Jim Wiandt for Index Universe gets started with some ETFs that have so far stood up to the bear. Among them:

• iShares Biotechnology (IBB): up 2.5% year-to-date; 2.4% above its trend line; up 15.4% in the last six months
• iShares Dow Jones Transportation (IYT): up 8.8% year-to-date; 0.8% below its trend line; up 9.1% in the last six months
• HealthShares Cardio Devices (HHE): up 12.7% year-to-date; 9.4% above its trend line; up 27.1% in the last six months

One should note that HHF is among those slated for closing by HealthShares on Sept. 19. Four others are going to remain open, however.

A number of other funds we track are performing well against the bear, as well:

• Vanguard Consumer Staples (VDC): down 0.3% year-to-date; 3% above its trend line; up 4.5% in the last six months
• Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP): up 0.9% year-to-date; 4.1% above its trend line; up 5.6% in the last six months
• Retail HOLDRs (RTH): up 5.6% year-to-date; 4.7% above its trend line; up 11.5% in the last six months
• SPDR S&P Retail (XRT): down 0.1% year-to-date; 2.2% above its trend line; up 9.6% in the last six months

• KBW Regional Banks (KRE): down 5.7% year-to-date; 3.4% above its trend line; up 1.7% in the last six months
• PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish (UUP): up 4.3% year-to-date; 6.4% above its trend line; up 10% in the last six months

Bonds are attractive to investors in troubled times, too, as they look for the relative safety offered by government debt and even municipal bonds.

For full disclosure, some of Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of IBB, XLP and UUP.

Fifteen of XShares‘ line of HealthShares ETFs will close down, and their last trading day will be Sept. 19.

XShares President Jeff Feldman tells us it’s a simple matter of marketplace demand. “We were not generating assets in several of them, and they’re expensive to keep open.”

Closing the funds doesn’t mean that XShares didn’t believe in the products, but an acknowledgement that perhaps timing is everything. “We still believe our structure was right,” Feldman says, “and our timing was bad. So we decided to shutter some of them.”

When an ETF announces a closing, it follows an orderly process and investors are given plenty of notice before it actually takes place. Thirty-seven ETFs have closed this year, and we know that closing announcements tend to bring out the worriers: is the ETF industry in trouble? Are they a passing fad? But every industry has its successes and failures, and not every product to land in the marketplace can be a hit.

The entire line won’t close: four funds the marketplace seems to like will remain open. Meanwhile, Feldman says, they’ll revisit the old funds from time to time to see if they deserve another shot in the future.

The remaining funds will be:

• HealthShares Cancer (HHK)
  
• HealthShares European Drugs (HRJ)
  
• HealthShares Diagnostics (HHD)
• HealthShares Enabling Technologies (HHV)

HealthShares Enabling Technologies, however, is going to be renamed the Drug Discovery Tools Fund, and keep the same ticker symbol. A new fund will be joining the fold, as well: the HealthShares Asian Health, but it hasn’t begun trading.

Lower expense ratios for the remaining funds will be put in place, effective Oct. 1: for the cancer, diagnostic and drug discovery ETFs, the new expenses will be 0.60%, down from 0.75%. The European drugs will be 0.72%, down from 0.95%. The Asian health fund will be 0.95%. The four remaining funds will also get revamped benchmarks and number of constituents they’ll track, according to Murray Coleman for Index Universe.

The funds closing are:

• HealthShares Autoimmune-Inflammation (HHA)
• HealthShares Cardio Devices (HHE)
• HealthShares Cardiology (HRD)
• HealthShares Composite (HHQ)
• HealthShares Dermatology & Wound Care (HRW)
• HealthShares Emerging Cancer (HHJ)
• HealthShares European Medical Products & Devices (HHT)
• HealthShares GI/Gender Health (HHU)
• HealthShares Infectious Disease (HHG)
• HealthShares Metabolic-Endocrine Disorders (HHM)
• HealthShares Neuroscience (HHN)
• HealthShares Opthalmology (HHZ)
• HealthShares Orthopedic Repair (HHP)
• HealthShares Patient Care Services (HHB)
• HealthShares Respiratory/Pulmonary (HHR)

In our current bear market, there have bee several ETFs that have managed to remain a step ahead. In fact, they are ahead. The traditional recession-free zones were no more in this market, and they certainly weren’t considered inflation fighters, reports Gary Gordon for ETF Expert.

Among the funds that bucked the bear trend include:

• iShares Biotechnology Fund (IBB): This ETF is actually showing less volatility than the S&P 500, with a low beta of 0.7%, says Gordon. Biotech has 6% on gains for the year with Amgen, Teva and Gilead gaining interest again. It’s up 9.4% year-to-date.
• Merrill Lynch Broadband HOLDRs (BDH): Qualcomm can be credited for the success of broadband. And BDH holds over 50% towards this company. The fud is up 2.8% year-to-date.
• iShares Dow Jones Transportation Sector (IYT): This sector is indicative of a true rebound for domestic stock assets. UPS and FedEx are expanding overseas, and railroad companies gain from infrastructure in the U.S. So far, IYT is chugging in 10% gains. Up 9.7% year-to-date.
• Market Vectors Environmental Services (EVX): This ETF focuses on companies that manage, remove and store consumer waste, spread over 23 companies. It is currently above its 200-day movig average. It’s up 3.2% year-to-date.
• HealthShares Cardio Services (HHE): This ETF is up 6.2% and is beating broader ETFs in the health care sector. The focus here are companies that manufacture or distribute devices for the treatment of cardiac, vascular and endovascular disorders and diseases.

For full disclosure, Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of IBB.