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Best Leveraged Etfs of Last Week - Aug 31

6 min readMonday, August 31, 2026 at 9:01 AM ET
Best Leveraged Etfs of Last Week - Aug 31

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The Big Picture

Leveraged ETFs rallied last week, creating fresh momentum that could affect short-term traders and tactical portfolio allocations. Strong corporate results from Salesforce and Okta buoyed long leveraged funds, while weakness in names such as AXT and D-Wave supported inverse leveraged strategies.

For investors, that means leveraged exposure worked on both sides of the market, amplifying moves driven by earnings and targeted stock weakness.

What's Happening

The headline: leveraged ETFs posted notable gains as a mix of earnings beats and single-stock weakness drove amplified flows. The market action reflected sharp company-specific moves rather than a uniform broad-market rally, with U.S. indices down across the week in the 1.2% to 2.1% range according to analyst summaries.

  • 1.04% — one of the key weekly numbers cited in the data set, included among performance and valuation inputs investors are watching.
  • 0.52% — another specific point from last week useful for short-term performance comparisons across funds.
  • 0.00% — a flat data marker that highlights some funds showed negligible net change over the period.
  • 1.7% — a further numeric from the dataset, relevant for gauging relative strength among leveraged strategies.
  • $1.5 — a dollar-denominated data point included in the provided figures, useful for cost or per-share comparisons in some fund analyses.

These figures accompany the qualitative takeaways: Salesforce and Okta earnings provided upside catalysts that lifted many long leveraged ETFs tied to mega-cap software and cloud themes. At the same time, declines in names like AXT and D-Wave amplified performance in several inverse leveraged ETFs that track single-stock or sector downside.

Why It Matters For Your Portfolio

Leveraged ETFs magnify short-term moves, so last weeks pattern matters depending on your time horizon. If you trade intraday or hold leveraged products for tactical exposure, the earnings-driven swing shows how quickly positions can turn profitable or painful.

Growth-oriented traders and momentum investors are most likely to care about these moves, because leveraged ETFs feed on volatility and directional conviction. Income or long-term value investors should note that amplified volatility increases both risk and the cost of using leverage as part of a strategy. Analysts note Wall Street is paying attention as earnings continue to set the tone for single-stock leverage flows.

Risks To Consider

  • Compounding and path dependency, which can erode returns when leveraged ETFs are held beyond a single trading session.
  • Elevated volatility around earnings, which can produce large swings in leveraged and inverse funds and increase the chance of outsized losses.
  • Potential liquidity and tracking error in niche leveraged products, especially those tied to smaller-cap or single-stock moves like AXT or D-Wave.

The bear case is straightforward: if earnings momentum reverses or market breadth weakens further, leveraged longs could suffer amplified losses while inverse funds reverse course. That risk is magnified by overnight gaps and event-driven shocks.

What To Watch Next

Keep an eye on upcoming earnings and any macro headlines that tend to move volatility. Because leveraged ETFs amplify moves, even modest developments in key holdings can trigger outsized fund-level swings.

  • Watch upcoming earnings from large technology and cloud software names, since those results set short-term direction for many leveraged funds.
  • Monitor liquidity and bid-ask spreads for any leveraged ETF you trade, particularly those tied to single stocks or thinly traded sectors.
  • Track the specific metrics shown in the data set, including the 1.04%, 0.52%, 0.00%, and 1.7% markers, plus the $1.5 figure, as part of your short-term valuation overlay.

The Bottom Line

  • Leveraged ETFs outperformed in both directions last week, driven by Salesforce and Okta earnings and declines in AXT and D-Wave.
  • Short-term traders and momentum investors stand to benefit most from these moves, while long-term investors should be aware of higher volatility and compounding risk.
  • Key data points to monitor include the figures provided: 1.04%, 0.52%, 0.00%, 1.7%, and $1.5, which help frame recent performance and cost considerations.
  • Analyst attention is rising, so stay alert to earnings and liquidity developments that could change the near-term landscape.

FAQ

Q: How did earnings affect leveraged ETF performance?

A: Strong results from companies like Salesforce and Okta lifted long leveraged ETFs, while weakness in names such as AXT and D-Wave helped inverse leveraged funds, increasing directional returns last week.

Q: Are leveraged ETFs suitable for long-term investors?

A: Leveraged ETFs are designed for short-term tactical exposure because compounding and daily reset features can produce unexpected results over long holding periods.

Q: What metrics should I monitor after a week of big moves?

A: Track fund-level volatility, bid-ask spreads, fund expense structure, and the specific data points highlighted in this report such as 1.04%, 0.52%, 0.00%, 1.7%, and $1.5 to assess recent performance and costs.

Best Leveraged ETFs of Last Weekleveraged ETFsinverse ETFsSalesforce earningsOkta earnings

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