ProShares Short Financials (SEF)

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in ProShares Short Financials, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.

ProShares Short Financials (SEF) has returned 11.27% so far this year and 2.76% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, SEF has returned -11.67% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.16% annually.

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jun 12, 2008, SEF's average daily return is -0.04%, while the average monthly return is -1.05%.

Historically, 40% of months were positive and 60% were negative. The best month was Jan 2009 with a return of +22.5%, while the worst month was Mar 2009 at -21.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 5 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.

On a daily basis, SEF closed higher 46% of trading days. The best single day was Dec 1, 2008 with a return of +15.9%, while the worst single day was Sep 19, 2008 at -15.6%.

ProShares Short Financials has an annualized alpha of 2.66%, beta of -1.23, and R² of 0.76 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since June 13, 2008.

• This ETF tended to rise when S&P 500 Index fell (downside capture of -153.04%), but participation in market rallies was also limited (-77.56%) — a profile typical of counter-cyclical assets.
• This ETF generated an annualized alpha of 2.66% versus S&P 500 Index — delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
• Beta of -1.23 indicates this ETF moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index — a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.

SEF has a high expense ratio of 0.95%, indicating above-average management fees.

SEF ranks 14 for risk / return — in the bottom 14% of ETFs on our site. This means you're taking on significantly more risk than the returns justify. Consider whether the potential upside is worth the volatility, or explore alternatives with better risk / return profiles.

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares Short Financials (SEF) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).

ProShares Short Financials provided a 3.27% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.11 per share.

The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for ProShares Short Financials. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.

The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the ProShares Short Financials. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.

The maximum drawdown for the ProShares Short Financials was 96.51%, occurring on Jan 6, 2026. The portfolio has not yet recovered.

The current ProShares Short Financials drawdown is 96.00%.

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.