After a week like this, in which many financial exchange traded funds (ETFs) have rapidly gained, then just as rapidly plummeted and so on, it’s worth taking a look at the assets.
Although today was a better one than a few of the others seen this week, with all this stomach-churning volatility, you almost have to wonder who is in the financial sector right now. As we’ve pointed out before, these funds are about 50% off their highs, which were reached earlier last year.
Despite announcements of a government bailout plan that will be fleshed out this weekend, there are no assurances yet that this crisis is over. No one can predict whether yet more banks will fall, or if this is all just the beginning of the end to this more than year-long mess.
The largest financial ETF, Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF), has exposure to some of the biggest names in the news this week, including Bank of America (BAC). The fund has $7.7 billion dollars and is 47.4% off its high reached on June 1, 2007. It’s down 34.8% year-to-date.