With technology storming ahead into 2012 healthcare is on the block.  The healthcare industry is about to be overtaken by Electronic Record Management Systems or EMR.  Integration of the move from paper to electronic has been a hot topic in congress and President Obama pushed hard for multiple changes while creating the healthcare bill, the government has provided great incentives to get doctors up to date and on board.  Healthcare ETFs will surely become popular to investors as the integration and adaptation continues into 2012.  TheStreet.com outlines a Top 10 List which was a good start, yet we always like to provide a top 3, so let’s dig a bit deeper.

Top 3 ETFs:

VHT (Vanguard Health Care ETF)

XLV (SPDR Healthcare Sector ETF)

PTH (PowerShares Dynamic Health Care ETF)

Top Holdings by ETFs provided:

1. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
2. Merck & Co Inc (MRK)
3. Pfizer Inc (PFE)

In the end all of the ETFs provided are holding with safe companies that have a passion for creating and pursing new technologies, these technologies will then be adapted to large healthcare facilities and so on.  In closing I must mention that it would be nice to see an ETF that is solely focused on only healthcare software companies and next generation technologies, maybe we will get our holiday wish and see one soon.

Sources:

thestreet.com

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11291230/1/top-10-health-care-etfs.html

With the market up and down for the remaining weeks of 2011 technology has been no doubt a huge player in consumer sales, especially in the smart phone and tablet market.  The war continues to heat up with Android devices becoming more affordable and the carriers adding large incentives to get the consumers in, the 100 pound gorilla is still Apple.  Apple has been over performing and continues to rock the socks of its iPhone and iPad sales.  ETFs have been following the trend and we wanted to point to a few that stand out as their numbers way heavily on Apple performance, below we have listed the ETFs along with the Apple weight.

PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQ)

•   ETF includes over 15% to Apple

Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSE: VGT)

•  ETF includes over 14% to Apple

iShares S&P Global Technology Sector Index Fund (NYSE: IXN)

•   ETF includes over 13.5% to Apple

Apple proceeds to lead the pack taking a slight dip in the market in the last few weeks, I believe you will be very happy to jump on board before the stock explodes!

One ETF that exists is the Global X Social Media ETF (SOCL)  This fund follows Groupon (GRPN), LinkedIn (LNKD), and Pandora (P), from the research provided and the ratings its getting an Whatisetf.com no go!  Remember the companies listed that the Global X Social Media ETF is following are not the dominate players in the social media space, as mentioned in an article by CNN “it lacks the world’s two rock star social media platforms since they have yet to go public: Facebook and Twitter.

As Facebook begins to build the anticipation be very weary of new ETF players that may come into play, as again the larger players in the social media space are not public!

Quote provided by: CNN

http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/15/markets/social_media_etf/index.htm

Barclays 20 Year Treasury Bond Fund (TLT)

The Treasury Bond Fund is going to be tracking the Bond Index, which has not been touched for 20 years. This is definitely one to watch this week as it is extremely important for TLT. This partially all depends on Congress too – if they fail to sign the debt agreement again, the ETF could see a major fall and be in for one of the worst weeks in history. Although, you will still make a profit if you do find that you want to sell quickly.

HOLDRS Internet Architecture (IAH)

The HOLDR project is another one that will be in focus this week, especially for the IAH. This is all about the technology companies and to find out who is on top of the holdings. At the same time, HP are going to be releasing their quarterly earnings, which may see it jumping from third to a different place all together. So far, HP has managed to beat their estimates made for the previous four so there are chances that this will all end on a positive note. However, if it fails to beat it for a fifth time in a row, it could see the IAH dropping considerably. This is one of the ETF futures to look out for.

United States Oil Fund (USO)

The USO is the third one to be in focus for this week and is one of the most popular options when it comes to ETFs. This is one to watch out for when it comes to the 2012 ETFs because it will continually fluctuate and be in the picture. There are no events coming up but it is all based on the previous weeks of events. Oil has been surging and the most recent one was of 4 percent. At the same time, the price of oil is also tied to the performance, which makes it one of the most volatile ETFs on the market.

PowerShares Dynamic Retail Portfolio (PMR)
PowerShares Dynamic Retail Portfolio is a an ETF for the retail sector. Up 8% this year, the ETF is built on a combination of both online retailers and traditional big-box retailers. With the holiday shopping season approaching, the next few months could prove to be very volatile for this ETF. Whether stores meet their expected demand for Black Friday and the rest of the holiday season could determine an increase or decrease in the fund’s value.

PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt Portfolio (PCY)
Emerging markets can be intriguing to investors during worrying domestic times because their performance isn’t strongly correlated to that of the US. PCY is up 9% on the year, giving its investors exposure to debt in emerging markets. The ETF is considered by many to have strong yield potential.

Market Vectors TR Gold Minders (GDX)
It wouldn’t be a What is ETF Fridays section without mention of a gold ETF. The ETF consists of several different mining companies. Demand for gold has pushed it’s price up recently, despite posting an overall small loss during the year-to-date. By the end of trading on Friday, it had posted a 3.6% gain.

The market as a whole has been down over the past few months, but certain parts made a comeback recently. The Dow Jones by itself experienced a small amount of growth, and there have been some strong performing ETFs. It’s impossible to say where the market will go, but right now we’re cautiously optimistic. Remember that no matter what direction the overall market moves in, there will still be some strong performing funds regardless. You just have to do your research! Without further delay, here are our best ETFs for the week.

UBS E-TRACS CMCI Silver TR ETN (USV)
Last week we featured an ETF that followed the market for gold bullion. This week, we’re looking at one that ties its performance to silver. Specifically, this ETFs performance is tied to silver futures contracts. Even in a sagging economy, this fund has provided 33% return to its holders over the last year. Silver has generated some buzz as of late. A SeekingAlpha.com piece speculated on whether silver was getting ready to achieve new highs, citing the recent strong performance of industrial metals.

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity (SCHD)
This is a new ETF that was recently profiled in an article at etfdb.com; providing new ETF definitions and analysis. The fund was built to reflect the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. The fund has actually dipped slightly since its launch, so it’s important to approach with caution. However, the fund is enticing because of how heavily it is influenced by the Dow Jones. If you’re the type of investor who favors the Dow Jones, this is a cheap option that will let you invest in it.

iPath DJ-UBS Sugar TR Sub-Idx ETN (SGG)
This is a three year old fund that reflects sugar futures contracts. SGG has been one of the stronger performing agriculture ETFs. Case in point: In the past six months, its value has gone from a low of around $65 to a recent close to a recent close of $97.86. With sugar prices up, the fund was recently featured by TheStreet.com as a winning fund. Its continued strong performance means that investors might want to consider jumping on the bandwagon now.

That concludes our ETF picks for our best ETFs segment. We hope that having these ETFs defined helps you with you with your goals. If you need help understanding ETF picks, be sure to check out the rest of the site!

Why our Product?  Cause choices are everywhere, yet really providing that solid foundation is our goal and intentions.  Our writers are not only lovers of the market, their investors too!  With our picks and analysis work, to our interviews and definitions we will become the dominate authority in online Exchange Traded Fund news.

So follow us here at WhatisETF.com to get your ETF fix or even your quick glance and follow us as you get to know us and we get to know you!

SPDR Gold Trust (GLD)

SPDR Gold Trust is an ETF designed around gold bullion. The price fluctuations of this ETF are built to mirror the performance in the market of gold bullion. It’s been an attractive investment vehicle for the past few years during America’s recession, particularly because gold has been so popular among worried investors. ETFDB.com has put out a report discussing GLD’s potential volatility as the US prepares to put outs its GDP report. A GDP with better-than-expected growth could send GLD’s downward, while a GDP report with a more bleak outlook could put upward pressure on the price. Either way, this ETF has shown tremendous growth in recent years.

PowerShares Water Resources (PHO)

PowerShares Water Resources is not a very diversified ETF in terms of industries, but for those who believe that the world’s water supply will see greater demand as the population grows, PHO may be an option to look into. The fund is structured to correspond with the Palisades Water Index, by buying into companies whose profitability will be boosted by solving issues related to water management and provision. The fund has had ups and downs over the past six months, but the price hasn’t been volatile to the point that it will scare off many investors. This is an ETF that investors might buy and hold onto.

Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV)

This is a health care ETF based on the Health Care Select Sector index. The ETF is heavily invested in pharmaceuticals, health care technology and biotechnology. The most densely held company in the ETF is Johnson & Johnson, seen by many investors as one of the most solid stock options available. XLV has experienced volatile growth over the past two years. Its price has clearly been influenced by the overall ups and downs of the economy, but it has managed to grow in the long-run regardless of this. Currently trading at just over $34, XLV was recently rated by TheStreet.com as one of its Top 10 healthcare ETFs.