Marketing automation is one of the great processes that help businesses not only to automate their repetitive marketing tasks, but they can also help to track and measure the performance of campaigns. Using this tool, you can also boost productivity as well as improve efficiency by decreasing manual actions. If we talk about marketing automation, it primarily refers to a category of software which helps to automate, measure and streamline the marketing tasks and workflows in an efficient manner. Whether you are owning a big MNC or have just started a new venture, marketing automation is a must for you. Here’s why you should use this software: -Generate Top Quality LeadsIn any business growth, one of the most important steps is lead generation. By using robust marketing automation solutions, you can generate top quality leads. This will give you more detailed and richer picture of prospective customer behavior. What’s more, you can drive wider marketing campaigns such as customized emails, trigger-based marketing messages, Twitter/Facebook messages, etc.Make Informed Decisions with Better DataFew businesses know how to collect/utilize big data. Marketing automation will give you an ultimate platform for analytics and dashboard systems, collecting/storing data, and closed-loop reporting. Such platforms are also the robust solutions that not only help to measure campaigns but also aid to determine consumer behavior with a limited budget.Boost Your Company RevenueInvesting in marketing automation platform can help you to justify the upfront investment if you utilize it in a proper way. This will aid you to increase sales opportunities from top quality leads. You will get good returns on your investments with the automation process.Streamline Your Sales and Marketing ProcessesWith the best solutions, you can streamline your sales and marketing process. In Sales and marketing, communication is the key to make the entire process smoother. Through automation, lead qualifying and nurturing have become easy.Generate Detailed ReportsThis software also helps to monitor and track all the channels in an easy way. Once you get data, you can create insightful reports to save them. The report will help you analyze the graphs and statistics of different campaigns and determine which campaign is performing well.Time SaverIf you are facing problems to automate your regular marketing tasks, then using marketing automation software is the best decision for you. It will aid you not only to automate your marketing tasks but also to save time. Hence, you can do more focus on other marketing strategies. What’s more, you can also make campaigns for sending scheduled-customized emails to the customers, automate messages for different social media channels, and set-up auto-responders for daily follow-ups.Give Excellent Customer ExperienceThe main feature of marketing automation is that you can give a great experience to your customers using this software. When it comes to this technology, it helps to send behaviorally triggered emails without any hassle. Whether you want to browse through certain products, sign up emails or abandon items in the basket, this solution can help.In other words, we can say that marketing automation is a powerful tool that helps entrepreneurs to grow their business. But all you require is to find out the right platform just for you.Top 6 Marketing Automation Software that Every Business Owner Should UseHere, we bring to you an extensive list of top marketing automation tools available that you can choose which fits the best just for you.Hotspot – The Best Ever Marketing Automation SoftwareIn the marketing world, one of the well-known names is Hotspot. Using this inbound marketing software, you can easily automate a large number of tasks at a scale. This will also aid to customize highly targeted and sophisticated workflows with a visual editor. It is also useful to manage complex campaigns or follow-up messages in a simple way using multiple touch-points in the entire customer journey. If you want to automate your mails using drip campaigns, then this is the best software for you. If we talk about the monthly fee, you will find it nominal.Active Campaign – The Ultimate Software for Small BusinessesNumerous businesses prefer to use Active Campaign for marketing automation. Being the best visual automation builder, it comes with drag and drop functionality on the market in today’s date. The best part is that anyone can use it easily. No matter, whatever your skill level is – you can easily set up both simple as well as complex marketing automation. This software has everything ranging from event tracking to site tracking and automation goals to split actions. Coming to its subscription, it comes with eCommerce integrations, lead scoring, and email marketing.GetResponse – Come Equipped with Best FeaturesIf you are looking for the most affordable and powerful marketing automation solutions, then using GetResponse will be the best answer. This software is ideal for large organizations and small businesses. This is the best platform to automate marketing processes. Using this tool, you can enjoy a host of benefits such as get engagement from website traffic, recovering abandoned carts, and boost sales. What’s more, you can easily set up an automated customer journey by applying filters, actions and conditions.OptinMonster – Perfect For Generating Landing Page LeadsIf we talk about OptinMonster software, it is quite different as compared to other platforms. This is an ultimate custom acquisition and lead generation tool that will let you boost sales, minimize cart abandonment and grow your email list. Using this platform, you can easily design website campaigns, pop-ups and high-converting landing pages. Once you sign up, you will get risk-free 14 days. However, if you are not fully satisfied, then you can get a 100% refund without any question asked.Salesforce Pardot – Ideal for B2B MarketingIn today’s date, one of the well known and most reputable CRM solutions is Salesforce. No surprisingly, this software gets the top ranking on the list. It is specially designed for B2B organizations. Some key features include sales integration, email marketing, smart lead generation and smooth lead management. It uses AI power to devise the best sales strategy and improve marketing efforts. With its insightful report, you can easily determine which campaigns are working and what need to be improved. Also, it offers an affordable pricing plan to choose from.ConvertKit – Enhanced Software for NewbiesFor those who are using marketing automation software for the first time, investing in ConvertKit will be the best option. However, it is considered as the best email marketing software; but it has more advanced features. Whether you are selling SaaS, running an e-commerce business or a content site, you can get success using this tool. It offers a free forever plan to up to 500 subscribers. But there are no visual automation funnels.To sum up, finding the right marketing automation tool for businesses is a very daunting task. Mostly, there is no single platform that is perfect for everyone’s solution. So, you have to select the tool according to your specific needs. So, what are you thinking? Just select the right platform today and improve your marketing processes dramatically.

If you really want to become more profitable and improve operations in your company, you have to shift your focus from the following limiting thoughts about technology.

If I buy the latest production software we will be in good shape

We don’t do that here

We are unique, we don’t have competition that use technology to help them generate profits

The plan is in my head, people will steal it off the computer

All I need is more sales to make more profits
You’ve got to get the right mindset by eliminating restricting thoughts, and then you’ll be ready to improve people, processes and profitability.Do you ever wonder how a company can start out with just one idea, a passion and a vision, then 10 to 20 years later have thousands of employees and millions in sales?

What did these companies do to become so successful

Are the owners smarter than you?

Do they work harder than you?

Did they have better equipment or people than you?
No. But they do use better technology tools to drive operation (the people and the process). Operations represent about 60% or 80% of all your overhead costs but they’re the least understood by US businesses.For decades, the Japanese have focused on operations that have driven innovation and a culture of continuous improvement. In the right small business owner hands, operations and technology can be a competitive weapon.Now, ask yourself how can your small company— with just a handful of employees and limited resources — turn operations and technology applications into a powerful weapon to beat competition and learn to grow and thrive!Why invest in technology / What are the benefitsThe bottom line is, if you’re suffering from tight cash flow, exhausted lines of credit and top-line growth, then you have weak operations and have underutilized the technology applications onsite or off-the-shelf that can help you.First step to rapid profit improvement is to start by questioning your employees. They usually know where costly blocks and bottlenecks are hidden.Technology can store employee survey results that help you to plan profitability.Employee Questionnaire(sample)

Are your interests and ambitions being challenged

Does each department in this company have measurable standard designed to increase profitability? Does each area have documentation of process flows and procedures of how it should work?

Does everyone in this company share the goal of improving the company profits? Does the CEO hold town hall meetings about ‘planned profits’?

Are you regularly told when you do good work?

Do you get the help you need to do a good job?

As an employee, do you feel you can trust your direct supervisor/manager?

Are owner/managers open and honest with employees?

Does the company provide you with continual training in areas that will make you a better employee? Has it trained you on how to cut operating expenses or increase revenue to improve profits in your area?

Are your responsibilities generally explained, well planned and organized?

Is poor performance tolerated by management? i.e., worker performance, operations bottlenecks and customer relations.
The following are other ways business productivity software drives business processes more efficiently to gain optimal results:Create an open and communicative environment.By storing appraisal information within a formal database, managers can more easily communicate business strategy and create measurable goals for their employees that will support overall company objectives. In allowing employees to see the whole picture and understand better how individual goals fit into the company’s business objectives. This can create a energized and engaged employees, thereby raising the business productivity of the company.Motivate your employees using technology.Based upon the information gathered in an online performance evaluation, managers can compare current skills with those required for advancement or other recognition or reward opportunities that present themselves as the manager tracks progress on employee goals throughout the year. You may also find you need to redirect employees to different departments if you feel their business productivity could increase elsewhere. If there are impediments to better performance, the company should review why it is happening and try to eliminate these through better allocation of resources or additional training.Monitor business productivity and employee progress on goals.Business productivity software solutions enable managers to more easily track progress during every phase of goal completion and offer immediate reinforcement or coaching to keep performance and deadlines on track in daily operations, and utilize performance measurements for strategic planning.Electronic CommerceThere are many business applications related to e-commerce, from setting up your online storefront to managing your supply chain to marketing your products and services. These technologies fall into three main categories:Business to Business(B2B)

Purchasing indirect supplies

Look for catalogue-based websites offered by suppliers for corporate purchases, similar to business-to-customer websites, for purchasing indirect supplies such as office furniture, pens, paper, and general office equipment.

Leveraging your existing Web presence

Improve your existing business-to-customer e-commerce website. Greater sophistication can be added into your online store to target your business clientele.
Business to Customer(B2C)The global reach of the Internet has allowed many businesses to sell their products and services online, both at home and abroad. An electronic storefront is a website with many pre-built e-commerce components like electronic shopping carts and secure payment gateways that you can use to set up an online store.Internet MarketingEverything you do to promote your business online is Internet marketing. For example, Internet marketing strategies include (but are not limited to) website design and content, search engine optimization, directory submissions, reciprocal linking strategies, online advertising, and email marketing.How to Implement Technology to increase profitsIT implementation can be a valuable tool for increasing workplace productivity, but without a careful selection of the right technologies for your specific industry and comprehensive employee training, it can also serve to reduce productivity, profitability and employee satisfaction. The return on investment will depend on whether the technologies implemented are right for a given business’ needs and how prepared employees are to use them.Step 1Brainstorm a list of business process improvements you may be able to realize from a technological implementation. Your list should include three categories: improvements that you know to be possible, and which are core requirements for your expense; a wish list of things you would like to have, but which may be future development efforts; and a list of things which would transform the way you do business, but which may not be possible. These three targets provide you with a present-day implementation goal, as well as a future development target–and it may be that your transformational goals could be far easier to reach than you expect.Step 2Determine whether you intend to develop these technologies using in-house resources, or through outside consultancies. Nearly every major workflow technology requires extensive customization, implementation procedures and training. Small businesses can sometimes get by cheaply using staff members technologically proficient–but mistakes made at the beginning of the process can ramp up costs later on when you turn to professional outside support.Step 3Avoid specifying particular technologies if you do not have the technical expertise to evaluate them properly. The purpose of the managerial process at this stage is to define goals and budgetary constraints; non-technical managers who wed themselves to specific technologies too early can miss out on substantial cost savings, and choose a technology not the best suited for the work.Step 4Circulate your request for proposals among outside consultants and implementors, or establish an internal process for doing the same among your staff if you are keeping the work in-house. Major technological implementations will not succeed if they are added to the existing workload of an employee. Proper technological implementations can be more than a full-time job in and of themselves. Staff members shifted to technology implementation should have their existing duties moved to other staff resources.Step 5Negotiate a time frame, budget and implementation benchmarks with your external or internal staff resources. If you are working with an outside consultant, your contract should include protections against running over budget and over schedule. Likewise, the consultant will protect his own firm by setting specific terms of the work to be completed, and charging you extra if you change them over the course of the contract.Step 6Develop an implementation timetable, including the following steps: test deployment to review the work; training, if necessary; a transition phase from the current workflow to the new technology; and production deployment of the completed technology. This last phase is typically followed by an iterative process, in which improvements to the technology are collected from the staff who have direct experience working with it. When budget and time allow for it, apply a new cycle of upgrades to your technology to ensure that you are getting the most out of it.

#EANF#

In India, the most primitive versions of entertainment were music, dance, drama, painting, hunting, impersonation, puppetry, and literature. However, times changed and slowly things took a sharp turn as modern day men started to treat cinema, television, and theatre as the major sources of entertainment. The age old entertainment forms came to be termed as fine arts and these became rare and occasional. With films, television serials and book reading gaining popularity as a major section of Indian entertainment, people’s tastes also changed. Today India is filled with cinema halls, multiplexes, glorified book stores, and cable TV connections. Be it a holiday or just another day people flock to these places to get entertained and that is what has given so much popularity to film stars, television actors and authors.Film fraternity people like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Subhash Ghai, Rituporno Ghosh, Rekha, Kareena Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Amir Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj have lifted the Indian film industry to a whole new level. The audience is welcoming intelligent films and that is one reason why films like The Last Lear, Black, Maqbool, Black Friday and Shabd have received such a good reception. Entertainment is also moving out of the barriers of cinema halls and entering the living room areas of people as the television serials and soaps are becoming quite a rage. While some are extremely family oriented, there are the reality shows, the competitions, the short series and the game shows that have seen a steady rise in popularity. Television stars are becoming so famous that they are maintaining a careful conduct lest they get mobbed in public. On the whole, the Indian scene of films and TV shows has evolved and the entertainment level has gone up greatly. Film stars are also venturing in television owing to the wide audience range. However, these are not the only sources of entertainment as book stores are also providing the necessary relief that people are looking for.Writers like Khushwant Singh, Amitava Ghosh, Chetan Bhagat, Arundhati Ray and Jhumpa Lahiri are weaving such interesting reads, that entertainment in India is getting a whole new dimension. Some books are being so much appreciated by the readers that film makers are considering making films based on those books. A recent film, 3 Idiots, is quite influenced by Chetan Bhagat’s book Five Point Someone. Several TV serials have also taken queue from best sellers. Indian entertainment has reached a point where all these entertainment forms are finding peace and pleasure in co-existence. This way the entertainment industry is growing, developing and producing quality work. The mind does not appreciate slapstick comedy and mindless jokes all the time. For such serious times, the entertainment industry of India is ready.

In 2014 and maybe 2015 and beyond, investing money will be tougher and putting together the best investment portfolio might mean investing money for safety vs. higher investment returns. The best investment ideas are slim pickings. There is very little that is normal in today’s world of finance. My reasoning and background follows.In 1971 I had my Masters in Business (finance) and knew nothing about the investment world or investing money. Actually, I found it quite embarrassing, because adults that I would meet in the business world thought that I might have the best investment ideas in my pocket – due to my education. The years that followed were not the best investment environment, and I became a stock broker in Columbus, Ohio in 1972. I learned real quick what my job was really all about: selling investment ideas… SELL the sizzle NOT the steak… I was informed by my sales manager.Forty years later, investing money is a game that I find has changed little. It’s all but impossible to find the best investment, and the world of investing money is primarily a sales game aimed at uninformed investors (more than 90% of the investing public). I once read that NOW is always the hardest time to invest money. I’ve seen difficult times in the markets for over 40 years and I’ve NEVER repeated that phrase until now.At this time, I am afraid that it is really true. Allison and I have three children, who are all basically 30-something and trying to make it in a difficult world. Investing money for retirement is not an option for them. It is an absolute necessity if they don’t want to work for the rest of their life. Many folks my age are covered by pension funds plus other entitlements, but that’s not the norm for 2014 and beyond. Now, let’s get down to business and talk about investing money in 2014 and beyond; and the best investment ideas I can muster as an older (but still on top of my game) retired financial planner.If you have a 401k at work participate in it, and take maximum advantage of your employer’s matching contribution if your company offers this feature (it’s free money). Investing money here is automatic and almost painless. This is one of the best investment ideas available for accumulating a nest egg for retirement. Plus, the tax advantages will put a smile on your face each year at income-tax time.Open a Roth IRA with a major NO-LOAD mutual fund family and start investing money each month through their automatic investment plan. Enter “no-load funds” into a search engine and you’ll see some of the biggest and best fund companies at the top of the page, names like Vanguard, Fidelity and T Rowe Price. Give them a toll-free call if you have questions – like do you qualify, how much can you invest a year, and will they send you free literature. A Roth IRA (or Roth 401k if available) is one of the very best investment ideas for accumulating money for retirement. A Roth account (IRA or 401k) is TAX FREE investing, as long as you follow the rules. Tax free is as good as it gets and difficult to find.Mutual funds are the average investor’s best investment vehicle because they offer both professional management and instant diversification in the form of a managed portfolio of stocks, bonds, and money market securities. When you invest money in a fund, you own a very small part of (own shares in) a very large investment portfolio. There is always a cost for investing money in funds. All funds charge for yearly expenses. This can amount to less than 1% a year in NO-LOAD FUNDS, with no sales charges when you invest money and no extra ongoing management fees. Or, you can pay 5% in sales charges off the top when you invest money, 2% or more for yearly expenses and 1% to 2% in additional management fees if you work through a sales rep (financial planner, adviser, or whatever).One of the best investment ideas for 2014, 2015 and beyond: keep your cost of investing money as low as possible. This could make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars over the long term. A dollar saved is a dollar earned.Do all that you can to learn about investing money; and especially learn about stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Once you understand stocks and bonds, getting a handle on mutual funds is a piece of cake. What are the investment options inside your employer’s 401k plan? The vast majority of them are likely mutual funds – mostly stock funds, bond funds, and/or balanced funds (that invest in both stocks and bonds). There will likely also be one or two safe investment options that pay interest: a money market funds and/or a stable account.Investing money successfully in 2014 and beyond could be very difficult due to today’s investment environment. First, record low interest rates mean that safe investments that pay interest are paying close to nothing. Second, bonds and bond funds pay more interest, but when interest rates go back up to normal levels they WILL LOSE money; that’s the way bonds and bond funds work. Third, stocks and stock funds are pricy, having gone up in value and price well over 100% since 2009. In other words, best investment ideas are few and far between.Here’s the best investment strategy in 2014 and beyond for beginners who want to start investing money for retirement and keep it simple. In a 401k and/or Roth IRA account invest (monthly or each payday) equal amounts into a stock fund, bond fund, and money market fund. If your 401k has a stable account option use this instead of the money market fund if it pays more interest.Mutual funds are always one of the best investment ideas for most investors – if you invest money in low-cost no-load funds. (Your 401k plan should have no loads, sales charges). When investing money for retirement in 2014 and 2015 keep three factors in mind. Two of these always apply: keep costs low and invest money across the board in all three fund types listed above. Your third factor is to give money market funds equal weight in 2014 and beyond for added safety. Normally, you would give them less weighting.

Living in this world of internet and technology, one cannot neglect the importance and growth of online education. At this moment when we are moving away from traditional classrooms towards virtual classrooms, many people still argue that whether online education is a curse or a blessing. In fact despite a few small drawbacks, online learning has proved to be a great help to the people who are seeking to learn and study online. It has proven to be a move forward for many.We see more and more people taking interest in online education today. The enrollment in online course is at an all time high. A recent study has shown that there are more than 4.7 million students who are enrolled in various online schools and universities. And the best part is that these figures are increasing by 30% every year. So the numbers are going to be massive in come few years.The biggest reason behind opting for an online classroom is that with this type of environment you can study from anywhere and at any time. In the case of online education, as the name suggests you earn a degree by studying online in virtual classrooms. It is an ideal choice for those students who have trouble attending a conventional classroom. The reasons might include some kind of disability or a busy daily work schedule. Or you might be a shy person who might not be very comfortable in studying in a normal on-campus class. In all the above scenarios, online learning is the perfect alternative.Many times students complain about not getting equal concentration from the teachers. Online education is centered on students and a student can himself formulate a way of learning that is more suitable for him. Students have 24/7 access to the course material and they can study it whenever they want to.Attending cyber classrooms on internet is a very easy process and would produce students who would be not only fully acquainted with this study material but would also be completely tech savvy. The students and the teachers would be more interconnected with each other in this form learning.Students would also have quick access to online libraries and vast learning material that is present on internet. These resources might not be able to those students who study in traditional classes. Online learning environment also supports team learning and student cooperation. Due to the fact that there are no geographical barriers in this form of learning that is why the course material is diverse.Although the traditional classroom approach is still important and here to stay, it is also a fact that the scope of online education is only bound to grow. The reasons for this phenomenon can be numerous. It can be because of the flexibly of this type of education or it can because of the improving quality of the education. These are just two of the most important factors that are contributing towards the success of online learning phenomenon. So if you are also interested in studying further then online schooling can be a great alternative for you.

Friendster was one of the first social networking sites to have been formed. It was founded in California by computer programmers Jonathan Abrams & Cris Emmanuel in 2002. Currently, the Friendster head offices are based in Australia.Since forming Friendster, Jonathan Abrams and has started another website, called Socializr. This network allows users to invite others to events, to plan events online, to see what each other are up to, which events, parties & social gatherings they are attending etc. Keeping with the social aspect of life, Abrams also opened up a popular bar in San Francisco named Slide.Friendster experienced popularity early into it’s inception; approximately 1 year after it was launched, Friendster had over 3 million users. In 2009, it was reported to have reached 115 million users.Friendster followed the approach that Sixdegrees took with the concept of “six degrees of separation”. Friendster simplified the concept into something which was eventually dubbed the “Circle of Friends”. The Circle of Friends displayed the intricate pathways which connected 2 different people online. Friendster emphasized the fact that genuine friendships could be established between people on social networks and that there were many ways to form such bonds online.Abrams described Friendster as a “dating site that isn’t about dating”. Many people used Friendster as a way to meet new people online, to form new friendships, as well as an online dating platform. Friendster certainly did not mirror many of the seedy dating sites available at the time, but rather focused on giving their members an opportunity to meet others in such a way that they could form deeper, more meaningful relationships with each other online.Friendster still offers their members many ways in which to connect with their long-lost friends & family, old schoolmates & business colleagues. When Friendster first entered the online social scene, it offered services which were very similar to other social networking sites, such as email and blogging. The ability to interact with each other on the basis of shared hobbies & interests, as well as the posting of video & music was not anything new. However, Friendster differentiated itself by providing services which were of a higher quality than other social networking sites, as well giving their users a safe, spam free experience.In 2006, Friendster was given the patent of the year award, for their method of calculating & displaying relationships within an online social network. In fact, Friendster has held many online social networking patents which have opened the way for many other similar sites.Just in August 2010, Facebook confirmed that it had acquired 18 of Friendster’s patents. Some of these patents include:System, method and apparatus for connecting users in an online computer
Method of Inducing Content Uploads in a Social Network
System and Method for Managing Connections in an Online Social Network
Compatibility Scoring of Users in a Social Network
Method for sharing relationship information stored in a social networkDespite it’s early success Friendster did not maintain it’s popularity & failed to achieve the kind of success that Facebook has enjoyed. The following reasons could be attributed to this:Users frequently complained of site load time delays & outages while being on the site
Users also found that there was little to keep them entertained while using Friendster. Once a user had built a personal profile & social network, there was not much else to do on Friendster except keep inviting others to join Friendster.
Due to technical difficulties with the site, as well as bad management decisions, Friendster lost much of it’s North American support, but remains popular in Asia & the Philippines.
In 2003, Google made an offer to buy Friendster, however, Friendster declined this offer. Today, many consider this decision as one of Friendsters biggest financial mistakes. Friendster then borrowed money from investors & is currently still running at a loss.
2 years after it’s birth, Friendster was overshadowed by startups like Facebook & MySpace.
Given the fact that users were tired of the site’s technical difficulties, as well as it’s ability to entertain, Friendster users were only too ready to try alternative social networking platforms.Friendster has certainly not achieved support in the same way that Facebook has, however, it certainly has kept it’s head above water. Friendster has received numerous awards, the latest being a recognition by Lead411 as one of Silicon Valley’s hottest companies. Friendster is still widely used in Asia & is one of the most popular social networks in the Philippines.Friendster broke new ground for online social networking and it is from this site that MySpace, LinkedIn & Facebook derived most of their inspiration.

#EANF#

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.