Indeed, some familiar faces boosted the technology sector in 2013, but that group does not include some of the sector’s behemoth’s such as Dow component International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) and Apple (NasdaqGM: AAPL), the largest U.S. company by market value.
Despite a recent rally, IBM appears poised to rank among this year’s worst performers in the Dow. Although Apple has been on fire in the second half of 2013, its first half performance was forgettable and although the stock will likely finish higher for the year, it will also lag the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite.
Rather, tech sector upside in 2013 was dominated in large part by the return of glory days for Internet stocks. With that, the PowerShares NASDAQ Internet Portfolio (NasdaqGS: PNQI) has been able to gain over 63% and now sits atop the tech ETF lineup with just two trading days left in 2013.
Not only is PNQI this year’s top tech ETF, but it ranks seventh among all non-leveraged ETFs in terms of year-to-date performance. A move to the top-five for PNQI is not out of the question assuming biotech stocks pullback over the next two days. [Battle for Top Honors Among Health Care ETFs]
PNQI also represents another 2013 feather in the cap of PowerShares. The fourth-largest U.S. ETF sponsor has the most ETFs in the top-10 sector or industry funds. PNQI joins the PowerShares Dynamic Media Portfolio (NYSEArca: PBS), PowerShares S&P SmallCap Consumer Staples Portfolio (NasdaqGS: PSCC) and the PowerShares S&P SmallCap Materials Portfolio (NasdaqGS: PSCM) as the PowerShares funds found among the 10 best sector ETFs. [Meet 2013’s Best Materials ETF]