Although there are hundreds of exchange traded funds (ETFs) to choose from, a select few rise to the top to become the most popularly researched.
The ranking of the top 10 most popular ETFs is based on information given to InvestmentNews by Morningstar. In a slideshow, Investment News unveiled the ETFs. Among them were some of the most recognizable names around:
- SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEArca: SPY):
- iShares COMEX Gold Trust (NYSEArca: IAU)
- Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEArca: VWO)
- PowerShares DB Commodity Indexed Fund (NYSEArca: DBC)
- SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD)
- iShares Barclays TIPS Bond (NYSEArca: TIP)
Not that some aren’t surprising – SPY, GLD, IAU, and VWO are all some of the industry’s largest and most liquid ETFs and they represent popular asset classes.
The most telling is TIPS – it says that investors, advisors and their clients are possibly worried about inflation and are trying to get into position to combat it.
Not everyone is worried right now about a high U.S. inflation rate, but they recognize that it may happen sooner than later. Ann Sapir for Reuters reports that it was a falling inflation rate, along with a stubbornly high unemployment rate, that prompted the U.S. Fed to decide last month to buy $600 billion of Treasuries to help boost the economy. This could eventually put an inflationary scenario in play. [How TIPS ETFs Work.]
We ran a report on how ETF Trends visitors are researching ETFs for themselves, and in the last month, it’s been all about copper. In fact, First Trust ISE Global Copper (NASDAQ: CU) and Global X Copper Miners (NYSEArca: COPX) were the top two most-researched ETFs on our site in that time.
Tisha Guerrero contributed to this article.
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.