The second quarter’s earnings season has gotten off to a rocky start, with lackluster reports and forecasts already bogging down investor sentiments. Blue-chip powerhouse Alcoa posted quarterly losses, while earnings outlooks for the technology and industrial sectors remained rather dour. Despite an initial rally spurred by renewed optimism in Euro Zone’s newest bailout program, U.S. stocks drifted lower: the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.7%, while the S&P slid 0.8%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq came in at the bottom of the barrel with a 1% loss [see also 3 Europe ETFs Holding Their Ground In 2012].
After coming under recent scrutiny of investors around the globe, China’s economy was once again in the spotlight today. China’s trade balance was reported at $31.73 billion, well above analysts’ expectations. Taking a closer look at the data, however, reveals that the large increase primarily arose from a significant slowdown in imports, as well as a modest slowdown in exports growth. UK GDP was also announced today, showing an economic slowdown of -0.2%. UK industrial and manufacturing production also fell in the month of may, but not as much as economists had predicted [see ETF Country Exposure Tool].
The Barclays iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) was one of the best performers, gaining 2.76% on the day. Alongside renewed Euro Zone optimism, this ETF gapped slightly lower in early trading hours, only to turn around and surge higher after investor sentiments surrounding this quarter’s earnings season significantly declined. VXX settled just shy of its high of $14.78 a share [see also Low Volatility Portfolio].
The United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was one of the worst performers, shedding a dismal 4.83% on the day. After a successful day of trading on Monday, this ETF cooled off its winning streak as profit taking investors sought to lock in gains. UNG gapped significantly lower at the open, only to continue sliding lower throughout the day [see also How To Trade Natural Gas Futures: UNG And Beyond].
Follow me on Twitter @DPylypczak
[For more ETF analysis, make sure to sign up for our free ETF newsletter or try a free seven day trial to ETFdb Pro]
Disclosure: No positions at time of writing.
ETF Database is not an investment advisor, and any content published by ETF Database does not constitute individual investment advice. The opinions offered herein are not personalized recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities. From time to time, issuers of exchange-traded products mentioned herein may place paid advertisements with ETF Database. All content on ETF Database is produced independently of any advertising relationships. Read the full disclaimer here.
Are you enjoying ETF Database?
Get more articles like this one via our free daily e-mail newsletter or RSS feed.
Get access to special reports including How To Pick The Right ETF Every Time and Seven Simple & Cheap ETF Model Portfolios.
