The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story on how drugstores might benefit from the upcoming swine flu season. We take the question one step further and ask which ETFs might benefit if the H1N1 virus returns this fall.
After holding up better than other sectors in 2008, Consumer Staples stocks have skidded since the beginning of the year and are now falling below November levels on the way to five year lows. The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (Ticker: XLP) closed today at $20.75, below the November 21 intra-day low of $21.40 and at its lowest level since 2004.
The day after we posted Looking for a Bottom? Start with Sectors, the market tested a new 52-week low and sector performance was telling.
With the US equity market recently hitting a new 52-week low, investors are still waiting for the market to bottom out.
In a market that is down for the year and continues to present an uncertain outlook, which ETFs have managed to hold onto their value at this point in the year? Setting aside the volatile energy and commodities sectors and the idea of shorting financials, we were still able to find five ETF categories that are unchanged or even higher from January levels.