ETFs to Buy, to Sell, and to Watch in 2017

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


Now that we have rung in the New Year, now is a good time to take a look at your portfolio and make some adjustments. But, before you start buying and selling, you need to know what to buy, what to sell and what you should have on hold.

So with that in mind, let's take a look at a few Exchange Traded Funds you may want to buy, a few you should sell, and a couple that you should have in your hold or watch list.

What To Buy

In 2016 one of the top-performing ETFs was the Direxion Daily Regional Banks Bull 3X Shares (PACF:DPST). DPST rose more than 114% in 2016 due to its exposure to regional banking stocks, and of course is three times bullish leverage. And while most of the time I would tell you not to follow a trend from one year to the next, 2017 is going to be different. The banking stocks rose in 2016 for a number of reasons, but mainly because the economy grew stronger and interest rates rose.

There are no signs at this point indicating that neither of those trends will cease to continue in 2017, so ride this trend.

Ok, let's slow down and understand why this trend will continue to work. Continue reading "ETFs to Buy, to Sell, and to Watch in 2017"

Top Performing ETFs of 2016

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


With 2016 coming to an end, let's take a look at a few of the top performing Exchange Traded Funds of 2016. With the major indexes up for the year; Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) up 14%, the S&P 500 (SP500) up 10.75%, and the NASDAQ (COMP) up 9%, one may think the top performing ETFs would be up just slightly more than that. But, that's not the case by a long shot.

The top 2016 ETFs are all up more than 100% year-to-date!

So, let's take a look at what performed well this past year and whether or not their performance will continue moving forward.

Shares of Direxion Daily Regional Banks Bull 3X Shares (PACF:DPST) have risen more than 114% year-to-date. The ETF focuses on US regional banking stocks but leverages its bullish exposure three times. What is interesting is that while DPST is up 114% year-to-date, it's up 107% over just the last three months. In the last three months the Presidential Election took place and Donald Trump's surprise victory has sent stocks in a number of industries higher. The banking industry had been demonized since the financial crisis and government regulation has really held back the industry. Trump told voters during the campaign that he would de-regulate, and many believe that includes the banking industry. Continue reading "Top Performing ETFs of 2016"