Using RSI(2) to Trade Leveraged ETFs

A subscriber asked for an update on the effectiveness of applying a two-period Relative Strength Index, RSI(2), to leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETF), with two pairs of trade entry (oversold) and exit (overbought) settings:

1. Buy when RSI(2) falls below 10 and sell when it subsequently rises over 90 (10-90).
2. More conservatively, buy when RSI(2) falls below 5 and exit when it subsequently rises over 70 (5-70).

To investigate, we run simple tests on ProShares Ultra S&P 500 (SSO) with RSI(2) calculations based on the RSI template from StockCharts. Using daily adjusted SSO opens and closes during July 2006 (the first full month SSO is available) through October 2019, we find that: (more…)