First Trust Financials AlphaDEX (ARCA: FXO)

Ultime notizie per First Trust Financials AlphaDEX (ARCA:FXO)

First Trust Financials AlphaDEX

Financial Services

Real Estate

Other

Technology

Consumer Cyclical

The Fund will normally invest at least 90 percent of its net assets (including investment borrowings) in the securities that comprise the Index. The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Index. The Index is part of the StrataQuant Series, a family of custom enhanced indices developed, maintained and owned by ICE Data Indices, LLC or its affiliates (IDI or the Index Provider). The Index Provider reserves the right to, at any time, change the number of stocks comprising the Index by adding or deleting one or more stocks, or replacing one or more stocks contained in the Index with one or more substitute stocks of its choice, if in the Index Providers discretion, such addition, deletion or substitution is necessary or appropriate to maintain the quality and/or character of the Index.

Mgic Investment Corp

Cincinnati Financial Corporation

Jefferies Financial Group

Affiliated Managers Group Inc.

Renaissancere Holdings

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

Progressive Corp.

Old Line Funding Llc

Kkr & Co. Cl. A

Janus Henderson Group Plc

Lpl Financial Holdings

Markel Corp Com Usd Npv

Morgan Stanley

Everest Re Group Ltd

Lazard Inc Common Stock Usd.01

White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd Common Stock

Rithm Capital Corp.

T Rowe Price Group

First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALLY#NYSE">ALLY</a>) shares are trading lower on Tuesday after the company&#8217;s CFO reportedly noted intensifying <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/movers" rel="noreferrer noopener">credit challenges among borrowers at a conference.</a>
The firm&#8217;s CFO, Russell Hutchinson, revealed that the company&#8217;s credit troubles have deepened this quarter, with borrowers grappling more than ever with soaring inflation and living costs, reported Reuters.
Delinquencies in the company&#8217;s retail auto segment spiked by around 20 basis points in July and August versus initial projections, Hutchinson reported to investors at a New York financial conference.
&#8220;Our borrower is struggling with high inflation and cost of living, and now more recently, a weakening employment picture,&#8221; Hutchinson said.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40794070/exclusive-lazard-small-cap-expert-predicts-30-50-russell-2000-rally-on-the-back-of-" rel="noreferrer noopener">EXCLUSIVE: Lazard Small-Cap Expert Predicts 30-50% Russell 2000 Rally On The Back Of Lower Interest Rates</a>
Net charge-offs, representing debts deemed unlikely to be recovered, increased by approximately ten basis points in Ally&#8217;s retail auto sector during the same period, exceeding initial expectations, Reuters added.
Shares of bank stocks are trading lower after Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Barr unveiled Basel and GSIB surcharge re-proposals.
Last week&#8217;s jobs report missed expectations, casting a shadow over anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts later this month, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/2024/09/10/ally-drops-after-cfo-flags-consumer-stress-underperformance/" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> BNN Bloomberg. Based in Detroit, Ally is primarily recognized for its auto lending but also provides credit cards, checking and savings accounts, and home loans.
Hutchinson stated that the firm will prioritize capital and expense management going forward, but it is not revising its guidance at this moment, BNN Bloomberg report added.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>, ALLY stock has lost over 19% in the past month. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;First Trust Financials AlphaDEX (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FXO#NYSE">FXO</a>) and&nbsp;Vanguard S&amp;P Mid-Cap 400 Value ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IVOV#NYSE">IVOV</a>).
Price Action: ALLY shares are trading lower by 18.7% to $32.26 at last check Tuesday.
Photo: JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock.com
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/09/40731052/are-banks-ready-to-serve-the-cannabis-industry-what-one-expert-says-about-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Are Banks Ready To Serve The Cannabis Industry? What One Expert Says About The Future</a></li>
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Equities

News

Markets

Movers

Media

General

ALLY

IVOV

Why Is Ally Financial Stock Falling On Tuesday?

The Democratic &ldquo;blue wave&rdquo; in Washington D.C. took two months longer than many investors had anticipated, but it&nbsp;arrived this week when Democrats narrowly eked out a majority in the Senate. Following the Georgia runoffs, investors are once again searching for the best stocks and ETFs to own under Democratic leadership.
Inflation And Rising Rates:&nbsp;Bank of America analyst Jared Woodard discussed several ETF ideas for investors looking to play the blue wave trade.
&ldquo;As we argued last fall, unified government clears the path for big fiscal packages to drive growth, inflation and bond yields higher,&rdquo; Woodard wrote in a note.
The biggest themes investors should consider are cyclical and value stocks that should benefit from rising inflation rates and stimulus-driven economic growth.
Woodard said energy stocks, clean energy stocks and materials stocks should all benefit from rising inflation rates. He recommends ETFs such as the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xle#NYSE">XLE</a>), the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/icln#NYSE">ICLN</a>) and the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xlb#NYSE">XLB</a>).
Related Link: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/01/19043314/6-key-economic-projections-for-2021">6 Key Economic Projections For 2021</a>
In addition, Woodard said a steepening yield curve should be good news for the bank ETFs such as the SPDR S&amp;P Bank ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kbe#NYSE">KBE</a>). For investors looking for a more diversified financial sector play, the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) is the financial sector fund with the highest weighting of bank stocks.
Infrastructure And Technology: Infrastructure spending may be one of the Joe Biden administration&rsquo;s top priorities, and Woodard said the Invesco S&amp;P 500 Eql Wght Industrials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rgi#NYSE">RGI</a>) is the industrial ETF with the highest exposure to construction stocks.
Finally, Woodard recommends investing in technology ETFs that have relatively low exposure to the FAAMG group due to antitrust concerns. He recommends the First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fxl#NYSE">FXL</a>), in which the FAAMG stocks have just a 4% weighting.
Benzinga&rsquo;s Take: While the Republican party is typically seen as the party of big business, the stock market has performed very well throughout history under Democratic leadership. Since 1948, the S&amp;P 500 has averaged a 14% annual return during years in which Democrats control the White House and both houses of Congress.

Analyst Color

Long Ideas

Politics

Analyst Ratings

Trading Ideas

ETFs

iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund

ICLN

Rydex ETF Trust Rydex S&P Equal Weight Industrials ETF

7 'Blue Wave' ETFs To Buy Following Democrat Senate Victories

<a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalTimesBiz/status/1208020737576976384" title="https://twitter.com/GlobalTimesBiz/status/1208020737576976384">https://twitter.com/GlobalTimesBiz/status/1208020737576976384</a>

Global

Economics

China's Global Times Notes 'China's exports to the US account for 19% of its total exports of goods, while Mexico recorded 80%. Trump can't reshape global industrial chain via disruptive approach to trade.'

It has been said throughout much of this year that the financial services sector, the second-largest sector weight in the S&amp;P 500, has been a disappointment as the Federal Reserve has held off on raising interest rates.
Still, traditional, diversified financial services exchange traded funds are, in some cases, sporting year-to-date gains of over 5 percent. Proving that smart beta can really be a smart alternative at the sector level, some alternatively-indexed financial services ETFs are outperforming this year, a group that includes the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fd(ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>).
<h3>Foraging Through FXO</h3>
FXO is the financial services counterpart to the First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fnd (ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxz#NYSE">FXZ</a>), <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/08/8408718/a-marvelous-materials-etf#/null">highlighted here</a> earlier this week after making a series of all-time highs. Speaking of a string of all-time highs, FXO has own streak going on its way to a year-to-date gain of 6.8 percent. FXO was one of just seven ETFs to hit new highs Thursday.
<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/09/8418405/from-russia-with-cash-sort-of">From Russia With Cash ... Sort Of</a></bzrelatedlink>
Like the other AlphaDEX ETFs, FXO focuses on &ldquo;growth factors including three, six and 12-month price appreciation, sales to price and one year sales growth, and, separately, on value factors including book value to price, cash flow to price and return on assets,&rdquo; <a href="http://www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/Etf/EtfSummary.aspx?Ticker=FXZ">according to First Trust</a>.
<h3>Industry-Level View</h3>
At the industry level, FXO looks a lot different than its cap-weighted rivals. For example, FXO&#39;s weight to money center banks is well below those found in traditional financial services ETFs. Likewise, the ETF has been at the right place at the right time this year with its 24.1 percent weight to insurance stocks and an almost 22 percent allocation to real estate investment trusts, the two best-performing industries within the broader financial services sector this year.
Insurance ETFs&#39; rising rates advantage is tied to the strong dollar. The stronger greenback affects an array of sectors and industry groups, but not insurance companies because U.S.-based insurance providers write the bulk of their&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/13220377/1/insurance-etfs--another-idea-for-profiting-from-rising-rates.html">policies in the United States</a>. In other words, it is impressive that FXO and dedicated insurance ETFs have been delivering for investors this year against the backdrop of essentially no help from the Fed.
The $734.9 million FXO holds 175 stocks, none of which commands a weight of over 1.2 percent. The median market value of those holdings is $8.2 billion, putting the ETF squarely in mid-cap territory, which has been a good place to be this year.
<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=Benzinga&amp;utm_medium=Benzinga%20Top%20of%20Article&amp;am%22%3">Full ratings data available on Benzinga Pro.</a>
Do you have ideas for articles/interviews you'd like to see more of on Benzinga? Please email <a href="mailto:feedback@benzinga.com">feedback@benzinga.com</a> with your best article ideas. One person will be randomly selected to win a $20 Amazon gift card!

Sector ETFs

Not Your Standard Financial ETF And That's OK

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Thursday, June 6, 2013. 

Keep an eye on the ProShares UltraShort S&amp;P500 (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sds#NYSE">SDS</a>).

Sector plays: ProShares UltraShort Oil &amp; Gas (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dug#NYSE">DUG</a>) and the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>).

Give the ProShares UltraShort Gold (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gll#NYSE">GLL</a>) a look.

Emerging markets plays of the day: ProShares UltraShort FTSE China 25 (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxp#NYSE">FXP</a>), Market Vectors Egypt Index ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/egpt#NYSE">EGPT</a>) and the iShares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ewt#NYSE">EWT</a>).

Forex play of the day: PowerShares DB Dollar Bullish (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/uup#NYSE">UUP</a>).

Bond play of the day: iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/emb#NYSE">EMB</a>).

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Short Ideas

Specialty ETFs

New ETFs

Emerging Market ETFs

Currency ETFs

Pre-Market Outlook

EGPT

iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Fund

PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund

ETFs to Watch June 6, 2013 (DUG, GLL, UUP)

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Friday, May 31, 2013.

Keep an eye on the iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ewa#NYSE">EWA</a>).

The Market Vectors Retail ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rth#NYSE">RTH</a>) should be in play.

The First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) continues to look strong.

Emerging markets plays of the day: iShares MSCI Frontier 100 Index ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fm#NYSE">FM</a>), iShares MSCI Chile Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ech#NYSE">ECH</a>) and the iShares S&amp;P Latin America 40 Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ilf#NYSE">ILF</a>).

Forex play of the day: ProShares UltraShort Yen (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ycs#NYSE">YCS</a>).

Bond play of the day: PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pcy#NYSE">PCY</a>).

iShares Trust S&P Latin America 40 Index Fund

PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign  Portfolio

Merrill Lynch Retail HOLDRS Trust due 12/31/41

ETFs to Watch May 31, 2013 (FM, FXO, PCY)

As ETFs have surged in popularity, analysts and investors have wondered which funds would be appealing to legendary value investor Warren Buffett. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A), itself a financial services conglomerate, held equity stakes in <a href="http://whalewisdom.com/filer/berkshire-hathaway-inc">41 companies at the end of the fourth quarter</a>.

	With massive positions in financial services names such as American Express (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/axp#NYSE">AXP</a>) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wfc#NYSE">WFC</a>), it is fair to say ETF investors looking to invest along side Buffett would do well <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/13/04/3460748/revisiting-beating-buffett-with-etfs">to consider some of the more popular financial services ETFs</a>. Obvious options include the Financial Services Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlf#NYSE">XLF</a>) and the Vanguard Financials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vfh#NYSE">VFH</a>).

	There is a somewhat unheralded ETF tracking the sector that is the second-largest weight in the S&amp;P 500 behind technology that might be an even more credible option as a "Buffett ETF." That ETF is the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>).

	FXO, like the other popular <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/12/3171652/alphadex-alternatives-to-cap-weighted-etfs-prove-their-mettle">AlphaDEX sector funds</a>, is not a traditional cap-weighted ETF. Rather, this ETF's constituents are weighted by a variety of growth and value factors.

	That methodology has worked in 2013. While XLF, VFH and the iShares Dow Jones US Financial Sector Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iyf#NYSE">IYF</a>) are all up about 18 percent year-to-date, FXO has gained 20.5 percent while being at least 100 basis less volatile <a href="http://www.etfreplay.com/charts.aspx">than the other three just-mentioned funds</a>.

	FXO, which has almost $292 million in assets under management, has achieved that level of outperformance with a surprisingly skimpy allocation to commercial banks. That sub-sector represents just 18 percent of FXO's weight. Proving that it is indeed an ETF Buffett might like, FXO has an amost 39 percent weight to insurance companies, a group that has been an integral part of Berkshire's business for years.

	Of FXO's top-10 holdings, only one, Capital One (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cof#NYSE">COF</a>), is a consumer finance company. None are traditional banks, but seven are classified as insurance companies. FXO's largest commercial bank holding is Synovus (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/snv#NYSE">SNV</a>), which is the ETF's fourteenth-largest holding with an allocation of just over one percent.

	It should be noted that FXO is home to 164 stocks and the largest weight sported by any of them is 1.54 percent, so as investors peruse the ETF's holdings, more and more Berkshire holdings appear. FXO's lineup includes the following Berkshire positions based on the fourth-quarter 13F filing: Torchmark (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tmk#NYSE">TMK</a>), J.P. Morgan Chase (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jpm#NYSE">JPM</a>), Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bk#NYSE">BK</a>), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gs#NYSE">GS</a>), Visa (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/v#NYSE">V</a>), American Express, Wells Fargo, Moody's (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mco#NYSE">MCO</a>), MasterCard (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ma#NYSE">MA</a>), M&amp;T Bank (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mtb#NYSE">MTB</a>), U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/usb#NYSE">USB</a>) and Bank of America (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bac#NYSE">BAC</a>).

	FXO also features a small allocation to the Berkshire B shares, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B). Not to mention FXO is home to several stocks that are often referred to as "baby Berkshires," those being Leucadia National (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/luk#NYSE">LUK</a>), Markel (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mkl#NYSE">MKL</a>) and White Mountain (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wtm#NYSE">WTM</a>).

	FXO offers other advantages. The ETF tracks the StrataQuant Financials Index, which has outpaced the Russell 1000 Financial Services Index and the S&amp;P 500 Financials Index over the past year and three years. Additionally, FXO's three-year standard deviation is nearly 300 basis points lower than the S&amp;P 500 Financials Index with a beta of just 0.82 against that index, <a href="http://www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/Etf/EtfSummary.aspx?Ticker=FXO">according to First Trust data</a>.

	For more on ETFs, click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs">here</a>

Movers & Shakers

Intraday Update

iShares Dow Jones US Financial Sector Index Fund

A Financial Services ETF Buffett Would Love

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Monday, May 6, 2013.

Check in with the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gdxj#NYSE">GDXJ</a>).

Give the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) a look.

The iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/itb#NYSE">ITB</a>) continues to look strong.

Emerging markets plays of the day: Market Vectors Russia ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rsx#NYSE">RSX</a>), iShares MSCI Turkey Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tur#NYSE">TUR</a>) and the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Small-Cap Dividend Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dgs#NYSE">DGS</a>).

Forex play of the day: CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxc#NYSE">FXC</a>).

Bond play of the day: PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pcy#NYSE">PCY</a>).

Wisdomtree Emerging Markets Smallcap Dividend Fund

GDXJ

iShares Dow Jones US Homenstruction Index Fund

Market Vectors Russia ETF Trust Shares of Beneficial Interest

iShares MSCI Turkey Investable Market Index Fund

ETFs to Watch May 6, 2013 (FXO, ITB, RSX)

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Wednesday, April 3, 2013.

The Vanguard REIT Index ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vnq#NYSE">VNQ</a>) continues to impress.

Can anything stop the Health Care Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlv#NYSE">XLV</a>)?

Can the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) breakout?

The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/slv#NYSE">SLV</a>) is in trouble.

Emerging markets plays of the day: Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vnm#NYSE">VNM</a>), iShares S&amp;P Latin America 40 Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ilf#NYSE">ILF</a>) and the ProShares UltraShor Brazil (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bzq#NYSE">BZQ</a>).

Forex play of the day: CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxa#NYSE">FXA</a>).

Bond play of the day: ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tbt#NYSE">TBT</a>).

ProShares UltraShort Lehman 20+ Year Treasury

ETFs to Watch April 3, 2013 (SLV, TBT, XLV)

Despite some recent Cyprus-induced hurdles, the S&amp;P 500 is off to a fine start in 2013.

	That much is highlighted by the 9.3 percent year-to-date gain for the SPDR S&amp;P 500 (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/spy#NYSE">SPY</a>) and that does not include a decent showing on Tuesday.

	Plenty of <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/13/03/3447304/risk-on-rally-these-etfs-say-no">well-known sector ETFs have been even better</a>, particularly those tracking consumer staples and health care names. However, investors have plenty of options regarding somewhat obscure equity-based ETFs that are handily outperforming SPY this year.

	Two requirements were used for this group. First, only plain vanilla long ETFs were included. Leveraged funds were excluded. Second, all three of the ETFs featured here have outpaced SPY by at least 500 basis points this year.

	SPDR S&amp;P Transportation ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xtn#NYSE">XTN</a>) 
	Investors that look for broad transportation sector exposure via ETFs primarily head to the iShares Dow Jones Transportation Average Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iyt#NYSE">IYT</a>). IYT is a fine ETF in its own right as evidenced by a year-to-date gain of 13 percent.

	By assets under management, IY is nearly 19 times the size of the SPDR S&amp;P Transportation ETF. That has not seemed to bother the SPDR offering, which has outpaced its iShares rival by nearly 400 basis points this year.

	While it is fair to call XTN "the other transportation ETF," there are key differences between these two funds. For instance, railroads represent nearly 30 percent of IYT's weight, but just 16.6 percent of XTN's weight. XTN is more airline heavy (25.6 percent compared to 15 percent for IYT) and that could make the ETF vulnerable if oil prices spike.

	First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) 
	A disclaimer is needed when referring to the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund as "obscure." The ETF has over $247 million in assets, so clearly it is not unheard or fighting to survive. FXO is merely obscure relative to a rival ETF such as the Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlf#NYSE">XLF</a>).

	Those that picked FXO over XLF at the start of the year probably are not complaining that their fund will not win any bank ETF popularity contests. The reason being is that FXO is up 14.8 percent year-to-date. Not only is that far better than SPY, it is also nearly 400 basis points better than XLF. Not to mention, FXO has been slightly less volatile than XLF. Actually, that is not a surprise.

	FXO has a three-year standard deviation of 17.82 percent compared to just over 21 percent for the S&amp;P 500 Financials Index, <a href="http://www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/Etf/EtfSummary.aspx?Ticker=FXO">according to First Trust data</a>.

	Guggenheim Spin-Off ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/csd#NYSE">CSD</a>) 
	The Guggenheim Spin-Off has nearly $145 million in assets, so it meets the shallow criteria of some that erroneously consider that the mark of a "good" ETF. Regardless of that metric, CSD has been good, perhaps great this year. A gain of 17.8 percent says as much.

	That performance is not a three-month flash in the pan. CSD actually has a lengthy track record of easily topping SPY. Over the past 12, 24 and 36 months, CSD has simply dominated SPY. Over the past three years, CSD is up 69 percent compared to 40.5 percent for SPY.

	One thing that investors need to note about CSD to avoid disappointment is this: "The universe of companies eligible for inclusion in the Index includes companies that have been spun-off within the past 30 months (but not more recently than six months prior to the applicable re-balancing date," <a href="http://guggenheiminvestments.com/products/etf/csd">according to Guggenheim</a>.

	For example, CSD does not yet include recent spin-offs such as AbbVie (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/abbv#NYSE">ABBV</a>) and Mondelez (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mdlz#NASDAQ">MDLZ</a>) among its holdings.

	For more on ETFs, click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs">here</a>.

ABBV

iShares Dow Jones Transportation Average Index Fund

MDLZ

3 Obscure Equity ETFs Trouncing SPY

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

The Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tan#NYSE">TAN</a>) is in trouble.

The Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/nugt#NYSE">NUGT</a>) continues to perk up.

Give the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) a look.

Emerging markets plays of the day: Guggenheim China Small Cap ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/hao#NYSE">HAO</a>), iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ewy#NYSE">EWY</a>) and the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vwo#NYSE">VWO</a>).

Forex play of the day: ProShares UltraShort Euro (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/euo#NYSE">EUO</a>).

Bond play of the day: Market Vectors EM Local Currency Bond ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/emlc#NYSE">EMLC</a>).

Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF

EMLC

NUGT

ETFs to Watch March 19, 2013 (EMLC, FXO, NUGT)

First, the phrase "no man's land ETFs" needs to be defined and explained. To be sure, it is not as negative as some might be thinking. Actually, it is not negative at all. However, there are two unfortunate realities in the ETF universe.

Simply put, the largest funds by assets are those that the receive the most attention from the mainstream financial media and many investors. That situation alone is not terrible, but the unnecessary vilification of ETFs with less than $100 million in assets under management, <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/10/2994238/ignoring-sub-100m-etfs-a-costly-idea">many of which have delivered stellar returns</a>, means many market participants confuse an ETF's size with its overall investment merit.

What that boils down to is a high school yearbook situation where most popular and most likely to succeed are treated as the same thing. When it comes to ETFs, those with $1 billion or more in AUM are put on a pedestal while the sub-$100 million funds are treated as outcasts. That ignores plenty of compelling opportunities in the middle of those AUM totals.

So for the purposes of this piece, "no man's land ETFs" are those funds that have more than $200 million but less than $750 million in AUM. The other criteria is simple: The ETFs featured here simply do not attract much attention, but their returns are impressive.

PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Value Portfolio (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pwv#NYSE">PWV</a>)
Size and volume are not the issues with the PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Value Portfolio as the ETF has nearly $533 million in assets under management and average daily turnover of almost 108,000 shares. A guess, and that is all it is, regarding why PWV does not command much attention is that there are plenty of large-cap ETFs on the market today that are framed as value plays.

On reason might be is that PWV looks a lot like with a Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF with 14 members of the blue-chip index among its lineup. The reality is since PWV debuted in March 2005, it has outpaced the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dia#NYSE">DIA</a>) by about 2,400 basis points.

Add to that, over the past three years PWV's underlying index has outperformed the S&amp;P 500, the S&amp;P 500 Value Index and the Russell 1000 Value Index, <a href="http://www.invescopowershares.com/products/overview.aspx?ticker=PWV">according to PowerShares data</a>.

First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>)
The First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund does not have a volume problem with average daily trade of 173,500 shares, but even with $242.2 million in AUM, the ETF is in no man's land when it comes to financial services ETFs. That AUM total is enough to keep the critics at bay, but it is just a fraction of the $11.4 billion found with the Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlf#NYSE">XLF</a>).

Investors should note there are critical differences between FXO and XLF. Most notably, XLF is a cap-weighted ETF heavy on bank stocks. XLF's largest holding, J.P. Morgan Chase (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jpm#NYSE">JPM</a>), accounts for 8.6 percent of that ETF's weight. With FXO, investors get an ETF that does feature bank stocks, but insurance providers and REITs combine for 48 percent of the ETF's weight.

FXO's largest holding is Leucadia National (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/luk#NYSE">LUK</a>) at a weight of just 1.48 percent. J.P. Morgan does not even account for 0.85 percent of FXO's weight. Add to that, FXO has a three-year standard deviation that is well below that of the S&amp;P 500 Financials Index with a higher Sharpe Ratio than that index and a beta of just 0.82, <a href="http://www.ftportfolios.com/retail/etf/etfsummary.aspx?Ticker=FXO">according to First Trust data</a>.

Market Vectors Biotech ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bbh#NYSE">BBH</a>)
To be fair, the Market Vectors Biotech ETF does not toil in complete obscurity and that has to do with investors scurrying to biotech ETFs over the past 12 to 18 months. BBH is merely unheralded relative to the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ibb#NASDAQ">IBB</a>) and the SPDR S&amp;P Biotechnology ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xbi#NYSE">XBI</a>).

Those are two good ETFs. In the past year, IBB and XBI are both up about 30 percent. Year-to-date, they are each up about 14 percent. If BBH did not exist, those returns for IBB and XBI would be stellar, but BBH does exist and despite the fact that it has "just" $204.8 million in AUM, it has topped its larger rivals.

Over the past year, BBH is up 46.5 percent, though it has performed inline with IBB and XBI year-to-date. This is another example of a sector ETF where investors should ensure they know exactly what they are getting before clicking the buy button. That is not a knock, but BBH is a concentrated ETF. Home to just 26 stocks (IBB has 120 holdings), BBH devotes nearly 34 percent of its weight to Amgen (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amgn#NASDAQ">AMGN</a>), Gilead (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gild#NASDAQ">GILD</a>) and Celgene (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/celg#NYSE">CELG</a>). 

For more on ETFs, click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs">here</a>.

AMGN

CELG

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust

GILD

PowerShares Exchange Traded Fund Trust Dynamic Large Cap Value Portfolio

Exploring No Man's Land ETFs

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Wednesday, March 13, 2013.

The First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fcg#NYSE">FCG</a>) is looking interesting.

Give the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>).

Hedge long bets with the ProShares UltraShort S&amp;P500 (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sds#NYSE">SDS</a>).

Emerging markets plays of the day: Direxion Daily Emerging Markets Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/edz#NYSE">EDZ</a>), Market Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/brf#NYSE">BRF</a>) and the WisdomTree India Earnings ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/epi#NYSE">EPI</a>).

Forex play of the day: PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/uup#NYSE">UUP</a>).

Bond play of the day: Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bnd#NYSE">BND</a>).

Direxion Daily Emerging Markets Bear 3x Shares

First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund

ETFs to Watch March 13, 2013 (EDZ, FXO, SDS)

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Tuesday, March 12, 2013.

The iPath S&amp;P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vxx#NYSE">VXX</a>) is getting hammered.

Give the Vanguard REIT Index ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vnq#NYSE">VNQ</a>) a look.

The First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) is worth a look.

Emerging markets plays of the day: Global X FTSE ASEAN 40 ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/asea#NYSE">ASEA</a>), SPDR S&amp;P China ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gxc#NYSE">GXC</a>) and the Market Vectors Russia ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rsx#NYSE">RSX</a>).

Currency play of the day: CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxc#NYSE">FXC</a>).

Bond play of the day: PowerShares Fundamental High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/phb#NYSE">PHB</a>).

ASEA

PowerShares Fundamental High Yieldorate Bond Portfolio

Barclays Bank iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN

ETFs to Watch March 12, 2013 (ASEA, FXN, VXX)

It is the second-largest sector weight in the S&amp;P 500 and perhaps the one that is still the most controversial. Given those points, it is easy to understand why many investors, when pressed, could name at least ETF that tracks the financial services sector.

The ETFs to be named would probably be the Financial Services Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlf#NYSE">XLF</a>), the Vanguard Financials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vfh#NYSE">VFH</a>) or another one of the legitimately popular funds. In other words, it might come as a surprise to some that it is entirely possible for an ETF tracking financial services names to lead a low fanfare existence.

It is possible, but as is the case with so many other sector funds that do not command the attention their larger counterparts do, the following financial services ETFs are worthy of consideration for investors' portfolios.

First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>)
Home to $215.6 million in assets under management and average daily volume north of 247,000 shares, the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund is by no means obscure. It is merely smaller and less heavily than larger funds such as XLF and VFH. 

Importantly, FXO does over a credible alternative to more heralded bank ETFs because of the AlphaDEX methodology, <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/12/3171652/alphadex-alternatives-to-cap-weighted-etfs-prove-their-mettle">which goes beyond traditional cap-weighting</a> found in so many sector and broad market ETFs. 

That means FXO's constituents are screened on "growth factors including three, six and 12-month price appreciation, sales to price and one year sales growth, and, separately, on value factors including book value to price, cash flow to price and return on assets," <a href="http://www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/Etf/EtfSummary.aspx?Ticker=FXO">according to First Trust</a>.
 
Importantly, FXO is home to 164 stocks, twice as many as XLF, and the former allocates no more than 1.33 percent to any of its individual holdings. Those factors give FXO a quasi-equal weight approach and helps investors dodge excessive weightings to the usual suspects of the banking sector such as Bank of America (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bac#NYSE">BAC</a>) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wfc#NYSE">WFC</a>). FXO has returned over 21 percent in the past year.

PowerShares S&amp;P SmallCap Financials Portfolio (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pscf#NASDAQ">PSCF</a>)
The PowerShares S&amp;P SmallCap Financials Portfolio tracks over 100 stocks parsed from the S&amp;P SmallCap 600 Index, but it is worth noting that this is not strictly a bank stock ETF. In fact, just one of the ETF's top-10 holdings and two of the top-20 are true bank stocks.

Rather, PSCF is heavily allocated to small-cap real estate investment trusts. The fund is also not 100 percent allocated to small-caps as it devotes about 14 percent of its weight to mid-cap names. As an income play for investors who are not risk-averse, PSCF is worthy of some consideration because the fund has a 6.5 percent distribution yield. 

Distribution yield is calculated by dividing the ETF's most recent distribution, in this case almost 52 cents per share on December 31, and dividing it by the fund's net asset value on that date, <a href="http://www.invescopowershares.com/products/overview.aspx?ticker=PSCF">according to PowerShares</a>. Investors will pay up for PSCF a bit as the ETF features a P/E ratio of almost 23.

Market Vectors Bank and Brokerage ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rkh#NYSE">RKH</a>)
Average daily turnover of about 27,300 shares for RKH may seem off-putting to volume fanatics, but two things are worth noting here. First, the ETF is home to just 26 stocks and none of the top-10 holdings (59.3 percent of the ETF's weight) can be considered thinly traded. Those names include HSBC (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/hbc#NYSE">HBC</a>), J.P. Morgan Chase (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jpm#NYSE">JPM</a>) and Citigroup (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/c#NYSE">C</a>).

Second, RKH is up 27.3 percent in the past year, meaning this often overlooked fund has slightly outperformed both XLF and VFH. The key to RKH's 2013 potential upside is obvious. This fund is not solely U.S-focused. Rather, U.S.-based banks account for just 38.2 percent of the fund's weight. 

European, be they U.K.-based, Spanish, Swiss or others, represent over 34 percent of RKH's total weight. Some of those names <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100334726/FACTBOXEuropean_bank_stocks_winners_and_losers">surged in 2012</a> and will have to deliver in the form of less controversy and higher dividends this year to please investors.

For more on ETFs, click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs">here</a>.

Dividends

PSCF

3 Bank ETFs Your Broker Forgot to Mention

First Trust, the Illinois-based ETF sponsor, is a major issuer of sector funds. As most investors know, there is no shortage of sector ETFs on the market today and this territory long dominated by the biggest fund sponsors, namely State Street's (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/stt#NYSE">STT</a>) select sector SPDRs along with sector funds issued by iShares and Vanguard.

That is tough territory to encroach upon, but First Trust has done just that with its AlphaDEX funds that eschew the usual cap-weighting methodology in favor of using other valuation metrics to construct ETF indexes. 

The strategy has proven efficacious. Not only have an array of First AlphaDEX ETF proven proficient in terms of gaining assets under management, some have outperformed iShares, SPDR and Vanguard rivals over time.

"We're more selective in our approach," said First Trust ETF Strategist and Senior Vice President Ryan Issakainen in an interview with Benzinga from the Morningstar ETF Conference in Chicago. "We're overweighting in terms of investment merit. Over time, these attributes predict relative outperformance. We consider momentum and valuation factors that have been vetted and passed through some rigor."

The AlphaDEX methodology includes ranking members of various Russell 1000 sectors on growth factors including three, six and 12-month price appreciation, sales to price and one year sales growth, and, separately, on value factors including book value to price, cash flow to price and return on assets, <a href="http://www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/Etf/EtfSummary.aspx?Ticker=FXN">as First Trust notes on the AlphaDEX funds' web sites</a>.

AlphaDEX has worked for some First Trust sector funds. For example, the First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxz#NYSE">FXZ</a>) has outpaced the Materials Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlb#NYSE">XLB</a>) <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/09/2930670/etf-showdown-materials-melee">over the past year</a>, quarter and year-to-date.

Still, the AlphaDEX funds are not as large as their counterparts and in most cases are not as voluminous. The First Trust AlphaDEX Energy Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxn#NYSE">FXN</a>) has $134.5 million in AUM compared to $7.2 billion for the Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xle#NYSE">XLE</a>). The First Trust AlphaDEX Health Care Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxh#NYSE">FXH</a>) has average daily volume of 138,000 shares while Health Care Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlv#NYSE">XLV</a>) has average turnover of almost 4.8 million shares.

Issakainen notes that the AlphaDEX ETFs have been well received by investors.

"The ETFs are penetrating registered investment advisors and asset management firms," he said. "They're using AlphaDEX funds more now. The AlphaDEX sector funds have been out for more than five years and we now how they perform in different environments."

The statistics support Issakainen's view that investors are warming to the AlphaDEX methodology. FXH has $642.5 million in AUM. The First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxg#NYSE">FXG</a>) has $360.9 million in assets. The First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>) has nearly $187 million in assets. Those are all numbers that imply the AlphaDEX sector funds are not only surviving, but thriving as well.

Due to AlphaDEX sector funds avoiding excessive weights to just one or two stocks, there are times when the funds can lag traditionally weighted ETFs. The technology sector provides a good example.

Year-to-date,the First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxl#NYSE">FXL</a>) is up 8.3 percent. FXL currently has a weight of just 1.9 percent to Apple. On the other hand, the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Technology Sector Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iyw#NYSE">IYW</a>) is up nearly 19 percent this year. That fund features the largest allocation of any ETF to Apple with a current weight of 24.2 percent.

"There will be times when AlphaDEX funds trail, particularly during risk averse environments," said Issakainen. "If we're underweight big, safe stocks, we can underperform, but that is not the case the majority of the time."

He is right about that. Over the past five years, a brutal time for bank stocks, FXO is off 16.3 percent compared to a 53 percent plunge for the Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlf#NYSE">XLF</a>). Since May 2007, the debut month of FXH, that ETF has surged over 70 percent, but XLV is up just 14 percent. In the past year, FXN has delivered almost 400 basis points in additional alpha compared to XLE and has topped the Vanguard Energy ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vde#NYSE">VDE</a>) by more than 500 basis points.

For more on AlphaDEX ETFs, click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/09/2930670/etf-showdown-materials-melee">here</a>.

iShares Dow Jones US Technology Sector Index Fund

AlphaDEX ETFs Do Things Differently With Stellar Results

In a sign that the risk-on trade might be getting new life, ETFs tracking the financial services sector soared on Thursday. This could prove to be a crucial point toward extending a rally that has now gone beyond two months as financial services names are the second-largest sector allocation within the S&amp;P 500 behind technology.

While volume is light, the Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlf#NYSE">XLF</a>), the largest ETF by assets tracking bank stocks, is up nearly one percent and trading at its highest levels since May. 

"XLF is starting to break out today," said Paul Weisbruch, Street One Financials vice president of ETF/options sales and trading, in a note. "XLF is trading at key levels (and we) would like to see a close here if not above $15 in XLF from a technical standpoint."

Wells Fargo (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wfc#NYSE">WFC</a>), J.P. Morgan Chase (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jpm#NYSE">JPM</a>), Bank of America and Citigroup (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/c#NYSE">C</a>) combine for over 26 percent of XLF's weight. The fund has almost $6.5 billion in assets under management.

Weisbruch recommend watching other bank ETFs in conjunction with XLF. That list included the First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>), the Vanguard Financials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vfh#NYSE">VFH</a>) and the Rydex S&amp;P Equal Weight Financials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ryf#NYSE">RYF</a>). The Rydex S&amp;P Equal Weight Financials ETF is thinly traded with average daily volume of less than 4,200 shares over the past three months, but on Thursday, volume in RYF has exceeded 9,300 shares.

"This financials rally seems to be led by the money center banks as well as brokerage and money management firms," Weisbruch added. "The iShares Dow Jones US Broker-Dealers Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iai#NYSE">IAI</a>) is a fund to watch closely here as well."

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gs#NYSE">GS</a>) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ms#NYSE">MS</a>) combine for over 16 percent of IAI's weight. The fund has $41.3 million in AUM.

Weisbruch also noted the iShares MSCI Canada Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ewc#NYSE">EWC</a>) is another ETF getting a lift from the rally in bank stocks. EWC devotes 33.2 percent of its weight to financial services names and four are found among the ETF's top-10 holdings. Each of EWC's top-three holdings are bank stocks. EWC is also trading at levels not seen since May.

After-Hours Center

iShares Dow Jones US Broker Dealers Index Fund

Rydex ETF Trust Rydex S&P Equal Weight Financial ETF

Financial ETFs in Rally Mode

There are instances in life when size does matter - but when it comes to ETFs, size can be deceiving. 

Investors have a tendency to equate a fund's size with quality, but there is no empirical evidence to suggest that simply because an ETF is home to a large assets under management and robust average daily trading volume that it is a "good" fund. 

In fact, the volume argument has <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2356406/five-thinly-traded-etfs-to-consider-ald-scin-bno">already been proven wrong</a> as a plethora of thinly-traded ETFs have shown stellar returns in 2012. 

As for size by way of assets, that's another argument that <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/11/12/2198258/bigger-isnt-always-better-with-etfs-part-iv">has been discredited</a> as there are plenty of "me too" ETFs that have outpaced their larger rivals. in other words, the proof is in the pudding that popularity is great in high school - but not so much with ETFs. 

With that, here are a few ETFs that some investors probably haven't heard about. These obscure funds are outdoing their more heralded counterparts.

PowerShares Dynamic Energy Exploration &amp; Production Portfolio (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pxe#NYSE">PXE</a>):

The energy sector is one of the ideal places to find unheralded ETFs that are delivering better returns than their more popular equivalents. There's no denying that the Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xle#NYSE">XLE</a>) and the Vanguard Energy ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vde#NYSE">VDE</a>) make for decent choices for investors looking for exposure to integrated oil stocks. Both ETFs are large, highly liquid, and feature expense ratios of just 0.18% and 0.19% respectively.

Those factors don't change the fact that the PowerShares Energy Exploration &amp; Production Portfolio, which holds many of the same stocks as XLE and VDE, is the better performer over almost all relevant time horizons. PXE is more expensive at 0.63% per year, but paying another 45 basis points in fees, investors get an ETF that has outperformed XLE and VDE year-to-date, over the past year and over the past five years. And yes, PXE outperforms its rivals by more than enough to make up for its higher fees.

PowerShares NASDAQ Internet Portfolio (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pnqi#NASDAQ">PNQI</a>):

When it comes to ETFs that are devoted exclusively to high momentum Internet stocks such as Amazon (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Priceline (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pcln#NASDAQ">PCLN</a>), investors have two choices: the larger, more widely-followed First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fdn#NYSE">FDN</a>) and the PowerShares Nasdaq Internet Portfolio. 

The two ETFs make for a compelling, if undiscovered <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/04/2478435/etf-showdown-log-on-for-an-internet-battle-pcln-goog-fdn">ETF rivalry</a>, but how intense is debatable. With $427 million in AUM, FDN is more than eight times larger than PNQI. 

That's not what's important. What's important is the fact that both ETFs charge 0.6% annually, but year-to-date, over the past year and over the past five years, PNQI is the winner in terms of performance - by noteworthy margins, we should add.

First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>):
It's a daunting task for an ETF tracking bank stocks to stand out in what is a heavily crowded field, but FXO does have its perks. The five-year-old ETF has almost $172 million in AUM and its average daily volume is strong at over 473,000 shares. Still, FXO is overshadowed by the likes of the Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlf#NYSE">XLF</a>) and the Vanguard Financials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vfh#NYSE">VFH</a>).

Year-to-date, FXO has slightly lagged XLF and VFH. Over the past 90 days, the First Trust fund is in the middle of this three-fund pack. Stretch things out over a year, or five years, and FXO's dominance becomes apparent. XLF and VFH are nowhere close to FXO over those time horizons.

First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxz#NYSE">FXZ</a>):

As is the case with the financial services sector, it's hard for some materials ETFs to really standout in the face of intense competition from the dominant funds such as the Materials Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlb#NYSE">XLB</a>) and the iShares Dow Jones US Basic Materials Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iym#NYSE">IYM</a>).

FXZ warrants consideration for the same reasons that PXE and FXO do: different index and weighting methodologies have lead to superior returns. FXZ's constituents are ranked by factors including three, six and 12-month price appreciation; sales to price and one year sales growth - and, separately, on value factors including book value to price, cash flow to price and return on assets, according to First Trust. 

In other words, market cap isn't the sole factor in determining a stock's weight in this ETF. The combined diversity of factors delivers an ETF that has outperformed IYM and XLB over the past six months, year-to-date and over the past year. Over the past five years, FXZ is the only member of this trio to sport positive returns.

AMZN

First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund

iShares Trust Dow Jones US Basic Materials Sector Index Fund

PCLN

PNQI

PowerShares ETF Trust Dynamic Energy Exploration & Production Port

Four Obscure Sector ETFs Outperforming Bigger Rivals

PowerShares Dynamic Financial Sector Portfolio

PowerShares Listed Private Equity Portfolio

Top 10 Financial ETFs

The recent market calamity is good for two things regarding ETF investing and trading. First, it has been a great time to get involved with inverse funds and profit from the declines. Second, this recent pullback has put some pretty good ETFs on sale. 

In an effort to do some shopping at a discount, we screened for ETFs that are now oversold as indicated by stochastics, RSI or both. We removed leveraged and inverse funds from our list, so here are five traditional ETFs that are currently oversold that might be worth a look.

1) iShares S&amp;P Global Industrial Sector Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/exi#NYSE">EXI</a>):
Trading above $60 at its April peak, EXI has tumbled down to the $55-$56 area and from a technical perspective, it might be best to let the ETF reclaim its 50-day line above $57 before piling into this fund. Still, if you're a believer that large-caps will lead the market into year-end, you'll want to consider EXI which features Dow components GE (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ge#NYSE">GE</a>), Caterpillar (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cat#NYSE">CAT</a>) and United Technologies (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/utx#NYSE">UTX</a>) among its top-10 holdings.

2) First Trust Financials AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxo#NYSE">FXO</a>):
OK, this one is for the truly adventurous among us. It can be argued that some sector ETFs have been unjustly punished, EXI is an example. On the other hand, there is usually good reason to punish financials and FXO has an ugly chart as a result. Even true believers can probably wait for another 7%-10% to come off FXO before getting involved.

3) Market Vectors Coal ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kol#NYSE">KOL</a>):
While KOL has been hammered by the “beta off” trade, its relative strength has been decent (or less bad) in recent weeks. There are signs that KOL is trying to correct its oversold condition and of the three members of this list thus far, KOL is looking the sportiest. Savvy investors realize little, or perhaps nothing, has changed regarding coal's fundamentals in recent weeks.

4) Global X Lithium ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lit#NYSE">LIT</a>):
LIT was a stud almost immediately after its 2010 debut, but this ETF has been taken to the woodshed in recent weeks. Lithium demand is likely to remain strong, but the problem here is that supply isn't an issue. That turns LIT into a technical play and like FXO, this one isn't for the weak hands. Just about 20 cents above its March low, LIT might be worth a quick trade here with the intent of capturing 10% and then going on your way.

5) First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fan#NYSE">FAN</a>):
We said the members of this list MIGHT be worth considering and FAN is, but this one could be best from the short side. The reward with an ETF like FAN is that high oil prices tend to boost alternative energy plays, like wind and solar. The other side of that coin is that when oil slumps, as it has recently, enthusiasm for green energy investments diminishes and does so quickly. For those that must deal with FAN from the long side, wait for another 5% to come off.

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iShares S&P Global Utilities Sector Index Fund

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First Trust Financials AlphaDEX

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