The equities market is plugging along, but gold producers have been selling off. Contrarian investors who want to capitalize off a potential turnaround in this unfavored sector can take a look at some miners-related exchange traded funds.
For instance, the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: GDX) fell 9.7% over the past month while the small-cap version, Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: GDXJ), declined 9.3%. [Big Bets on Leveraged Gold Miners ETFs Go Awry]
Additionally, the smart-beta index-based Sprott Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: SGDM) also decreased 9.8% over the past month. Sprott Asset Management also recently introduced SGDM’s junior miners equivalent, the Sprott Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: SGDJ). The Sprott’s gold miner ETF indices starts with 25 stocks with the highest gold beta, or sensitivity to gold’s price movements, ranks them by market capitalization, and adjusts the ranking based on companies’ one-year revenue growth and debt-to-equity ratios, so the funds shift out overleveraged miners. [Sprott Launches First Factor-Based Junior Miners ETF]
In contrast, Comex gold futures were down about 0.3% over the past month and are now trading around $1,200 per ounce.
Daniel Kozlowski, portfolio manager of the Janus Contrarian fund, is looking at mining sector stocks that are “truly out of favor,” reports David Randall for Reuters.
“People are terrified of gold stocks today,” Kozlowski added.
Looking ahead, Kozlowski argues that the mining industry could experience further consolidation after years in which companies over-invested in capital spending.
Additionally, any further weakness in growth or the U.S. dollar could also bolster gold’s outlook. Gold bullion and miner stocks slightly rebounded mid-March in response to lower-than-expected employment numbers, which raised the possibility that the Federal Reserve could hold off on tightening monetary policy.
Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF
For more information on gold producers, visit our gold miners category.
Max Chen contributed to this article.