On a lethargic day for U.S. stocks, some health care and biotechnology exchange traded funds continue to make new all-time highs.
Although each is now trading slightly on the day, the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (NasdaqGM: IBB), Market Vectors Biotech ETF (NYSEArca: BBH) and the ProShares Ultra Nasdaq Biotechnology (NasdaqGM: BIB), the double-leveraged equivalent of IBB, have hit new all-time highs.
Last Thursday, five of the six bullish biotech ETFs hit all-time highs, a feat the group would duplicate last Friday. Arguably conspicuous by its absence from the biotech ETF all-time high club has been the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEArca: XBI). [New Highs for Biotech ETFs]
XBI, which is locked in a tussle with the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund (NYSEArca: FBT) for the title of second-largest biotech ETF, is not for off its previous high set in February. That could be a sign the equal-weight biotech offering could be ready to resume a leadership position within this high-flying genre of ETFs.
“Year to date, however, XBI is number two (biotech ETF) with a gain of 28.4%. XBI hit a closing high of 170.66 in Feb of 2014 and after a pullback in the spring has been on in uptrend and is nearing the Feb. highs. It recently crossed above an up-trending support line which is just below $155,” said Street One Financial Market Technician Dave Chojnacki in an email to ETF Trends.
However, it appears that investors need some convincing that XBI is the place to be among biotech ETFs as it is the only one of the five non-leveraged biotech funds to lose assets this month. Those outflows belie XBI’s strong technicals.