2009 New ETFs – A Look Back at Performance

With hundreds of ETFs being launched annually, the inevitable question is whether we’re getting quantity over quality.  As such, it is instructive to review some new ETF launches from 2009 and how they’ve done to date since launch.  I’ve intentionally selected various sectors and strategies.  I’ve included ticker, launch date and performance relative to the S&P500 (SPY) – even though it’s not a suitable benchmark for irrelevant strategies – it’s the most widely utilized investment when investors don’t know what else to do with their funds.

Emerging Markets

(GXG) +105% Global X/InterBolsa FTSE Colombia 20 ETF 2/06/09

*SPY performance during that time  +38%

(EEO) +23% EGS DJ Emg Mkts Energy Titans ETF 5/21/09

*SPY performance during that time +29%

(EPU) +39% iShares MSCI All Peru Capped Index Fund ETF 6/22/09

*SPY performance during that time+25%

(ESR) +22% iShares MSCI Emerging Mkts Eastern Europe ETF 10/02/09

*SPY performance during that time +12%

Bonds

(MBG) +3% SPDR Barclays Mortgage Backed Bond  1/27/09

*SPY performance during that time +49%

(HYD) +18% Market Vectors High-Yield Muni Index ETF  2/05/09

*SPY performance during that time +36%

Leveraged, International

(LBJ) -7% Direxion Daily Latin America 3x Bull Shares ETF  12/03/09

*SPY performance during that time +4%

Alternative Investment

(VXX) -72% iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures 1/30/09

*SPY performance during that time +36%

(CEW) +10% WisdomTree Dreyfus Emerging Currency ETF 5/06/09

*SPY performance during that time +24%

Key themes in 2009 ETF performance were emerging markets and currency fluctuations.  Volatility dropped out completely, killing VXX – not to mention the havoc that rolling futures wreaks on an ETF.  High Yield Muni Bonds did very well for a typically conservative (tax-free) investment.

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