Active broad-market exchange-traded funds at mid-day:
SPDR S&P 500 (
SPY
): +0.7%, touched fresh year highs
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (
EEM
): +1.3%
Financial Select Sector SPDR (
XLF
): +1.3% to near year highs.
iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures TM (
VXX
): -4.7%, hit new year low.
PowerShares QQQ Trust, Series 1 (
QQQ
): +0.9%, near year highs.
Broad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds, including SPY, IWM, IVV and
others, are sharply higher, with SPY pushing to a fresh new year
high. Actively traded PowerShares QQQ (
QQQ
) is up 0.9% and also nearing its 52-week high. Financial ETFs are
leading the rally, while commodity based ETFs are also seeing gains
as gold, silver and crude oil spike shortly after the Federal
Reserve's QE3 announcement.
U.S. stocks are up but off session highs as traders and
investors digest the details in the Federal Reserve's announcement
that it will launch a new bond buying program, and that it will
start it by purchasing $40 billion in agency mortgage-backed
securities each month starting this Friday. Volatility in stocks
and ETFs is expected to continue until the news conference with Fed
Chairman Ben Bernanke at 2.15 pm ET.
Winners and Losers
Technology -
Tech ETFs are mostly firmer: Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF
(XLK), up 0.9% at year highs; iShares Dow Jones US Technology ETF
(IYW), up 1%; iShares S&P North American Technology ETF (IGM),
up 0.07%; and iShares S&P North American Technology-Software
Index (IGV), up 0.4%.
Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) has
turned positive and Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (SOXX) is up
0.55%.
SPDR S&P International Technology Sector ETF (IPK) is
flat.
iShares Dow Jones US Telecom (IYZ) is showing notable strength,
up 0.9% at new year highs.
In sector news, Apple Inc. (AAPL) is up 1.8% and closing in on
year highs again after it yesterday unveiled a taller, lighter and
speedier iPhone that's poised to become the fastest selling
technology gadget in history -- even as competition accelerates in
the $219.1 billion smartphone market, Bloomberg reports.
Commodities -
Crude was up 0.33% while natural gas was down 2.07%. United
States Oil Fund (USO) is up 1.4%. United States Natural Gas Fund
(UNG) is down 2.1%.
Rare metals continue to tick higher: Gold was up 1.04%; silver
was up 1.99%. Among rare metal funds, SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is up
2.2%; iShares Silver Trust (SLV) up 4.5%.
Consumer -
Consumer ETFs are firmer: Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR
(XLP), up 1.2% and near year highs; iShares Dow Jones US Consumer
Goods (IYK), up 1.1% to near 12 month highs; and Vanguard Consumer
Staples ETF (VDC), up 1%, also nearer to year high levels.
Retail ETFs are firmer: SPDR S&P Retail (XRT), up 1% and hit
new year highs; PowerShares Dynamic Retail (PMR), up 0.82%; and
Market Vectors Retail ETF (RTH), up 0.8%, having struck a new year
high.
Healthcare -
Healthcare ETFs are firmer: Health Care SPDR (XLV), up 0.63% at
year high levels; Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), up 0.71%, having
also struck 12 month highs; and iShares Dow Jones US Healthcare
(IYH), now up 0.5% at year highs. Biotech ETF iShares NASDAQ
Biotechnology Index (IBB), has turned positive and it too is moving
toward year highs.
Power Play -
Financial -
ETFs in the financial sector are logging gains following the
Federal Reserve's announcement of the much anticipated QE3. Select
Financial Sector SPDRs (
XLF
) is up 1.65% at year highs. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X
shares (FAS) is up 4.42%. Its bearish counterpart, FAZ, is down
4.55%.