From Marketwatch:
AS CRUDE OIL PUSHES $110, the whole world seems to be betting -- or is it praying? -- that it must come down.
Trading volume in the (DCR 6.85, +0.36, +5.6%) (DCR), a security that rallies if oil falls, has surged to more than 10 times that of (UCR: UCR 33.15, -0.25, -0.7%) (UCR), which rises with oil.
Traders flock to DCR for the market's favorite game today -- Pick the top in oil prices! -- and to hedge oil stocks in their portfolios against a crude decline. But the pile-up has propelled DCR prices well above its value, presenting an exploitable opening that did not escape the analysts at Bespoke Investment Group.
UCR tracks the price of oil, and its net asset value is derived by dividing the current forward crude price by 3. The net asset value of DCR is in turn calculated by subtracting UCR's net asset value from $40. With crude at $110 Friday, "Oil Up" shares were trading near 33, below its net asset value of $36.67. In contrast, "Oil Down" is fetching 6.85, more than double its net asset value of $3.33.
If this lopsided tilt isn't lure enough, here's another catch: If crude closes above $111 for three consecutive days, these macro shares will stop trading, and investors ultimately will receive distributions based on the respective net asset values at termination. If that happens, DCR holders presumably could stand to lose a bundle.
"Too many people playing oil's downside have driven up DCR prices," says Bespoke founder Justin Walters. Also, investors have far fewer ways to ride an oil slide than they do a surge, and the downside vehicles get understandably crowded. Betting on UCR and against DCR could pay off, if oil stays for a few days above $111. Did we mention that oil is now at $110?