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766 deep dives in 24 categories · last updated Oct 13, 2026

21 matching deep dives

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Equities, Derivatives & Funds

Stocks, options, futures, investment funds, trading mechanics, digital-asset exposures and historical market cycles.

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

TQQQ versus QQQ since 2010: a far bigger gain, and an 82% fall on the way

From TQQQ's first trading day in February 2010 to October 2, 2026, $10,000 grew to about $3.95 million in the three-times leveraged fund and about $198,000 in QQQ, with distributions reinvested. On a closing total-return basis, TQQQ also fell 81.65% from its 2021 peak and needed more than three years to recover. Its daily leverage does not deliver three times the index's long-run return.

Updated Oct 11, 202610 sources5 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

SPY versus QQQ since 1999: QQQ ended ahead after a far deeper fall

From QQQ's March 1999 launch to October 2, 2026, $10,000 grew to about $174,168 in QQQ and $96,412 in SPY with dividends reinvested. On a closing total-return basis, QQQ first lost almost 83% from its 2000 peak and took until 2015 to regain it. SPY's worst loss, 55% in the financial crisis, was repaired by 2012.

Updated Oct 11, 202611 sources3 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

The COVID crash: how stocks regained a record while the economy struggled

In 2020, the S&P 500 plunged almost 34% and regained a closing record within six months. Emergency support and changing expectations helped markets recover while jobs and businesses remained under strain.

Updated Oct 7, 202616 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

The 2010 Flash Crash: how trading volume concealed a liquidity failure

How a futures hedge, rapid trading and disappearing quotes combined on May 6, 2010, and why the market investigation, safeguard changes and Sarao prosecution answer different questions.

Updated Oct 7, 20268 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Bitcoin: how the network moves value, and where its guarantees end

Bitcoin’s transaction rules and declining issuance schedule are separate from the price of its coins, the profitability of mining and the safety of a custody business.

Updated Oct 11, 20268 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Closed-end funds: why a rising portfolio can leave shareholders behind

A listed fund has both a portfolio value and a market price. Discounts, financing costs and cash distributions can push those two experiences in different directions.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Covered-call funds: what the monthly cash payment leaves out

An option premium buys a limited cushion against losses by selling some future gains. Fund structure, market path and tax treatment determine what remains after the distributions.

Updated Oct 11, 202620 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Crypto ETPs: what changes when a coin becomes a brokerage holding

Spot trusts, futures funds and exchange-traded notes can follow the same market through different legal claims, custody arrangements and return calculations.

Updated Oct 11, 202612 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

ESG investing: the different promises behind one label

Fund mandates, ratings, financial returns and real-world impact measure different things. Research shows why one cannot stand in for the others.

Updated Oct 11, 20269 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

ETFs: how creation and redemption connect price with value

An ETF share trades on an exchange while its portfolio is valued separately. Creation and redemption link the two, but transaction costs, basket terms and stale prices can leave a gap.

Updated Oct 11, 20264 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Futures hedging: when a losing contract protects the sale

A hedge is measured alongside the underlying purchase or sale. Quantity mismatches, local basis, margin cash flows and expiring contracts determine the combined result.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

IPOs: where the money goes and what new shareholders buy

An IPO can finance a company and let existing owners sell at the same time. Following one hypothetical offering explains bookbuilding, proceeds, dilution, opening prices and lockups.

Updated Oct 11, 20264 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Money market funds: stable prices and the cost of getting cash

A money market fund owns short-term investments rather than insured bank deposits. Its category determines share pricing and redemption fees, while portfolio liquidity and payment timing remain separate questions.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Options: how a premium becomes a delivery obligation

A $300 option can require a $5,000 stock transaction. The premium, the option’s resale value and the cash required on exercise describe different parts of the contract.

Updated Oct 11, 20266 sources3 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Preferred stock: first in line for dividends does not mean guaranteed

A preferred shareholder can rank ahead of common owners while still facing skipped dividends, losses below liquidation preference and an issuer-controlled redemption date.

Updated Oct 11, 20262 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Securities lending: the fee, the collateral and the shares that must come back

Lending shares adds income and contractual obligations to an existing investment. Worked examples show how fees, collateral changes, reinvestment losses and recalls affect the result.

Updated Oct 11, 20265 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Short selling: the sale is only the start of the obligation

Borrowed shares must eventually be returned. Their price, stock-loan terms, dividend payments and collateral demands can change before a short position is closed.

Updated Oct 11, 20266 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

The crypto ecosystem: how risk travels between networks and businesses

A token can depend on a blockchain, an issuer, a custodian, a price feed and another token at the same time. Following those connections explains what a single app can hide.

Updated Oct 11, 20269 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

The dot-com collapse: when useful technology met fragile prices

The internet kept developing as technology shares fell. The 2000–2002 episode shows how valuation, limited arbitrage, new share supply and dependence on financing could reinforce one another.

Updated Oct 11, 20268 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Trading halts: why markets pause and how they reopen

Market-wide circuit breakers, individual-stock price bands and news halts interrupt trading for different reasons. Their reopening rules provide time and structure, not a guaranteed price.

Updated Oct 11, 20268 sources2 versions

Equities, Derivatives & FundsResearch Lab

Private credit’s expansion: the loans, the investors and the growing scrutiny

Private lenders became a major source of company finance. Their links to banks, insurers and individual investors help explain why regulators are examining valuations, repayment and access to cash.

Updated Oct 7, 202620 sources2 versions

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