Active broad-market exchange-traded funds at mid-day:
SPDR S&P 500 (
SPY
): +0.535%, touched fresh year highs
Financial Select Sector SPDR (
XLF
): +0.9%, climbed to new year highs.
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (
EEM
): +1.1%
iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures TM (
VXX
): now up +1.7%, earlier hit year low.
iShares MSCI Japan Index (
EWJ
): +1%
Broad Market Indicators
Most broad-market exchange-traded funds, including SPY, IWM, IVV
and others, are firmer, with SPY and XLF touching fresh new year
highs. But VXX earlier hit a year low, although it is now up.
Actively traded PowerShares QQQ (QQQ) is up 1%, but is off the new
52-week high of $70.43.
Like ETFs, most U.S. stocks continue to rally, still gaining on
the QE3 announcement from the Federal Reserve yesterday. Standard
& Poor's 500 index surged to its highest level since 2007.
Stocks were also buoyed by the economic data released today: August
retail sales, ex auto, increased 0.8% in line with forecasts, while
August core CPI was up 0.1%, just below expectations; the Thomson
Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary measure of September
consumer sentiment index rose above estimates; and business
inventories posted their largest gain in six months in July.
Winners and Losers
Technology -
Tech ETFs are firmer, pushing near year highs: iShares Dow Jones
US Technology ETF (IYW), up 1%; iShares S&P North American
Technology ETF (IGM), up 1.17%; and iShares S&P North American
Technology-Software Index (IGV), up 1%. Technology Select Sector
SPDR ETF (XLK) is up 0.5% after seeing a new 52-week high of
$31.71.
Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) is up
2.78% and Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (SOXX) is up 1.6%.
SPDR S&P International Technology Sector ETF (IPK) is up
4.12%, nearing its year high.
In sector news, Analogic (ALOG) is up 15% and has hit year highs
after it reported late Thursday that Q4 2012 revenue was $151
million, up 12% from the comparable period in 2011. Non-GAAP
diluted EPS of $1.32 was up 59%. Both numbers trumped the Capital
IQ analyst estimates of $140.6 million in revenue and EPS of
$0.82.
Energy -
Dow Jones U.S. Energy Fund (IYE) is up 1.4% after climbing to
new year highs; Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) is up 1.1%, also
after jumping to a new 52-week high.
In sector news, InterOil (IOC) shares are up 1%, having earlier
struck a new 52-week high. The company's CFO Collin Visaggio
claimed at least two supermajors have made bids for an operating
stake in IOC's Gulf LNG project in Papua New Guinea. According to
Seeking Alpha, negotiations have also generated interest on whether
IOC could be subject to a takeover offer.
Commodities -
Crude was up 0.6% after earlier hitting $100 per barrel - the
first time since May; natural gas was down 2.21%. United States Oil
Fund (USO) is up 0.9%. United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) is down
2.1%.
Gold was higher, up 0.23% while silver was down 0.55%. Among
rare metal funds, SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is up 0.3% while iShares
Silver Trust (SLV) is down 0.2%
Healthcare -
Healthcare ETFs are mildly lower: Health Care SPDR (XLV), down
0.5% from year highs; Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), down 0.3%
from near year highs; and iShares Dow Jones US Healthcare (IYH),
off 0.44%, having climbed to a new year high of $84.05. Biotech ETF
iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (IBB) is up 0.8%, and reached a
new 52-week high of $142.38.
Consumer -
Consumer ETFs are edging lower but earlier reached new year
highs: Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP), down 0.6% from
near year highs; iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK), off
0.3% but touched a new year high of $75.72; and Vanguard Consumer
Staples ETF (VDC), down 0.5%, but it also saw a new year high
earlier in the day.
Retail ETFs are firmer, most climbing to new year highs: SPDR
S&P Retail (XRT), up 1%, hit a new year high of $65.46;
PowerShares Dynamic Retail (PMR), up 0.4%, near new year highs; and
Market Vectors Retail ETF (RTH), up 0.3%, with a new year high of
$45.70.
Power Play -
Financial -
Financials are still firmer in mid-day action, following the
Federal Reserve's QE3 announcement yesterday and mostly upbeat
economic data this morning. Select Financial Sector SPDRs (
XLF
) is up 0.9% after touching a new year high of $16.43. Direxion
Daily Financial Bull 3X shares (FAS) is up 2.5%, off a new year
high of $119.94. Its bearish counterpart, FAZ, is down 2.5%, after
sinking to a new year low of $16.05.