SQQQ’s worst drop since 2010 was 100%
ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (-3x) (SQQQ) fell 100% from Feb 2010 to Oct 2026. It has not closed above that Feb 2010 peak since, 16.6 years later. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 34%.
That drop ranks 1st deepest among the 12 leveraged ETFs PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 2010 to now
How SQQQ held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | SQQQ | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | not trading yet | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | not trading yet | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −76.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −49.4% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
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What was SQQQ’s maximum drawdown?
SQQQ’s deepest fall since 2010 was 100.0%, from its high on February 12, 2010 to its low on October 6, 2026. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did SQQQ take to recover?
It has not recovered yet. As of October 13, 2026 it sits 100.0% below that Feb 2010 high.
Was SQQQ riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, SQQQ’s worst drop was 100.0% against 33.7% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −91.4% against −19.7%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, February 12, 2010 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.