Michael Moore Urges Americans to Dump Their Health Care ETFs

In conjunction with last Friday’s release of Michael Moore’s "Sicko," the provocative filmmaker is urging Americans to dump their health care holdings, which includes exchange traded funds (ETFs). "People don’t need a middleman between the doctor and the patient," Moore told CNBC. "I’m hoping the (presidential) candidates running for office will come up with a universal health plan that’s free for everyone – one that’s not controlled by the private health insurance companies."

Should citizens heed Moore’s council mentioned in The Kirk Report by Charles E. Kirk? If so, here’s just a few of the health care ETFs that could be affected:

• Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV)
  Top holdings in this ETF include Pfizer (PFE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Merck (MRK). Its performance for the year is up 6%.
• iShares Dow Jones US Healthcare (IYH)
  Top holdings in this ETF include Pfizer (PFE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Merck (MRK). It’s also up 6%.
• iShares Dow Jones US Medical Devices (IHI)
  Top holdings include Medtronic (MDT), Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) and Boston Scientific (BSX). It’s up 8% year-to-date.
• iShares Dow Jones US Pharmaceuticals (IHE)
  Top holdings in this ETF include Pfizer (PFE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Merck (MRK). It’s up 6%.

Despite your personal opinion on Moore and his movies, "Sicko" hit the box office with strong reviews. It has an overall rating of 7.3 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes. It will be very interesting to see what, if any impact the film will have on the ETF health care industry.

For full disclosure, some of Tom Lydon’s clients own XLV.