The phenomenal recovery in global markets during the first couple of months helped propel global equities to one of their best first quarters. Emerging markets, along with the health care, consumer discretionary and financial sectors, were among the top performers in Q1.
Over the first four months of the year, 609 equity ETFs showed a positive year-to-date total return, with 23 ETFs vaulting more than 20%, Tom Graves, S&P Capital IQ ETF analyst, wrote in a separate research note. Meanwhile, only 21 equity ETFs showed negative returns. In comparison, the S&P 500 Index had a positive return of 11.9% over the same period. [ETF Performance Report: Best First Quarter in Over a Decade]
Of the 609 positive equity ETFs, 339 were based on domestic indices and 226 had an international and global emphasis. The S&P Global Broad Market Index, which excludes the U.S., was up 9.1% in the first quarter. [Global ETFs Gather Record Q1 Inflows]
In the first quarter, 11 equity ETFs had returns of more than 25%. Seven covered the emerging markets or frontier markets and four followed U.S. markets. Additionally, six of the 11 followed the health care, consumer discretionary and financial sectors.
SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEArca: SPY)
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Max Chen contributed to this article.
Full disclosure: Tom Lydon’s clients own SPY.