Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLF)
YTD: Up 27.3%
Decline From Pre-Crisis High: 43%
Comment: XLF is the choice here simply because it is the largest financial services ETF. Several of XLF’s rivals also reside health distances away from their pre-crisis highs. Confirming just how savagely repudiated bank stocks were in 2008 into early 2009, XLF is up 77.5% in the past two years and still needs to climb another 43% to get back to its 2007 high. There are no guarantees XLF will tack on another 43% soon, but financial services stocks and ETFs have shown encouraging signs as of late. [Big Bank ETF Boom Could be Imminent]