books and many other things have made it easy to get education.According to my perspective education in the future will be even much advanced than the past and present. With the advancement of science and technology education in the future will be very wonder full. The internet is playing an important role in getting education and it will be of great help in the future. In the future everything will be connected with the internet. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers and everything today that is helping in getting education will be much more upgraded. In the next 50 years we will be able to open any book while sitting at home with just a gesture of hand. Instead of LCDs or screens everything will be projected in front of us with the help of holographic technology. Even the children’s of 1-3 years of age which are not able to go to school will learn many new things with this technology at home.Like there are always two faces of a picture, one is bright while other is dark in the same way there are two ways the education in next fifty years can go. Education in the next fifty years may become very easy because everything will be in a student’s reach while sitting at home. There will be no need to carry big and heavy bags to school and colleges. And because of the advancement in science and technology all the lessons and lectures will be provided online. But there may arise many problems due to this. Students will become very lazy and inactive and many problems will surround them due to their inactivity. They will get everything while sitting at home which will distort their health.The education in next 50 years may become a little difficult for students because new ideas and discovery’s are being made and students are forced to study all that in a very little age so it becomes a burden on them to understand everything but it will be beneficial for them because for getting something you have to lose something. In the whole world, there are many countries which include developed and developing countries. The education system after 50 years will be different in both. It will be really good in developed countries but in developing countries it will not be that much advances because the countries are way back in the field of science and technology. In next fifty years system of education in school, colleges and universities will totally be changed. Studies will become very easy. Science and technology will play an important role in future education but it will not reduce the importance of teacher. A teacher is the main guide in the whole life of a student. He guides them and makes them well disciplined and educated and in the future also teacher will play an important role in the career building of a student. Even if the students will be able to get knowledge from advance resources like internet, still they will need a teacher. Teachers will educate them in school, colleges and universities in a proper way. The role of a teacher in the life a student can’t be neglected.A teacher is also considered as a “spiritual father” of a student. A student can learn all the knowledge of the world but he can’t understand it without the aid of a teacher. Without a teacher, students will get distracted and get involved in other activities. They will become manner less and their interest for seeking education will die out. The advance technology will also help teacher to convey his teachings in a better way to the students. There is a golden saying:-”Get knowledge from a child’s cradle till grave”Role of a teacher in the life of a student in the next fifty years will remain the same as it is in present. As education makes a student well-mannered and well-disciplined so a student of future will also be well mannered and disciplined. He will respect his elders and his teachers. He will follow the right path.In next fifty years the life of a student will also be changed completely. Now a day, students have a very tough routine. They go to school in morning, from school to tuition and again have to study at home. Their whole day is spent in this routine and they don’t have time for themselves. In future the students will not have to do that much hard work because it is bad for their health and education means to bring up not to bring down. In present days the illiteracy rate is very high. Many children in many countries of the world do not go to school but in future all this would be changed and every child will get education because getting education is the right of every one. System of education in the next fifty years will also be improved as compared to today.In short, whatever the configuration of an education of future might be technology will play an important role in it. With technology teachers will also play an important role in educating the students. If all the teachers are well educated then they will play a better role and with the coordination of a teacher and new technology the students of future will be the best and they will take their nation or country to the peaks of progress.

S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.