A gloomier-than-expected jobs report for March had an otherwise strong quarter and month ending on a down note. But let’s not dwell on that. There were many positive strides made by the markets and in exchange traded funds (ETFs) this quarter.
The major indexes ended positive for both time periods. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4.4% for the month and 4.1% for the quarter. The S&P 500 added 4.8% for the month and 4.9% for the quarter, and the Nasdaq led the indexes, rising 5.5% for the month and 5.7% for the quarter.
A spate of economic reports this month showed that, at the very least, the numbers are getting “less bad” if not markedly better. To keep things moving in the right direction, the Federal Reserve stuck to its position that it will keep interest rates at record lows and it may not raise them until later this year.
The top ETF this quarter was the First Trust NYSEArca Biotechnology Fund (NYSEArca: FBT), which gained 29%. Other top-performing areas include small-caps, regional banks and airlines. The weakest ETF this quarter was United States Natural Gas (NYSEArca: UNG), which ended down 34.7%. Other areas that struggled this quarter were solar energy, Spain, Italy and the euro.
To view our complete ETF performance report, click here.
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The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.