ETF Database » IGW

Semiconductor ETF Gets A Makeover

Michael Johnston — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:00:04 +0000

Competition in the semiconductor ETF space has always been fierce, with no fewer than four products (SMH, IGW, XSD, PSI) from four different issuers (Merrill Lynch, iShares, State Street, PowerShares) all targeting a relatively narrow slice of the tech sector. Perhaps aiming to capture a greater portion of this market, iShares recently announced plans to tweak its S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index Fund (IGW). The company plans to change the ticker and underlying index of the largest semiconductor ETF (excluding Merrill’s HOLDRS product), which will be listed on the NASDAQ Exchange effective October 15. The index underlying the fund will change from the S&P North American Technology-Semiconductors Index to the PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index, a modified cap-weighted benchmark consisting of about 30 semiconductor stocks. The ticker will change from IGW to SOXX. The new index is linked to two leveraged products from Direxion: the Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL) [...]

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Earnings Season Kicks Off: ETF Winners And Losers

Eric Dutram — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:40:45 +0000

Although news of SEC charges against Goldman Sachs became the dominant story on Wall Street on Friday, the focus on investors for much of the past week was on the handful of companies that kicked off another critical earnings season. With the market recovering much of the ground lost during the recent recession, many investors were anxious to see how improved economic data had translated to profitability at industry bellwethers. The first week of earnings season was a mixed bag, with some big names reporting stellar results and outlooks and others falling short of expectations. While earnings reports are company-specific developments, they can often provide insight into macro economic trends and the outlook for an industry. Below, we highlight five sectors that were especially volatile this past week, including two clear winners, two clear losers, and a mixed sector on which the jury is still out. Winners: Semiconductors and Transportation [...]

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Direxion Launches Six New Leveraged ETFs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:30:37 +0000

Direxion, a pioneer in the 3x leveraged ETF space, announced Thursday the launch of six new funds, bringing the firm’s total product offerings to 34, and represent firsts for both the company and the ETF industry. The leveraged ETFs beginning trading on Thursday include: Ticker ETF Index Leverage BRIL Daily BRIC Bull 2x Shares BNY Mellon BRIC Select ADR Index 200% INDL Daily India Bull 2x Shares Indus India Index 200% SOXL Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index 300% BRIS Daily BRIC Bear 2x Shares BNY Mellon BRIC Select ADR Index -200% INDZ Daily India Bear 2x Shares Indus Index -200% SOXS Daily Semiconductor Bear 3x Shares PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index -300% Each of the new products is an industry first of some sort. Both ProShares and Direxion offer leveraged products linked to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, but BRIL and BRIS are the first leveraged ETFs [...]

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Top Ten Equity ETFs Of 2009

Michael Johnston — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:33:26 +0000

After watching their portfolios take devastating blows in 2008, many investors hoped that a new year would bring a reversal of fortune and a recovery of lost assets. After the first two months of the year tested resolve, things finally took a turn for the better in March, and long climb upwards began. Most equity ETFs experienced solid gains in 2009, adding more than 20% on the year. But as always, some fared better than others, with several funds outpacing broad-based benchmarks by a considerable margin. And then there are the handful of ETFs highlighted below that delivered enormous gains. These funds have each gained at least 85% this year, putting them in the top two percent of all equity ETFs in our ETF Screener. It should be noted that only funds operating for all of 2009 have been included in this list (although we did bend this rule a [...]

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Top Ten Performing Leveraged ETFs Of 2009

Michael Johnston — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:56:06 +0000

Leveraged ETFs were in the headlines a great deal in 2009, but most of the coverage was less than favorable. Misinformation on these products was widespread throughout the year, leading to confusion on many aspects of these products and some unfair generalizations. One of the primary points of discussion was the performance of leveraged ETFs when held by investors for extended periods of times. Because these funds focus on delivering amplified returns on a daily basis, returns over time are compounded, meaning that the effective return over multiple sessions depends not only on the change in the underlying benchmark, but in the path of the index during that period. In trending markets, the return to leveraged ETFs will generally be greater than the simple target multiple times the return on the underlying index. But in seesawing markets — one where gains are frequently followed by losses and vice versa — [...]

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Definitive Guide To Semiconductor ETFs: Semiconductor ETFs 101

Michael Johnston — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:42:37 +0000

For investors looking to make a play on the technology sector through ETFs, there are a number of options offering varying degrees of exposure. The PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQQ) tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, meaning it is tilted heavily towards the technology sector (about 65% of its holdings), but maintains moderate exposure to health care and consumer discretionary companies as well. For investors looking to make a pure play on technology, there are several broad-based technology funds, such as XLK and IYW, that invest in various technology-related companies. But there are also technology ETFs offering far more specialization, including funds focusing on software (IGV and PSJ), internet architecture (IAH), nanotechnology (PXN), and several other. One of the most popular corners of the technology sector focuses on semiconductors, a key component of almost every modern electronics product. Named because their electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and an insulator, [...]

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Earnings Fears Weigh On Tech ETFs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:45:55 +0000

Technology ETFs have hit a wall in recent days, slumping on news of an analyst downgrade to Research in Motion, slashes in projected semiconductor demand, and weak earnings reports from several internet companies. With an uncertain holiday shopping season ahead, the fate of the technology sector is very much up in the air, and technology ETFs could be on the move in coming weeks. BMO Capital Markets cut their rating on Blackberry maker Research in Motion on Wednesday, pointing to increased competition from Verizon as consumers opt for less expensive smartphones. Also weighing on the tech sector were weak results from Salesforce.com and Autodesk, which lost about 3% and 10%, respectively, during yesterday’s session. On Thursday, BofA Merrill Lynch lowered its 2010 growth forecast for global semiconductor industry and downgraded ten chipmakers, including Intel Corp. “While we believe the correction will likely prove short and shallow, we think any hint [...]

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Does RIMM’s Slump Signal Trouble For Tech ETFs?

Eric Dutram — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:30:40 +0000

Research in Motion (RIMM), the Canadian maker of the popular Blackberry device, is taking a beating today, with its shares down more than 15% in early trading. The company reported weaker than expected revenue for the quarter ended in August and gave disappointing earnings guidance for the upcoming third. The news sparked a host of downgrades from the likes of Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and Raymond James, all of whom have expressed their doubt in RIMM’s ability to maintain market share in North America without slashing prices. After maintaining a stranglehold on the smartphone market for years, RIMM is now facing formidable competition from Apple, Palm and Motorola, and the impact on the bottom line is staggering. RIMM earned two cents per share more in last year’s quarter ending in August despite the fact that the company did over a billion dollars less in revenue, showing how quickly their margins [...]

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Will Intel Power Technology ETF Gains?

Michael Johnston — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:36:02 +0000

In what many analysts are calling the latest sign that the recession has ended, Intel surprised Wall Street on Friday by raising its third quarter revenue outlook above current consensus analyst estimates. Citing stronger-than-expected demand for microprocessors and chipsets, the Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker revised its third quarter revenue forecast to $9.0 billion, up from a previous estimate of $8.5 billion. While this development is obviously good news for Intel shareholders, many analysts expect that it may signal a strengthening of the broad technology sector. Intel’s announcement came only a day after Dell shares surged on news of better-than-expected second quarter earnings, giving investors hope that the technology sector may be pulling out of a severe prolonged downturn. But a recovery in the tech sector is no sure thing. Consumers are beginning to spend again on gadgets, and increased demand from Europe, likely the result of the Chinese government’s stimulus [...]

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ETF Database » IGW

Semiconductor ETF Gets A Makeover

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