There have been plenty of market headlines of note over the past
couple. Whether it has been central bank talk or new product
introductions from Amazon (NASDAQ:
AMZN
) and Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
), traders and investors have had more than a few compelling events
to pay attention to.
So it is not surprising that some jaw-dropping ETF performances
are flying under the radar. Importantly, some of the following
funds are not having little trysts with success. These ETFs have
been impressing for a while now, regardless of fanfare. Leveraged
ETFs were excluded from this list because those products can
deliver breathtaking or heartbreaking performances in condensed
time frames. Of course, leveraged ETFs are not every investor's cup
of tea.
PowerShares NASDAQ Internet Portfolio (NASDAQ:
PNQI
) The PowerShares NASDAQ Internet Portfolio leads a fairly
anonymous existence considering its high-flying constituency. That
is to say PNQI is
a momentum lover's delight
as the ETF is home to some of the most familiar Internet names.
eBay (NASDAQ:
EBAY
), Amazon, Google (NASDAQ:
GOOG
), Priceline (NASDAQ:
PCLN
) and Baidu (NASDAQ:
BIDU
) combine for about 41 percent of PNQI's weight. That is a good
thing as Amazon and Google are trading near all-time highs and eBay
could make a run at its own all-time high over the next few
months.
Global X Lithium ETF (NYSE:
LIT
) Here is one way of investing in the smartphone/tablet craze
without owning Apple, Google or a technology sector ETF. LIT's
relationship to the gadget craze and increased demand for hybrid
vehicles has been a large part of the thesis behind this ETF for
its 26 months of existence. That thesis is once again bearing fruit
for investors. How many folks are noticing is a different
story.
Lithium cannot be compared to gold or oil in that part of the
reason those commodities move to the upside is expected declines of
supply in the future. A lithium shortage is unlikely, and that
makes LIT's recent ascent all the more impressive. What is pivotal
to remember about lithium is that prices have tripled since 2000
due to increased demand,
Bloomberg reported
.
Another double or triple in demand over the next decade is
possible, too. In the near-term, it feels like few investors
realize LIT has accumulated the bulk of its year-to-date gains in
the past month. The ETF's recent move above resistance at $14.50 is
a bullish sign. Should that old resistance become new support, that
is even more bullish as that could set LIT up for a move of 10
percent or more before year-end.
Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF (NYSE:
GREK
) As the only ETF tracking the poster child for the Eurozone's
sovereign debt crisis, the Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF is by no
means unheard of. However, the fund's recent performance has
arguably not gotten the kudos it deserves. As various
country-specific and multi-country ETFs with Europe exposure
have rallied, GREK's performance has been
overshadowed
.
Maybe it is because GREK has just $16 million in AUM. Or maybe
it is because Greek unemployment is still above 20 percent and
investors need convincing the country is a legitimate investment
destination. Whatever the reasons are for glossing over GREK do not
change the fact this ETF is on fire.
GREK jumped 5.3 percent on Wednesday after German Constitutional
Court ruled to allow Germany to support the Eurozone bailout fund.
Wednesday's performance is part of a 21 percent gain over the past
five trading days and that run has contributed to a 37.1 percent
surge in the past month.
Be advised GREK is not for the faint of heart. The ETF was
trading around $13 in mid-January before flirting with $20 a month
later. By April, GREK was near $14 only to fall below $9 in June.
The ETF closed just below $16 on Wednesday. That is a roller
coaster ride if ever there was one.
Guggenheim China Real Estate (NYSE:
TAO
) Here is one that is likely to surprise a lot of China observers.
After all, the iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund (NYSE:
FXI
) is down on the year while the Guggenheim China Small-Cap ETF
(NYSE:
HAO
) and the iShares FTSE China (HK Listed) Index Fund (NYSE:
FCHI
) are barely in the green.
Not to mention elevated property values and the potential for
the bursting of a property bubble in China are seen as two scourges
that could plague the world's second-largest economy. TAO has
shaken off those factors and generally sour sentiment toward
Chinese equities and ETFs to surge 32.6 percent year-to-date.
More gains could be on the way. After failing to break
resistance at $19 on three separate occasions earlier this year,
TAO accomplished the feat earlier this week.
(c) 2012 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice.
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