ProShares Short Financials (SEF) belongs to the Inverse Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with SEF. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to SEF
SEF charges 0.95% annually. There are 7 ETFs in the Inverse Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.50%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 1x Shares | 0.50% | 233.44M | Jun 2016 | SEF vs SPDN | |
| Direxion Daily Magnificent 7 Bear 1X Shares | 0.57% | 34.08M | Mar 2024 | SEF vs QQQD | |
| ProShares Decline of the Retail Store ETF | 0.66% | 3.01M | Nov 2017 | SEF vs EMTY | |
| Tradr Short Innovation Daily ETF | 0.75% | 41.67M | Nov 2021 | SEF vs SARK | |
| Tuttle Capital Daily 2X Inverse Regional Banks ETF | 0.75% | 7.22M | Jan 2024 | SEF vs SKRE |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SEF
SEF has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 6. There are 16 ETFs in the Inverse Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 70.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-REX 2X Inverse MSTR Daily Target ETF | 70 | 96.16M | Sep 2024 | SEF vs MSTZ | |
| Defiance Daily Target 2X Short MSTR ETF | 63 | 30.06M | Aug 2024 | SEF vs SMST | |
| Direxion Daily NFLX Bear 1X Shares | 57 | 5.10M | Oct 2024 | SEF vs NFXS | |
| YieldMax Short COIN Option Income Strategy ETF | 37 | 35.08M | Jul 2024 | SEF vs FIAT | |
| -1x Short VIX Futures ETF | 31 | 198.28M | Mar 2022 | SEF vs SVIX |
Top Performing SEF Alternatives (YTD)
SEF is at -2.09% YTD. There are 15 ETFs in the Inverse Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 32.39%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily ORCL Bear 1X ETF | 32.39% | 11.74M | Nov 2025 | SEF vs ORCS | |
| Direxion Daily NFLX Bear 1X Shares | 21.17% | 5.10M | Oct 2024 | SEF vs NFXS | |
| Direxion Daily PLTR Bear 1X Shares | 17.42% | 40.54M | Dec 2024 | SEF vs PLTD | |
| Direxion Daily MSFT Bear 1X Shares | 16.79% | 11.03M | Sep 2022 | SEF vs MSFD | |
| YieldMax Short COIN Option Income Strategy ETF | 13.14% | 35.08M | Jul 2024 | SEF vs FIAT |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SEF
SEF has 14.52% 1-year volatility. There are 6 ETFs in the Inverse Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 12.29%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Short Dow30 | 12.29% | 98.54M | Jun 2006 | SEF vs DOG | |
| Direxion Daily BRKB Bear 1X Shares | 12.39% | 2.34M | Dec 2024 | SEF vs BRKD | |
| ProShares Short S&P500 | 12.50% | 869.15M | Jun 2006 | SEF vs SH | |
| Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 1x Shares | 12.71% | 233.44M | Jun 2016 | SEF vs SPDN | |
| YieldMax Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF | 13.94% | 14.88M | Aug 2024 | SEF vs YQQQ |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SEF
SEF has a 1-year max drawdown of -14.82%. There are 3 ETFs in the Inverse Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -9.34%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily BRKB Bear 1X Shares | -9.34% | 2.34M | Dec 2024 | SEF vs BRKD | |
| ProShares Short FTSE China 50 | -11.39% | 4.73M | Mar 2010 | SEF vs YXI | |
| ProShares Decline of the Retail Store ETF | -13.91% | 3.01M | Nov 2017 | SEF vs EMTY | |
| ProShares Short Dow30 | -15.02% | 98.54M | Jun 2006 | SEF vs DOG | |
| AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF | -15.56% | 64.16M | Jan 2011 | SEF vs HDGE |
Other ETFs from ProShares
The 10 most viewed ProShares ETFs shown here include TQQQ, QLD, BITO and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $37B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares UltraPro QQQ | Leveraged Equities | 41 | 34.71% | 37.04B | Feb 2010 | SEF vs TQQQ | |
| ProShares Ultra QQQ | Leveraged Equities | 44 | 25.90% | 14.15B | Jun 2006 | SEF vs QLD | |
| ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF | Cryptocurrency | 1 | -27.77% | 1.45B | Oct 2021 | SEF vs BITO | |
| ProShares UltraPro S&P 500 | Leveraged Equities, S&P 500 | 51 | 24.61% | 5.47B | Jun 2009 | SEF vs UPRO | |
| ProShares Ultra S&P500 | Leveraged Equities, S&P 500 | 54 | 17.80% | 8.13B | Jun 2006 | SEF vs SSO | |
| ProShares Ultra Semiconductors | Leveraged Equities, Semiconductors | 60 | 63.25% | 2.97B | Jan 2007 | SEF vs USD | |
| ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF | Dividend, S&P 500, Large Cap Value Equities | 40 | 11.29% | 11.63B | Oct 2013 | SEF vs NOBL | |
| ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ | Leveraged Equities, Inverse Equities, Nasdaq-100 | 1 | -38.86% | 2.09B | Feb 2010 | SEF vs SQQQ | |
| ProShares Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF | Nasdaq-100, Derivative Income, Dividend | 48 | 12.64% | 410.75M | Mar 2024 | SEF vs IQQQ | |
| ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF | Volatility | 1 | -34.93% | 216.19M | Oct 2011 | SEF vs UVXY |
Often Compared With SEF
Investors most often compare SEF with XLF, MUD, CRCD. These 20 comparison targets span 4 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare SEF with Any Fund or Stock
Compare SEF with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair SEF with funds that move differently
ProShares Short Financials alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to SEF.
Explore SEF Diversifiers