Dion’s Weekly ETF Winners and Losers
Here are this week’s ETF winners and losers.
Winners
iShares Silver Trust (SLV) 6.3%
Silver prices rallied this week, powering the physically backed SLV to strong gains this week. Silver is used extensively in the industrial world, but investors also turn to it sometimes as a safe haven, like gold.
Speaking of gold, Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) managed to score gains this week as well.
ETFS Physical Palladium Shares (PALL) 6.1%
In the world of precious metals, palladium was another big winner, with ETFS Physical Palladium Shares (PALL) pocketing strong gains. Looking to next week, investors looking to invest in this white metal will want to keep a close watch on auto sales numbers scheduled to be released. Both palladium and platinum are used in the production of catalytic converters. Investors can track price movements in platinum using the ETFS Physical Platinum Shares (PPLT) .
iShares MSCI Thailand Investable Market Index Fund (THD) 1.6%
After suffering through a weak start to the week, the Thailand ETF staged an impressive comeback, leading it back into positive territory by Friday. This week marks the second in a row in which THD has landed on my weekly list of winners.
Throughout this summer, this Southeast Asian nation-focused ETF’s rally has been impressive, resulting in a new all-time high.
Losers
United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) -10.4%
Natural gas prices struggled every day this week in light of concerns regarding the broad economy and a weak storage report form the Energy Information Administration. The fuel’s poor performance placed pressure on the futures-backed UNG, which managed to carve out new all-time lows.
This week, investors were treated to the launch of Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP) . Although there are a number of ETNs available which track MLPs, the launch of AMLP marks the first time investors can tap into this attractive asset class using an ETF.
iShares MSCI Mexico Index Fund (EWW) -3.6%
The Mexican markets got knocked this week, pushing EWW to new August lows. EWW is noticeably top-heavy with Carlos Slim’s telecom conglomerate America Movil (AMX) representing over a quarter of the fund’s assets. Because of this heavy exposure, AMX’s performance can typically be seen as the driving factor for the fund’s movements. As expected, this firm got hit hard.
Fellow top holding Cemex (CX) also struggled this week in light of poor U.S. housing data.
SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (XME) -2.7%
For the most part, pain was the story for companies involved in the metals and mining industries this week. Although they managed to recover a good portion of their losses thanks to Friday’s rally, XME and Market Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) still ended the week on a sour note.
Steel and other basic materials will likely be tricky areas of the market to navigate in coming weeks as investors remain wary and confidence takes a backseat to fear.
