As the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit another round of record highs on Friday, 221 exchange traded funds also joined the all-time high club.
Several of those funds were among this week’s group of most searched ETFs on ETF Trends, a group that is an interesting mix familiar global funds and income-generating, U.S.-focused products.
Among the familiar names leading the most searched list this week are the Market Vectors India Small-Cap Index ETF (NYSEArca: SCIF) and the WisdomTree India Earnings Fund (NYSEArca: EPI). Along with other India ETFs, SCIF and EPI, the largest India ETF, have been getting ample attention following the country’s recent national election.
Although India ETFs were among May’s best performers, some of the air came out of that trade late in the month as EPI lost 5.7% from May 23 to May 30. That looks like it was a buying opportunity in India ETFs because every U.S.-listed India ETF hit a new 52-week high on Friday. [India ETF Nears a Breakout]
Keeping with the international theme, the iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF (NYSEArca: EWZ) was the third most-searched global ETF after EPI and SCIF. The largest Brazil ETF surged almost 3.4% on Friday o volume that was a slightly support after another poll revealed waning support for President Dilma Rousseff ahead of Brazil’s October elections.
With the World Cup starting next Thursday, investors should expect sluggish volume in Latin America ETFs. That will be especially true of EWZ, particularly on days when Brazil, the host nation, plays. [LatAm ETFs Could Slow During World Cup]
It was not surprising to see the WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund (NYSEArca: HEDJ) lead traffic for diversified country ETFs. For several weeks leading up to Thursday’s European Central Bank, HEDJ had either been hitting new highs, trading on unusually large volume or both. After the ECB took deposit rates into negative territory, HEDJ gained almost 1% Friday on volume that was more than double the daily average to close at a new all-time high.