Rio Tinto’s Profit and ETFs Are Strengthened by China
August 26, 2008 – The world’s third-largest mining company said its half-year profit has more than doubled to a record, news that could potentially lend some strength to exchange traded funds (ETFs). Rio Tinto said its record profit owes much... Continue Reading »

Should ETFs Steel Themselves for Continued Commodities Demand?
August 18, 2008 – Exchange traded funds (ETFs) for Australia and steel could benefit from BHP Billiton’s banner year of record profits. The world’s largest mining company said that its net profit for the year ending June 30 rose 14.7%... Continue Reading »

Precious Metal Holdings and ETFs Decline Amid Selloff
August 11, 2008 – As the commodities pullback continues, investors are pulling their money out of precious metals and sending related exchange traded funds (ETFs) lower. ETF Securities says the amount of metal it holds to back its physical platinum... Continue Reading »

Solid Steelmaker Earnings Build Up ETF
July 30, 2008 – The steel exchange traded fund (ETF) has been showing strength that’s typical of the metal, after two major players in the industry reported big earnings. U.S. Steel Corp. (X) gained 14% in trading yesterday after reporting... Continue Reading »

Canadian ETF Faces High Energy And High Activity
July 29, 2008 – Canada’s main stock index is on the upswing, lending upward mobility to related exchange traded funds (ETFs). A share sale by Merrill Lynch (MER) boosted confidence that financial firms in Canada can withstand failed housing-related investments,... Continue Reading »

Will Russia’s ETF Suffer Collateral Damage In Wake of Allegations?
July 25, 2008 – Russia’s exchange traded fund (ETF) is trading down early today after the country’s RTS index plunged headlong into a bear market. The index went into turmoil after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said OAO Mechel, a metals... Continue Reading »

ETF Securities Goes on Bull Run With Commodities
July 18, 2008 – For an exchange traded fund (ETF) provider that didn’t exist at this time five years ago, the story of ETF Securities is certainly an impressive one. The London-based provider, which deals in exchange traded commodities (ETCs)... Continue Reading »

Building Up With Materials ETFs
July 18, 2008 – When it comes to investing, exchange traded funds (ETFs) make it easy to access specific sectors. While some sectors have become beaten-down in recent months (hello, financials and homebuilders), others have been poster children for success,... Continue Reading »

Restrictions on Foreign Investment Could Ding Russia’s ETF
July 9, 2008 – Russia and the economy, along with the related exchange traded fund (ETF) have been on a healthy run of success, naturally. As one of the largest land masses on the planet, the share of natural resources... Continue Reading »

An ETF Trend-Following Plan For All Seasons
July 9, 2008 – It’s hard to believe that the S&P 500 Index has been flatter than a pancake for the past nine years. It’s had its ups and downs, but when you connect the dots, it went virtually... Continue Reading »

Poland Has Potential As Top Holding in Frontier Market ETF
July 6, 2008 – With the recent launch of the Claymore/BNY Mellon Frontier Markets (FRN), it is now possible to invest in the first U.S.-listed exchange traded fund (ETF) that provides investors access to up to 41 countries... Continue Reading »

Will Creation of a Megasupplier Generate Mega Returns for Natural Resources?
July 6, 2008 – Down under in Australia, BHP Billiton (BHP) reported that U.S. Antitrust regulators are granting partial approval for its aggressive takeover of Rio Tinto (RTP), a move that might stoke some exchange traded funds (ETFs). BHP is... Continue Reading »

What’s Going Down In South Africa May Not Help ETF To Go Up
July 2, 2008 – South Africa’s economy and exchange traded fund (ETF) are facing some new hurdles. Africa’s biggest steel maker, ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd, is fighting a record penalty after antitrust authorities found that the company may be... Continue Reading »

Looking for the ETF Silver Lining Amid the Clouds?
June 30, 2008 – With the markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) getting socked by near-daily bad news, you might be wondering how Pollyanna did it. Wasn’t she exhausted? How can you stay optimistic when: Oil keeps hitting new... Continue Reading »

Infrastructure Can Be Approached With Broad or Focused ETFs - Your Call
June 20, 2008 – Infrastructure exchange traded funds (ETFs) may be just what your town or country needs to get a good face lift. Gary Gordon on ETF Expert refers to infrastructure improvement as the need for both developed... Continue Reading »

ETFs for a Rainy Season
June 17, 2008 – Everybody knows that when it rains, it pours, and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are no exception. The uncertainty is pouring in all around us, with a looming presidential election, a Dow Jones industrial average that... Continue Reading »

Steel Prices Rise and Metals Gain to Solidify Related ETFs
June 9, 2008 – May turned out to be a good month for the metals and mining exchange traded fund (ETF). SPDR S&P Metals and Mining (XME) was the third-best ETF for the month, returning 14.9%,  according to... Continue Reading »

Riding the Coal ETF Plumes Of Success
June 6, 2008 – A closer look at the coal oriented exchange traded fund (ETF) tells us that the fund really is a bag of coal. Market Vectors Coal ETF (KOL) is a basket of 39 coal-related companies... Continue Reading »

Exploration ETFs Helped By Rising Cost of Finding New Oil
May 29, 2008 – You’d think the rising cost of oil and the big returns the related exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been dishing out year-to-date would have led to bigger efforts to look for more of the... Continue Reading »

Steel Is Solid, But Metal’s Volatility Could Impact ETF
May 28, 2008 – Already up 24.6% year-to-date, the steel exchange traded fund (ETF) has been going strong. But analysts see a weakening ahead that’s some investors wondering if they should keep their eye on this material or look... Continue Reading »

17 Commodity ETFs to Help Hedge Your Portfolio
May 28, 2008 – Americans are being hit by rising inflation and the subsequent explosion in commodity prices where it hurts most—at gas stations and grocery stores. Right alongside this growth have been the opportunities available to investors... Continue Reading »

Brazil and Its ETF Reaping Rewards of Natural Resources
May 27, 2008 –   Global demand for Brazil’s exports are leading to strong economic growth for the country and its related exchange traded fund (ETF). Commodities such as iron ore, beef, ethanol, soy and copper are trading... Continue Reading »

Global Supply and Demand Could Keep Coal ETF From Getting Sooty
May 22, 2008 – Global warming fears don’t seem to have affected the coal exchange traded fund (ETF) just yet, as investors seek to harness the benefits of soaring oil prices and a global coal shortage. Market Vectors... Continue Reading »

Digging Deeper Into Metals And Mining ETFs
May 20, 2008 – As commodities become all the rage with investors, commodities exchange traded funds (ETFs) have proliferated alongside them. ETF Expert’s Gary Gordon for Equities Magazine has five mining-focused funds that might fit an investor’s risk... Continue Reading »

Global Infrastructure ETFs Could Build Up If Steel Will Level Off
May 19, 2008 – Infrastructure spending around the globe is booming, as developed nations are maintaining what they have while emerging countries are building up, meaning that those related exchange traded funds (ETFs) could rally both now and... Continue Reading »

Investors Gravitating to Water ETFs
May 18, 2008 – One of the larger components of a water exchange traded fund (ETF) is actually better known for its creation of technology for modern warfare. ITT (ITT) also derives 39% of its revenue from the water... Continue Reading »

Steel Prices and ETF Spike Are Matter of Cause and Effect
May 16, 2008 – The steel exchange traded fund (ETF) jumped 3.7% yesterday as steel supply continues to be outpaced by demand. But now steel may have hit a breaking point: it’s become so expensive that major construction projects... Continue Reading »

Steel ETF Is Getting Hot to the Touch
May 6, 2008 – Describing something as "steely" is usually a synonym for "coldness," but not when it comes to the steel exchange traded fund (ETF). Market Vectors Steel (SLX), which launched in October 2006, is at record... Continue Reading »

Gold ETFs Are the Squeaky Wheels, But Other Metals Might Deserve Some Grease
April 25, 2008 – Gold and its exchange traded funds (ETFs) are real attention hogs. Sure, the metal is pretty to look at. It’s shiny. But it’s also being outperformed by other decidedly less sexy metals. streetTRACKS Gold Trust... Continue Reading »

Oil Prices May Get Worse; Steel and Natural Gas ETFs Are Keeping Pace
April 24, 2008 – The price of oil has slipped some over the last few days, but it’s projected to soar even higher - what will it mean for its exchange traded funds (ETFs)? The reports on fuel got... Continue Reading »

Strong Coal Profits Stoke the KOL ETF
April 24, 2008 – Coal prices are getting fired up, as demand for steel products and supply disruptions in Australia are aiding the rise of the fossil fuel’s exchange traded fund (ETF). It looks like the commodity is... Continue Reading »

Steel ETF Keeps Its Momentum Strong
April 16, 2008 – The broader markets have been shifting all over for the first half of 2008, while the steel sector has remained solid, helping to anchor the related exchange traded fund (ETF). Market Vectors Steel (SLX)... Continue Reading »

Coal Has a Smudged Reputation, But Can KOL ETF Rise Above It?
March 22, 2008 – Coal is hardly glamorous - it’s got a bad reputation as a dirty pollutant, but it can be a smoking bet in an exchange traded fund (ETF). Gold is taking the limelight at the moment,... Continue Reading »

February Was a Strong Month for Natural Resource ETFs
March 17, 2008 – February turned out to be the month of energy and natural resources exchange traded funds (ETFs), beating out the juggernaut that is precious metals. Richard Widows for The Street says funds that included an... Continue Reading »

Even In These Markets, You Can Still Find ETF Movers and Shakers
March 12, 2008 – Yesterday, the markets delivered outstanding performance and some exchange traded funds (ETFs) finished up in the double digits. But one good day doesn’t mean we’re out of the slump yet. It’s still time to take... Continue Reading »

Basic Materials ETFs Could Spike From Commodities Bull
March 11, 2008 – At the moment, it doesn’t appear that raw materials stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are crumbling under the weight of a struggling market and rising oil prices. Don Dion for Seeking Alpha says that... Continue Reading »

The Year of Metals, Food and Foreign Markets ETFs
February 21, 2008 – Foreign markets and international-focused stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) have displayed exceptional growth and gained popularity over the past couple years. The foreign markets may not outperform U.S. market forever, but they are... Continue Reading »

What’s Behind the Activity in the Steel, Metals and Mining ETFs?
February 15, 2008 – Two exchange traded funds (ETFs) posted stellar numbers this week. What’s behind all the movement? Market Vectors Steel (SLX) is up 7.2% this week and up 18.4% since Jan. 22. One possible factor in the... Continue Reading »

Title of ‘Worst’ ETF is Up for Debate
January 10, 2008 – Uh-oh. There appears to be some fallout over a story about the worst exchange traded funds (ETFs) of 2007. Jeffrey Ptak of Morningstar took a look at his picks for the worst performers, singling out... Continue Reading »

December and Year-End ETF Performance Report
December 31, 2007 – It was an eventful year for the markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) as we saw the Dow break new records, closing above 14,000, only to have the sub-prime mortgage debacle take a toll... Continue Reading »

2007’s Top ETF Performers
December 31, 2007 – After all of the global expansion we saw throughout 2007, it’s no big surprise that exchange traded funds (ETFs) tapping into those markets remained the strongest performers. (more…) Continue Reading »

ETFs Could Reap Rewards of Global Construction Demand
December 29, 2007 – The need for investment in infrastructure projects abroad could drive growth in construction and engineering related exchange traded funds (ETFs). David Bogoslaw at BusinessWeek points out that the economic growth in China and India has... Continue Reading »

Durable Goods Orders Affect ETFs
December 27, 2007 – Orders for durable goods ticked up slightly for November, and a number of exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be affected by the news. The increase was small - only 0.1% - and well short... Continue Reading »

Steel ETF Shows Its Strength
December 12, 2007 – Which exchange traded fund (ETF) is the top performer year to date? Go on…guess. Give up? It’s Van Eck Market Vectors Steel (SLX), which is up 84.5%. After the Federal Reserve’s rate cut on Tuesday,... Continue Reading »

Getting Exposure With Commodity ETFs
December 11, 2007 – Commodities exchange traded funds (ETFs) are being recognized by investors as the convenient way to get exposure to these necessities. Before ETFs, one had to open an account just for trading commodities, and then... Continue Reading »

India ETN Has Big Week as Asia’s New Tiger Attracts More Attention
November 5, 2007 – The daring and fortunate investors who put their faith and global allocation toward India were justly rewarded. iPath MSCI India Index ETN (INP) did the best for the five trading days ending November 1,... Continue Reading »

Of Cargo Ships and ETFs
October 25, 2007 – Some exchange traded funds (ETFs) could be affected as the world’s fleet of cargo ships grow old. That’s because as the world’s fleet of cargo ships age, they can’t carry the surging demand for... Continue Reading »

Germany’s ETF Looks Festive for Octoberfest
October 4, 2007 – Maybe Octoberfest glee has spread to Germany’s exchange traded fund. Currently, iShares MSCI Germany Index (EWG) is up 28.6% year-to-date. More than likely though, something else is behind EWG’s strong performance. One of the factors... Continue Reading »

September ETF Performance
September 28, 2007 – Another month and quarter has come and gone in the exchange traded fund (ETF) world and fall is in the air.  Although it was a bumpy quarter, The Federal Reserve rate cut helped rally... Continue Reading »

Holdings Keep Steel ETF Firm and Strong
September 28, 2007 – Several holdings within Market Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) rose this week, ensuring SLX dominates as one of the top performing exchange traded funds (ETFs). Boosted by high demand in countries such as China and... Continue Reading »

The ETF Trends Are Back in Town
September 21, 2007 – Now that the Federal Reserve’s rate cut has come to the rescue, the general market and many exchange traded funds (ETFs) have come back above their long-term trend lines (200-day moving average). The S&P... Continue Reading »

Rate Cuts Bump Up Metals and Mining ETF
September 19, 2007 – The SPDR S&P Metals & Mining (XME) exchange traded fund (ETF) is one of many ETFs benefiting from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut yesterday. Investors hope the lower rate will reignite the spark... Continue Reading »

Natural Resources and Commodities ETFs on the Rise
September 4, 2007 – Natural resources and commodities exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been showing strong recoveries since the market low on Aug. 15. Below are a few examples: Market Vectors Steel ETF (SLX)SLX is up the most at... Continue Reading »

Steel ETF Still Strong
August 31, 2007 – The top-performing exchange traded fund (ETF) year-to-date is Market Vectors Steel (SLX), which is up 39.9%. Steel demand continues to fuel the top holding of this ETF reports Jesse Emspak for Investor’s Business Daily. As... Continue Reading »

Steel (SLX) ETF Rides the Waves
August 22, 2007 – Many exchange traded funds (ETFs) have had wild rides and large drops lately, but the Market Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) is one that has shown significant bipolar performance. At its high in July, it... Continue Reading »

10 ETFs That Have Dropped During the Recent Market Decline
August 17, 2007 – As of market close yesterday, the S&P was 9.1% off its recent high, but some exchange traded funds (ETFs) have given back two or three times as much. Having an exit strategy helps protect... Continue Reading »

5 Top ETFs for the Year So Far
August 15, 2007 – Even with the markets in turmoil lately, it doesn’t hurt to stop and examine exchange traded funds’ (ETFs) performance so far this year. In doing so, a few ETF all-stars emerge. Can you guess... Continue Reading »

Demand Strong as Steel for ETF SLX
July 31, 2007 – One of the best performing exchange traded funds (ETFs) so far this year is Market Vectors Steel (SLX), which is up 43.5% year-to-date. Jesse Emspak for Investor’s Business Daily says Rio Tinto RTP’s increase... Continue Reading »

Russia ETF: Gateway to Russia and Commodities
July 23, 2007 – The Russian economy has come to life, and U.S. investors can now tap into this market with exchange traded funds (ETFs). As we’ve mentioned before, the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are... Continue Reading »

Mid-Year ETF Winner and Loser with Predictions for the Second Half of 2007
July 2, 2007 – The exchange traded fund (ETF) leader in 2007 so far is Market Vectors Steel (SLX), up 41.7% year-to-date. As we’ve previously mentioned, SLX can be a wonderful portfolio addition because of the high demand... Continue Reading »

Gold, Oil and Steel ETFs - Marketwatch Video Interview
May 29, 2007 – There has been money to be made in gold, oil and steel ETFs this year, but not in the most popular ways. In this Marketwatch video interview with Jonathan Burton we discussed how spot... Continue Reading »

Solidify Your Portfolio With A Steel ETF
May 21, 2007 – How about a steel exchange traded fund (ETF) to solidify your portfolio? After oil and gas, steel is the most sought after commodity. The modern world cannot function without it and it is the... Continue Reading »

Steel Going Strong ETF
May 2, 2007 – Some of the highest returns this year have come from the steel sector and has boosted a small and little known exchange traded fund (ETF). The $70 million Van Eck Market Vectors Steel ETF(SLX)... Continue Reading »

Base Metal ETFs
February 10, 2007 – More commodity exchange traded funds (ETFs) make investors wonder about the sectors within. Are they overlapping each other, giving the same exposure? Or are they giving investors a tool to reach only certain market... Continue Reading »

Steel ETF SLX Gaining Strength
January 31, 2007 – It appears as if the import inventory glut may be over with the Market Vectors Steel Exchange Traded Fund (SLX) showing big gains last week. Joanne Von Alroth of Investor’s Business Daily reported AK... Continue Reading »

Strong as Steel ETF
December 20, 2006 – The success of steel stocks and the exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track them have hit a bump in the road due to low steel prices, high inventory and high imports. Steel giant Nucor... Continue Reading »

Basic Materials ETFs Solid
December 4, 2006 – Seven basic materials exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been launched this year, with six of them in the last three months. This is evidence that the sector is hot.  Juan Carlos Arancibia reports in... Continue Reading »

New Japan ETFs Launched
November 14, 2006 – State Street launched two new exchange traded funds (ETFs) today focusing on Japan.  These are the first single country ETFs State Street has launched and Polya Lesova of InvestmentNews reports they are working on... Continue Reading »

Metal ETFs Capture Global Growth
October 26, 2006 – The basis for investing in a steel exchange traded fund is a safer way to capture global growth.  "The base metals sector is very cyclical so if economic growth or public investment were to... Continue Reading »

New ETFs Focus on Environment and Steel
October 17, 2006 – Van Eck Global introduced two new exchange traded funds, Market Vectors Environmental Services (EVX) and Market Vectors Steel (SLX).  The new ETFs are the first to target these industries. EVX tracks Amex Environmental Services... Continue Reading »

Is a Copper ETF Next?
April 28, 2006 – Barclays’ silver ETF (SLV) is barely out of the gate and investors are asking "What’s next?"  There’s talk that Barclays has a copper ETF in registration using the same formula and structure of the... Continue Reading »