Tag: PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF (HACK)

Another Big Cyber-Security Hack, When Should You Buy The HACK ETF

Posted on by Matt Thalman

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


The world of Exchange Traded Funds is massive and growing every day. Whether it’s a simple index fund to a specialty fund that focuses on a very niche industry, you can most likely find an ETF that is right for you. I often tout the S&P 500 index funds for their low cost and how easy they are for a non-financial savvy investor to get into the market and start investing.

But, for those who have a solid understanding of the markets, the risks, and enjoy finding new investments, I love highlighting the niche ETF's I find. One of my favorite specialty ETF's is the PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF (HACK). HACK tracks an equal-weighted index of companies that are actively involved in the cyber security industry.

With the recent global hack that locked users out of their computers and demanded a ransom be paid, the HACK ETF received little attention, while the companies it owns received a lot. That attack once again highlighted the importance of cyber-security and how cyber-attacks are here to stay and will only likely become more prevalent with time. Continue reading "Another Big Cyber-Security Hack, When Should You Buy The HACK ETF" →

Niche ETFs You May Want To Look Into: Part 2

Posted on by Matt Thalman

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


I recently noted a few niche Exchange Traded Funds that I have come across during my time researching the wide world of ETFs. In that piece I noted three niche ETFs that I could actually see myself buying. Today, I would like to shares a few more niche ETFs, some of which I would consider owning and others that I wouldn't touch.

The first two that I would like to point out are PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF (HACK) and the First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR). HACK was the first ETF that focused solely on cybersecurity, which is why I lean towards owning it instead of CIBR, which was started due to the interest and success of HACK. HACK goes after both the hardware and software side of cybersecurity and the service aspect. It splits the two segments of the business and weights them by market cap. HACK has an inception date of November 2014 and since then is up a little more than 10%.

While that is certainly not very impressive performance, it is hard to argue that we will see less of a need for cybersecurity in the future. With the ever-increasing demand for more cybersecurity, investors who get in on this market today will likely see big upside in the future.

Or maybe long-term buy and hold isn't your thing! Continue reading "Niche ETFs You May Want To Look Into: Part 2" →

3 Niche Technology ETF's You Don't Know About and Are Worth Owning

Posted on by Matt Thalman

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


Every day I am more and more amazed by not only the number of ETF's available to investors, but how specific their investment strategies have become. The ETF industry has almost grown to the point that nearly not only every industry, but every niche segment of every industry has its own ETF tracking companies who operate in that field.

I recently highlighted a little-known ETF called PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF (HACK), which invests in companies who are making software and hardware to help others increase their own cyber security and fight hackers. Since the cyber security field is likely going to continue to show massive growth rates, investors buying into the fund today and holding on, can benefit from those growth rates without worrying about picking a losing company and missing out on the big winners.

I have recently found a few more hidden technology ETF's that investors should at the very least take a look at, if not consider owning. Continue reading "3 Niche Technology ETF's You Don't Know About and Are Worth Owning" →

1 ETF That Could Turn The Fear Of Cyber Attacks Into A Fortune

Posted on by Matt Thalman

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


Over the last few weeks news about the Federal Government data hack has caused a lot of fear and worry from not only the over 4 million current and prior government employees, but all Americans. The thinking is that if hackers can break into the US government databases and retrieve very sensitive personal data on current and past employees, what can't they hack into?

Well it seems like the hackers can and have gained access to nearly whomever they want. Besides the recent hack of the US Government, other notable high-profile hacks over the past few years consist of JPMorgan Chase in 2014; Home Depot in 2014; Target in 2013; Visa and MasterCard in 2012 have all seen their computer systems broken into. In most of these cases banking, credit card and debit card information, was stolen. But, with the US Government hack, it appears all sorts of personal information such as names, addresses, social-security numbers and more were targeted. (With that information the hackers can do a lot more damage to an individual than just run up some credit card bills.)

This well-deserved fear has led many investors into wondering how they can turn this bad situation into an investment opportunity. One could start by buying shares of cyber security software firms like FireEye, Palo Alto Networks, and Frontinet, or by buying the hardware manufacturers like Cisco Systems or Juniper Networks. But with that strategy the issue is correcting picking the right company or companies that will benefit the most from the increasing demand for cyber security. Continue reading "1 ETF That Could Turn The Fear Of Cyber Attacks Into A Fortune" →