Volatility ETFs stood out over the last week amid the big market sell-off. Volatility spiked considerably as a wave of selling spread from Japan.
SVOL is an interesting high-yield ETF, and we like how the fund is structured to produce income over time. In theory, SVOL should be somewhat susceptible to spikes in the VIX, and this has prevented us from getting 'too large' in the name in the past. Monday, we got our first look into how the ETF would perform during a spike in volatility, and it did incredibly well.
Simple investments can be more successful than complicated ones, as overly complex investments may hide unacceptable risks. The Simplify Volatility Premium ETF offered total returns of 27.54% over the last 3 years, but recent performance and tax structure raise concerns. SVOL's strategy involves shorting the VIX and investing in government bonds, but consistent decline in net asset value and unfavorable taxes make it a sell.
High-yield monthly paying dividends are becoming increasingly popular. SVOL is a unique strategy ETF that offers a 16% yield, paid monthly. SVOL is designed to deliver market-like returns with lower volatility and diversify one's portfolio.
SVOL is a top-rated ETF with low volatility and a stable yield of about 16%. SVOL is a market observable income play that is highly manageable with known VIX patterns. It is a good portfolio diversifier. Investors should be cautious of the rare cases of extreme VIX values that could lead to substantial losses with SVOL, but overall, it remains a strong buy for income investors.
The Simplify Volatility Premium ETF (SVOL) has returned a little over 7% with distributions, but a buy-and-hold of the S&P 500 would have returned almost double that. SVOL aims to short the VIX at a rate of ~0.25X and generate income from its positions, providing shareholders an annualized distribution yield of about 15%. The fund has improved in executing its strategy, but the construction of SVOL is not likely to outperform during a bull market in equities.
Simplify Volatility Premium ETF generates income by selling VIX futures and investing in income-producing securities like high-yield and government bonds. The SVOL ETF also buys out-of-the-money VIX calls to hedge against tail risks and cap potential losses. Despite the low current VIX levels, the strategy may still be effective depending on the forward VIX futures curve and potential future events.