Wall Street was upbeat last week with the S&P 500, the Dow Jones, the Nasdaq Composite and the Russell 2000 adding 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively. Small-cap stocks are on a tear amid post-pandemic recovery (read: Small Caps Enjoy Longest Run Since 1995: 5 ETF Winners).
Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few ETF areas that won last week.
Energy
Several energy stocks gained last week on two-year high oil prices. COVID-19 cases have declined in the United States. More than half the U.S. population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination, according to data posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as quoted on CNBC. Higher oil prices are beneficial for oil companies (read: ETFs to Gain as Oil Rallies on Upbeat Demand Outlook).
Oil market watchers expect a recovery in oil consumption on the back of growing vaccination and economic reopening. With supplies remaining controlled and demand improving, oil prices could continue rallying.
S&P Oil & Gas Eqpt & Services SPDR XES – Up 14.5%
Oil Services Vaneck ETF OIH – Up 14.3%
Consumer Discretionary
Accelerated coronavirus vaccine rollout has been the major factor that helped gain control over the aggravating outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, more than half the U.S. population has been administered at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, per a CNBC article. Memorial Day weakened also boosted the consumer discretionary stocks (read: ETFs to Play Reopening Trade as New US COVID-19 Cases Drop).
Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment Invesco ETF PEJ – Up 10.8%
Colombia
The Colombian stocks surged probably on surging oil and a relatively weaker dollar. Colombia is a commodity export driven economy. In fact, The country mainly exports oil, petroleum, coal, gold, nickel and emeralds. Oil exports make up about half of the country's total exports. Hence, an oil rally was beneficial for the country's stocks.
Global X MSCI Colombia ETF GXG – Up 7.9%
Fintech
The Simplify Volt Fintech Disruption ETF looks to focus on those few disruptive companies poised to dominate the new era of fintech and then boost the concentrated exposures with options. The fund’s top holdings are Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (QQQ) (34.65%), Square (15.09%) and Lemonade (11.47%). The expense ratio of the fund is 1.03%.
Simplify Volt Fintech Disruption ETF VFIN – Up 6.9%
Auto
Covid cases in the United States have fallen to their almost one-year low level as the United States prepares for the Memorial Day weekend, making the case for reopening trade stronger. This is especially true against the backdrop of a fast-recovering economy supported by continued progress in the development of more COVID-19 vaccines, rapid vaccine rollout, reopening of the economy as well as fiscal and monetary stimulus (read: Play Reopening -- Friendly ETFs Ahead of Memorial Day).
Nasdaq Global Auto Index Fund First Trust CARZ – Up 6.4%
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FT-NDQ GL AUTO (CARZ): ETF Research Reports
SPDR-SP O&G EQP (XES): ETF Research Reports
VANECK-OIL SVC (OIH): ETF Research Reports
INVS-DYN LE&EN (PEJ): ETF Research Reports
GLBL-X/F COL 20 (GXG): ETF Research Reports
S-V FINTC DSR (VFIN): ETF Research Reports
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