Without surprise, the elite-performing ETFs so far this year reflect surging oil and gas prices. The top eight ETFs are all oil and gas specific, with the rest focused on various commodities.
Non-energy related equity funds like the SPDRs S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) is up some 15 percent followed by the iShares Dow Jones Transportation Average (IYT) with a 14 percent gain.
The iShares MSCI Turkey (TUR) is up 13.1 percent, and iShares MSCI Israel (EIS) is ahead by 7.4 percent; both funds were just launched in March.
In the cold department, a handful of alternative-energy ETFs — along with emerging market funds focused on Indian and Chinese stocks — dominate. All of these areas enjoyed solid gains last year, but are now taking a breather.
What's Hot:
Name
Ticker
Exp.
Year To Date
United States Natural Gas
UNG
0.60%
49.7%
iPath DJ AIG Natural Gas
GAZ
0.75%
48.4%
iPath DJ AIG Energy
JJE
0.75%
36.4%
PowerShares DB Energy Fund
DBE
0.75%
32.8%
ELEMENTS Rogers International Energy
RJN
0.75%
32.4
PowerShares DB Oil Fund
DBO
0.50%
32.3%
iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil
OIL
0.75%
31.8%
First Trust ISE Revere Natural Gas
FCG
0.60%
27.3%
iPath DJ AIG Copper
JJC
0.75%
26.5%
iPath S&P GSCI Total Return
GSP
0.75%
