Consumer services spending remains relatively weak. However, if services spending picks up, healthcare and technology exchange traded funds could capitalize on the growth.
Chad Morganlander, portfolio manager at Stifel Nicolaus, argues that the weakness in consumer services may be changing and investors can take advantage of the shift in consumer services spending through healthcare and tech sector picks, reports Tom DiChristopher for CNBC.
Specifically, Morganlander points to “the bluest” of blue-chip healthcare stocks like Abbot Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) and Aetna (NYSE: AET), along with “old-world technology names” like Cisco (NasdaqGS: CSCO). [Getting Strategic With Sector ETFs]
ETF investors can also capture these broad markets through sector-related funds. For instance, the iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (NYSEArca: IHI) tracks medical devices producers and includes a 10.2% tilt toward ABT. IHI has increased 25.0% year-to-date. The iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (NYSEArca: IHF) holds a group of large healthcare provider names, including a 6.3% weight toward AET. IHF is up 28.4% year-to-date.
Investors could also take on the broader healthcare sector through the Health Care Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLV). However, XLV includes a large position in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology names, which make up a combined 64% of the overall portfolio. The heavy til toward these sub-sectors has weighed on the ETF when there is trouble in the biotech sector.