Our 100 Favorite ETFs
These are our 100 Favorite ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) to follow the financial markets. Many of these can be considered for your investment portfolio, while others give us a flavor for what is happening in the financial markets across the world. Our List of Exchange Traded Funds includes the most actively traded exchange traded funds along with those that we feel are the best in each asset category.
Investment returns shown are as of March 31, 2012.
You may sort this table by clicking on the heading of any column.
| ETF Name | Ticker | Asset Category | 3 Mo | 1 Yr | 3 Yr | 5 Yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Barclays 1-3 Year Treasury Bond | SHY | Short Government | (0.13) | 1.43 | 1.34 | 3.26 |
| iShares Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond | CSJ | Short-Term Bond | 1.14 | 2.47 | 4.74 | 4.18 |
| Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF | BSV | Short-Term Bond | 0.40 | 3.32 | 3.50 | |
| iShares Barclays TIPS Bond | TIP | Inflation-Protected Bond | 0.82 | 12.04 | 8.45 | 7.47 |
| SPDR DB Intl Govt Infl-Protected Bond | WIP | Inflation-Protected Bond | 6.52 | 4.54 | 12.00 | |
| iShares Barclays 3-7 Year Treasury Bond | IEI | Intermediate Government | (0.58) | 7.77 | 4.08 | 6.58 |
| iShares Barclays 7-10 Year Treasury | IEF | Long Government | (1.83) | 13.96 | 5.58 | 8.25 |
| iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treas Bond | TLT | Long Government | (7.01) | 26.40 | 6.07 | 9.29 |
| iShares Barclays Aggregate Bond | AGG | Intermediate Bond | 0.14 | 7.86 | 6.41 | 6.07 |
| iShares Barclays Intermediate Credit Bond | CIU | Intermediate Bond | 2.15 | 7.25 | 9.48 | 6.22 |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | BND | Intermediate Bond | 0.17 | 7.85 | 6.54 | |
| iShares Barclays Interm Govt/Credit Bond | GVI | Intermediate Bond | 0.24 | 5.88 | 5.26 | 5.57 |
| iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond | HYG | High Yield Bond | 2.63 | 6.26 | 20.12 | |
| SPDR Barclays Capital High Yield Bond | JNK | High Yield Bond | 3.57 | 5.44 | 22.38 | |
| SPDR Barclays Capital Intl Treasury Bond | BWX | World Bond | 2.21 | 3.83 | 7.19 | |
| SPDR Barclays Capital Intl Corp Bond | IBND | World Bond | 7.75 | 3.54 | ||
| iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond | EMB | Emerging Markets Bond | 3.52 | 10.96 | 15.55 | |
| PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt | PCY | Emerging Markets Bond | 3.77 | 11.91 | 16.19 | |
| Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight | RSP | Large Cap | 12.47 | 4.32 | 29.79 | 2.92 |
| SPDR S&P 500 | SPY | Large Cap | 12.66 | 8.33 | 23.34 | 1.96 |
| PowerShares Nasdaq 100 | QQQ | Large Growth | 21.19 | 18.62 | 31.51 | 9.81 |
| iShares S&P 500 Growth Index | IVW | Large Growth | 12.17 | 11.51 | 23.56 | 4.65 |
| SPDR S&P Dividend | SDY | Large Value | 5.89 | 8.11 | 23.16 | 2.31 |
| SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average | DIA | Large Value | 8.79 | 9.87 | 23.36 | 4.01 |
| SPDR S&P MidCap 400 | MDY | Mid-Cap Blend | 13.28 | 1.40 | 28.06 | 4.36 |
| iShares Russell Midcap Index | IWR | Mid-Cap Blend | 12.62 | 2.93 | 28.98 | 2.79 |
| iShares S&P MidCap 400 Growth Index | IJK | Mid-Cap Growth | 14.06 | 2.60 | 29.63 | 6.64 |
| iShares Russell Midcap Growth Index | IWP | Mid-Cap Growth | 14.42 | 4.17 | 29.02 | 4.19 |
| iShares S&P MidCap 400 Value Index | IJJ | Mid-Cap Value | 12.82 | 0.89 | 26.88 | 2.54 |
| iShares Russell Midcap Value Index | IWS | Mid-Cap Value | 11.38 | 2.04 | 29.16 | 1.10 |
| iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Index | IJR | Small Cap | 12.06 | 4.95 | 29.30 | 3.56 |
| iShares Russell 2000 Index | IWM | Small Cap | 12.62 | (0.16) | 27.11 | 2.15 |
| iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth | IJT | Small Growth | 11.22 | 5.39 | 30.01 | 5.04 |
| iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index | IWO | Small Growth | 13.44 | 0.82 | 28.41 | 4.31 |
| iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index | IJS | Small Value | 12.93 | 4.53 | 27.93 | 2.04 |
| iShares Russell 2000 Value Index | IWN | Small Value | 11.62 | (1.20) | 25.10 | (0.09) |
| iShares Russell Microcap Index | IWC | Micro Cap | 15.40 | (2.02) | 25.54 | (1.63) |
| Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF | VEU | Foreign Large Cap | 11.53 | (7.18) | 19.25 | (1.34) |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ex US Index | ACWX | Foreign Large Cap | 10.92 | (7.60) | 18.42 | |
| iShares MSCI EAFE Index | EFA | Foreign Large Cap | 10.82 | (5.75) | 16.82 | (3.62) |
| iShares MSCI Australia Index | EWA | Foreign Large Cap | 9.65 | (7.38) | 25.23 | 2.43 |
| iShares MSCI Japan Index | EWJ | Foreign Large Cap | 11.69 | 0.68 | 10.54 | (5.62) |
| iShares MSCI Canada Index | EWC | Foreign Large Cap | 6.54 | (13.97) | 21.90 | 3.37 |
| iShares MSCI Germany Index | EWG | Foreign Large Cap | 21.12 | (7.95) | 18.65 | (1.70) |
| iShares MSCI Sweden Index | EWD | Foreign Large Cap | 15.39 | (8.45) | 31.20 | 0.48 |
| iShares MSCI Switzerland Index | EWL | Foreign Large Cap | 10.65 | 1.08 | 20.13 | 1.34 |
| iShares MSCI United Kingdom Index | EWU | Foreign Large Cap | 7.05 | (0.27) | 21.74 | (3.08) |
| Market Vectors Russia ETF | RSX | Foreign Large Cap | 15.85 | (24.19) | 31.29 | |
| PowerShares DWA Dev Mkts Technical Leaders | PIZ | Foreign Large Growth | 11.92 | (10.13) | 20.04 | |
| PowerShares International Dividend Achievers | PID | Foreign Large Value | 5.91 | (2.07) | 24.25 | (1.23) |
| SPDR S&P International Small Cap | GWX | Foreign Small/Mid Growth | 14.30 | (6.00) | 24.45 | |
| Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small Cap Index | VSS | Foreign Small/Mid Growth | 14.70 | (9.87) | ||
| iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund | FXI | Emerging Equities | 5.15 | (16.84) | 10.46 | 3.07 |
| iShares MSCI Brazil Index | EWZ | Emerging Equities | 12.67 | (14.69) | 23.72 | 9.14 |
| iShares MSCI BRIC Index | BKF | Emerging Equities | 12.71 | (17.18) | 19.99 | |
| iShares MSCI Chile Index | ECH | Emerging Equities | 18.35 | (3.56) | 27.03 | |
| iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index | EEM | Emerging Equities | 13.19 | (10.06) | 22.08 | 3.89 |
| iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index | EWH | Emerging Equities | 12.77 | (5.58) | 22.83 | 4.64 |
| iShares MSCI Malaysia Index | EWM | Emerging Equities | 8.96 | 3.06 | 31.89 | 9.79 |
| iShares MSCI Mexico Index | EWW | Emerging Equities | 16.29 | 0.82 | 33.86 | 4.51 |
| iShares MSCI Singapore Index | EWS | Emerging Equities | 19.02 | (1.94) | 31.36 | 4.75 |
| iShares MSCI South Africa Index | EZA | Emerging Equities | 12.84 | (2.65) | 26.80 | 5.98 |
| SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap | EWX | Emerging Small/Mid | 21.73 | (10.05) | 26.58 | |
| PowerShares DB Agriculture | DBA | Agriculture | (2.70) | (17.91) | 4.69 | 2.80 |
| PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking | DBC | Commodities | 7.30 | (5.60) | 12.92 | 3.40 |
| GreenHaven Continuous Commodity Index | GCC | Commodities | 1.20 | (14.05) | 11.32 | |
| Consumer Discret Select Sector SPDR | XLY | Consumer Discretionary | 15.91 | 17.28 | 33.93 | 5.14 |
| SPDR S&P Homebuilders | XHB | Consumer Discretionary | 25.07 | 18.33 | 27.82 | (6.70) |
| Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR | XLP | Consumer Staples | 5.45 | 17.18 | 20.70 | 7.93 |
| SPDR S&P Retail | XRT | Consumer Staples | 16.74 | 21.76 | 40.45 | 8.67 |
| Energy Select Sector SPDR | XLE | Energy | 4.21 | (8.58) | 21.17 | 5.20 |
| PowerShares DB Energy | DBE | Energy | 8.80 | (4.45) | 15.86 | 2.55 |
| Financial Select Sector SPDR | XLF | Financial | 21.88 | (1.97) | 23.17 | (13.00) |
| Guggenheim S&P 500 Eq Weight Financials | RYF | Financial | 19.32 | (0.28) | 31.75 | (9.23) |
| SPDR Dow Jones Intl Real Estate | RWX | Global Real Estate | 16.42 | (1.80) | 25.55 | (6.89) |
| SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate | RWO | Global Real Estate | 12.84 | 5.65 | 33.92 | |
| Health Care Select Sector SPDR | XLV | Health | 8.96 | 15.98 | 18.11 | 4.24 |
| SPDR S&P Biotech | XBI | Health | 21.17 | 20.50 | 18.67 | 11.16 |
| Industrial Select Sector SPDR | XLI | Industrials | 11.39 | 1.54 | 29.32 | 3.26 |
| Materials Select Sector SPDR | XLB | Natural Resources | 10.78 | (5.58) | 21.50 | 2.01 |
| IQ Global Resources ETF | GRES | Natural Resources | 3.82 | (9.89) | ||
| iShares Silver Trust | SLV | Commodities Precious Metals | 16.48 | (14.66) | 34.84 | 18.64 |
| SPDR Gold Shares | GLD | Commodities Precious Metals | 6.66 | 15.92 | 21.55 | 19.77 |
| PowerShares DB Precious Metals | DBP | Commodities Precious Metals | 8.26 | 7.32 | 22.97 | 17.99 |
| iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate | IYR | Real Estate | 10.60 | 8.96 | 40.19 | (1.65) |
| Technology Select Sector SPDR | XLK | Technology | 18.88 | 17.49 | 26.36 | 6.71 |
| iShares Dow Jones US Technology | IYW | Technology | 21.93 | 17.69 | 28.77 | 8.13 |
| iShares S&P Global Timber & Forestry Index | WOOD | Timber | 11.22 | (16.78) | 25.40 | |
| Utilities Select Sector SPDR | XLU | Utilities | (1.70) | 14.47 | 15.83 | 1.32 |
| ProShares Short MSCI EAFE | EFZ | Trading-Inverse Equity | (10.64) | (4.01) | (21.26) | |
| ProShares Short S&P500 | SH | Trading-Inverse Equity | (11.51) | (13.14) | (22.90) | (7.12) |
| ProShares Short 20+ Year Treasury | TBF | Trading-Inverse Debt | 6.60 | (25.03) | ||
| PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bearish | UDN | Currency | 2.16 | (2.52) | 2.83 | 1.95 |
| PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish | UUP | Currency | (2.49) | 0.55 | (5.08) | (2.14) |
| iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN | VXX | Hedge Fund | (52.77) | (42.87) | (66.66) | |
| IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy Tracker ETF | QAI | Hedge Fund | 2.40 | 2.89 | 4.93 | |
| iShares Diversified Alternatives Trust | ALT | Hedge Fund | (0.06) | (4.15) | ||
| Barclays S&P 500 Dynamic Veqtor ETN | VQT | Hedge Fund | 1.82 | (1.71) | (2.32) | |
| WisdomTree Managed Futures | WDTI | Managed Futures | (4.36) | (15.55) | ||
| Credit Suisse Long/Short Liquid Index ETN | CSLS | Long/Short Equity | 4.85 | 0.73 |