While the iPath S&P 500 VIX-Short-Term Futures ETN
(NYSEArca:VXX) was the third-most-popular exchange-traded product
in terms of ETF inflows last week, it and a slew of other
volatility-related products were the worst-performing ETPs last
week.
VXX returned -11.7 percent, making it last week's
fifth-worst-performing ETP, behind four other volatility-related
products.
At the top of IndexUniverse's "Bottom 10 Weekly Performers" list
was the Citigroup-sponsored C-Tracks Exchange Traded Notes on the
Citi Volatility Index ETN (NYSEArca:CVOL), which lost 16.71
percent. In all, eight of the 10 securities on the biggest
decliners list were volatility related.
That dismal showing is no surprise when it comes to
volatility-related ETPs. Given a harrowing day of trade, they spike
and perform beautifully. But on most days when trade is fairly
smooth, they lose value and, over time, perform abysmally.
Still, they remain quite popular as tactical insurance-type
tools to manage volatility at a time when investors are bracing for
more macroeconomic volatility.
Best Performers
On the flip side, The iShares Dow Jones U.S Home Construction
Index Fund (NYSEArca:ITB) was the top-returning ETF last week,
providing glimmers of hope that the U.S. residential housing market
may be stabilizing.
ITB jumped 8.57 percent in the trading week ended Thursday,
April 26, with the Market Vectors Egypt ETF (NYSEArca:EGPT) earning
runner-up status, with a 7.95 percent gain.
More broadly, natural gas funds were meanwhile among the week's
best performers-a sign perhaps of a period of consolidation rather
than a real turnaround for a market that has cratered over the past
few years amid steady-to-slightly-lower demand that can't keep up
with surging supplies.
The futures-based United States Natural Gas Fund (NYSEArca:UNG)
was the third-best performer last week, returning 6.88 percent.
Among the other gas-related funds on the best-performers list
were:
- The equities-based First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas ETF
(NYSEArca:FCG), which gained 4.84 percent
- The futures-based United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund
(NYSEArca:UNL), which gained 4.61 percent
- The futures-based Teucrium Natural Gas Fund (NYSEArca:NAGS),
which gained 4.52 percent
Top 10 Weekly Performers, Excluding Leverage/Inverse
Funds and 'lt;1,000 Shares Traded
| Ticker |
Name |
Weekly Performance |
Weekly Volume |
AUM ($, mm) |
| ITB |
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction |
8.57% |
8,232,348 |
642.75 |
| EGPT |
Market Vectors Egypt |
7.95% |
155,581 |
46.62 |
| UNG |
United States Natural Gas |
6.88% |
55,313,683 |
819.90 |
| JJT |
iPath Dow Jones-UBS Tin Total Return ETN |
5.59% |
28,979 |
69.60 |
| FBT |
First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology |
5.26% |
338,968 |
252.11 |
| FCG |
First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas |
4.84% |
2,246,875 |
364.59 |
| XBI |
SPDR S&P Biotech |
4.80% |
962,919 |
525.55 |
| XOP |
SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration &
Production |
4.79% |
26,427,868 |
981.34 |
| UNL |
United States 12 Month Natural Gas |
4.61% |
281,015 |
28.15 |
| NAGS |
Teucrium Natural Gas Fund |
4.52% |
16,800 |
1.59 |
Bottom 10 Weekly Performers, Excluding Leverage/Inverse
Funds and 'lt;1,000 Shares Traded
| Ticker |
Name |
Weekly Performance |
Weekly Volume |
AUM ($, mm) |
| CVOL |
C-Tracks Exchange-Traded Notes on the Citi
Volatility |
-16.71% |
82,704 |
7.63 |
| VXBB |
ETRACS 2-Month S&P 500 VIX Futures ETN |
-12.28% |
1,100 |
5.17 |
| VIXY |
ProShares VIX Short-Term |
-11.84% |
2,410,316 |
128.46 |
| VIIX |
VelocityShares VIX Short Term ETN |
-11.82% |
872,086 |
22.75 |
| VXX |
iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN |
-11.70% |
200,450,899 |
1,711.77 |
| VXZ |
iPath S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN |
-6.55% |
2,023,569 |
220.29 |
| VIXM |
ProShares VIX Mid-term |
-6.26% |
124,635 |
104.73 |
| VXCC |
ETRACS 3-Month S&P 500 VIX Futures ETN |
-5.75% |
1,100 |
6.42 |
| INXX |
EGShares India Infrastructure |
-5.49% |
75,380 |
55.44 |
| EEH |
ELEMENTS Linked to SPECTRUM Large Cap U.S. Momentum
ETN |
-5.11% |
5,967 |
1.16 |
Disclaimer:All data as of 6 a.m. Eastern time the date the
article is published. Data is believed to be accurate; however,
transient market data is often subject to subsequent revision and
correction by the exchanges.
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