A number of readers have asked why I haven't said much about inverse (or bear) ETFs. The main reason is that I wasn't convinced that the recent market dip was serious enough to warrant bearish positions. So far, that view has been justified. Chart 1 shows the ProShares Ultra Short QQQs (QID) nearing a test of its January low. It's also back below its 50-day average (blue line). Inverse funds are not meant as long-term holdings. Their use is only justified when the market is in a serious downward correction or a bear trend. Some short-term profits could have been made in the QID from mid-January to mid-February, but only for very nimble traders. For everyone else, it's back where it started the year. The QID is designed to trade in the opposite direction of the Power Shares QQQ Trust (QQQQ). Chart 2 shows that technology-dominated ETF trading a couple of points from its January high and well above its 50-day line. At the moment, the QQQQ is acting a lot better than the QID.
