YTD Top Performer Exchange Traded Funds May 2012

This post will look into the year to date top performer exchange trade funds up to May 6th, 2012. Some of the best performer funds are Market Vectors Vietnam ETF, First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index, Market Vectors Egypt Index ETF, etc.

Intro

Exchange Traded Funds are unlike mutual funds. These ETFs are traded like stocks. They are also similar to closed end funds (CEFs). Most of the funds are index funds. Like mutual funds, ETFs are categorized into two main categories such as bond ETF, and stock ETF.

Some of the popular ETFs sponsors are Vanguard, BlackRock (iShares), and StateStreet (SPDR). These fund families have several popular ETF such as Vanguard MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (VWO), SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (EFA), etc. You can purchase these ETFs from stock brokers such as TD Ameritrade, Lightspeed, Fidelity, Schwab, etc.

Best Performing ETFs

As described before, this article will look into the year to date top performing exchange traded funds. Similar to top performer mutual funds, most the best performers are international stock ETF especially emerging markets stock ETF. There are also some sector ETFs and European stock ETF. You can find the details from the table below.

YTD Top Performer Exchange Traded Funds of May 2012 are:

1. Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (VNM)
2. First Trust NYSE Arca Biotech Index (FBT)
3. Market Vectors Egypt Index ETF (EGPT)
4. iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction (ITB)
5. Global X FTSE Colombia 20 ETF (GXG)
6. iShares MSCI Philippines Investable Market Index (EPHE)
7. SPDR S&P Homebuilders (XHB)
8. iShares MSCI Turkey Investable Market Index (TUR)
9. iShares MSCI Thailand Investable Market Index (THD)
10. Guggenheim China Real Estate (TAO)

1. Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (Ticker: VNM)

This Market Vectors Vietnam ETF objective is to track the price and yield performance of the Market Vectors Vietnam Index. This exchange traded fund invests most of its assets in companies listed in Vietnam. It may invest in non-Vietnamese companies which generate 50% of their revenue from Vietnam. It is also part of Van Eck ETFs.

This Pacific/Asia ex-Japan Stock fund has a yield of 0.80%. The total net assets are $340 million. Its expense ratio is 0.76%. Investor can buy this ETF from any regular or discount brokerages such as TD Ameritrade, Charles Schwab, Zecco Trading, etc. The price 52 week ranges are $14.15 to $24.10. The year to date return is 39.73%. Its commencement date is August 11, 2009.

As of April 2012, the top 10 stocks in its portfolio are Baoviet Holdings, Vietnam Joint-Stock Commercial Bank for Industry & Trade, Vincom JSC, Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial JSB, PetroVietnam Fertilizer & Chemicals Corp., Charoen Pok Foods Thb1(Nvdr), Premier Oil PLC, Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd., and Talisman Energy Inc. The top 5 fund sectors include financial (49.2%), energy (22.5%), industrials (10.5%), materials (6.5%), and consumer staples (4.7%).

2. First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index (FBT)

As part of exchange traded index fund, this First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index fund is tracking the price and yield of the NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index. The investor servicing agent for this fund is Bank of New York. The fund CUSIP is 33733E203.

Morningstar has ranked this ETF with 4 stars rating. This ETF has 0.60% expense ratio fee. This fund is categorized as health sector stock ETF. This ETF has returned 1.20% over the past 1 year, 33.21% over the past 3 year, and 11.88% over the past 5 year.

As of May 2012, the top 3 stocks are Incyte Corporation, Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc, and Dendreon Corporation.

3. Market Vectors Egypt Index ETF (EGPT)

The Market Vectors Egypt Index ETF has $45 of total net assets. Its expense ratio is 0.94%. This top performer ETF has a dividend yield of 2.25%. The YTD return is 31.92%. It hasn’t been rated yet. For 2011, it has an annualized return of -51.70%.

Best Exchange Traded Funds

The top 3 holdings as of March 2012 are Orascom Construction Industries SAE ADR, Orascom Telecom Holding SAE GDR, and Commercial International Bank Egypt SAE. The top 4 sectors include communication services, financial services, industrials, and energy.

4. iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction (ITB)

The investment objective of iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction fund is to provide investment results that track the price and yield performance of its index benchmark. It uses Dow Jones U.S. Select Home Construction Index as its index benchmark.

The annual expense ratio fee of this sector ETF is 0.47%. The current yield is 0.58%. The average daily volume of this top performer ETF is 1.1 million. Its total net assets are $683 million. The year-to-date return is 31.3%.

more: Top Performer Mutual Funds May 2012

As of May 2012, the top 4 stocks in its assets include Lennar Corporation, DR Horton Inc, PulteGroup Inc, and NVR Inc. The top 3 sectors are consumer cyclical, basic materials, and technology.

5. Global X FTSE Colombia 20 ETF (GXG)

This Global X FTSE Colombia 20 ETF is rated with 5 stars rating. Its dividend yield is 0.93%. It also has 0.78% expense ratio. This Latin America Stock fund has return 11% over the past 1 year, and 36.47% over the past 3 year.

As of May 2012, the top 3 holdings are Ecopetrol S.A. ADR, BanColombia SA ADR, and Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp.

Disclosure: No Position

Note: This top performer ETFs list doesn't have any leveraged funds.

Fund Performance

No	ETF Name	Symbol	Category	Expense Ratio (%)	YTD Return %	1 Year Return %
1	Market Vectors Vietnam ETF	VNM	Pacific/Asia ex-Japan Stk	0.76	39.73	-12.22
2	First Trust NYSE Arca Biotech Index	FBT	Health	0.6	32.95	-0.97
3	Market Vectors Egypt Index ETF	EGPT	Diversified Emerging Mkts	0.94	31.92	-11.59
4	iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction	ITB	Miscellaneous Sector	0.47	31.3	19.23
5	Global X FTSE Colombia 20 ETF	GXG	Latin America Stock	0.83	27.78	9.88
6	iShares MSCI Philippines Invstb Mkt Idx	EPHE	Pacific/Asia ex-Japan Stk	0.59	27.2	21.99
7	SPDR S&P Homebuilders	XHB	Miscellaneous Sector	0.37	25.78	16.62
8	iShares MSCI Turkey Invest Mkt Index	TUR	Diversified Emerging Mkts	0.59	24.21	-24.29
9	iShares MSCI Thailand Invest Mkt Index	THD	Pacific/Asia ex-Japan Stk	0.59	23.91	12.68
10	Guggenheim China Real Estate	TAO	China Region	0.7	23.41	-5.79
11	Global X FTSE Andean 40 ETF	AND	Latin America Stock	0.72	22.58	2.68
12	Market Vectors India Small-Cap ETF	SCIF	India Equity	0.85	21.2	-34.92
13	Market Vectors Colombia ETF	COLX	Latin America Stock	0.75	20.32	-3.28
14	Global X Brazil Consumer ETF	BRAQ	Latin America Stock	0.77	20.16	-5.05
15	RevenueShares Financials Sector	RWW	Financial	0.49	19.9	-8.51
16	Market Vectors Gaming ETF	BJK	Consumer Cyclical	0.65	19.45	7.12
17	iShares MSCI Singapore Index	EWS	Pacific/Asia ex-Japan Stk	0.52	19.11	-3.22
18	SPDR S&P Biotech	XBI	Health	0.37	18.67	8.82
19	PowerShares Dynamic Retail	PMR	Consumer Cyclical	0.63	18.56	21.69
20	Market Vectors Germany Small-Cap ETF	GERJ	Europe Stock	0.55	17.7	-21.54