SMN vs. IFED
SMN (ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials) and IFED (ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN) are both Leveraged Equities funds - SMN tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index (-200%) while IFED tracks the IFED Large-Cap US Equity Index - Benchmark TR Gross. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, SMN returned -12.88%/yr vs 14.90%/yr for IFED. At a correlation of -0.66, they often move in opposite directions. SMN charges 0.95%/yr vs 0.45%/yr for IFED.
Performance
SMN vs. IFED - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SMN achieves a -21.35% return, which is significantly lower than IFED's -3.70% return.
SMN
- 1D
- 1.63%
- 1M
- 5.80%
- 6M
- -10.07%
- YTD
- -21.35%
- 1Y
- -19.91%
- 3Y*
- -12.88%
- 5Y*
- -16.05%
- 10Y*
- -24.19%
IFED
- 1D
- -0.30%
- 1M
- -0.71%
- 6M
- -4.23%
- YTD
- -3.70%
- 1Y
- 0.61%
- 3Y*
- 14.90%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
SMN vs. IFED - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMN ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials | -21.35% | -17.96% | 7.37% | -20.23% | -3.03% | -21.67% |
IFED ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN | -3.70% | 15.02% | 23.04% | 20.78% | -1.46% | 8.46% |
Correlation
The correlation between SMN and IFED is -0.39, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.39 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.52 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 15, 2021 | -0.66 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between SMN and IFED has weakened: their correlation has moved from -0.66 to -0.39, meaning they move in opposite directions less often than they have historically.
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Return for Risk
SMN vs. IFED — Risk / Return Rank
SMN
IFED
SMN vs. IFED - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials (SMN) and ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| SMN | IFED | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.60 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.81 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.93 | 1.02 | -0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.52 | 0.04 | -0.56 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.85 | 0.10 | -0.95 |
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Drawdowns
SMN vs. IFED - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SMN drawdown since its inception was -99.92%, which is greater than IFED's maximum drawdown of -22.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMN and IFED.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SMN | IFED | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -99.92% | -22.36% | -77.56% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -38.52% | -14.65% | -23.87% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -53.71% | -22.36% | -31.35% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -66.05% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -94.78% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -99.91% | -5.67% | -94.24% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -90.58% | -5.83% | -84.75% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 23.56% | 6.01% | +17.55% |
Volatility
SMN vs. IFED - Volatility Comparison
ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials (SMN) has a higher volatility of 12.52% compared to ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED) at 8.11%. This indicates that SMN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IFED based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SMN | IFED | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 12.52% | 8.11% | +4.41% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 28.17% | 15.09% | +13.08% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 35.48% | 17.79% | +17.69% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 39.70% | 20.02% | +19.68% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 42.83% | 20.02% | +22.81% |
SMN vs. IFED - Expense Ratio Comparison
SMN has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is higher than IFED's 0.45% expense ratio.
Dividends
SMN vs. IFED - Dividend Comparison
SMN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.55%, while IFED has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IFED ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SMN ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials | 3.55% | 4.08% | 5.02% | 4.54% | 0.42% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.72% | 0.06% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SMN and IFED have a correlation of -0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SMN has higher volatility (12.52%) compared to IFED (8.11%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SMN dropped -99.92% vs IFED's -22.36%.
On 3-year performance, IFED leads with 14.90% vs -12.88% for SMN. On fees, IFED is cheaper at 0.45% per year. On volatility, IFED has been the lower-risk option at 8.11%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, IFED has performed better with a 14.90% return vs -12.88%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IFED is cheaper with a 0.45% expense ratio, compared with 0.95% for SMN.
SMN has the higher dividend yield at 3.55%, compared with 0.00% for IFED.
SMN tracks Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index (-200%), while IFED tracks IFED Large-Cap US Equity Index - Benchmark TR Gross. They also come from different issuers: ProShares and UBS. Their fees differ too: 0.95% for SMN and 0.45% for IFED.
IFED currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.03 vs -0.56), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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