Latest news for ProShares Ultra Technology (ARCA:ROM)

ProShares Ultra Technology

Technology

The Fund invests in financial instruments that ProShare Advisors believes, in combination, should produce daily returns consistent with the Daily Target. The Index is constructed and maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. The Index represents the technology sector of the S&P 500 Index (S&P 500). The Index is one of eleven S&P Select Sector Indices (the Select Sector Indices), each designed to measure the performance of a sector of the S&P 500. Sectors are assigned using the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), which classifies securities primarily based on revenues. The Index includes equity securities of companies from the following GICS industries: IT services; software; communications equipment; technology, hardware, storage & peripherals; electronic equipment, instruments, & components; and semiconductors & semiconductor equipment.

Microsoft Corp

Apple Inc

NVIDIA Corporation

Long Ideas

Sector ETFs

Short Ideas

Trading Ideas

ETFs

AAPL

iShares Dow Jones US Technology Sector Index Fund

NTAP

Seagate Technologies and Other Alternatives to Apple

Financial Advisors

Tech

ATVI

INAP

PowerShares ETF Trust Lux Nanotech Portfolio

VITAX

Best &amp; Worst ETFs &amp; Mutual Funds: Information Technology Sector

ALXN

BBVX

CURE

Direxion Daily Real Estate Bull 3x Shares

GOOG

INTC

IVOP

MSFT

SOYB

SVXY

TQQQ

UPRO

Nine ETFs on a Roll (DRN, TQQQ, BIB, BGU)

Roma Green Finance Limited - Ordinary Shares

Roma Green Finance Ltd

RUBICON ORGANICS INC by Rubicon Organics Inc.

Rubicon Organics Inc

Strategy Shares Newfound/ReSolve Robust Momentum ETF

ROMGAZ REG S GDR

Roman DBDR Acquisition Corp. II

Roman DBDR Tech Acquisition Corp. II

Roman DBDR Tech Acquisition Corp. III

ROMANA FOOD BRANDS by Romana Food Brands Corp.

Romana Food Blockchain Corp

Romande Energie Holding SA

ROMIOS GOLD RES INC by Romios Gold Resources Inc.

Romios Gold Resources Inc

News

Stock Split

ProShares ETFs CSM, ROM, SSO, TQQQ, UCC, UPRO Trading Thursday Following Effect of 2:1 Forward Stock Split; UGE Trading Following Effect of 4:1 Forward Stock Split

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.proshares.com&amp;esheet=51579288&amp;newsitemid=20170627006181&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=ProShares&amp;index=1&amp;md5=153da40af40408a86a4261b55a25a461">ProShares</a>, a premier provider of ETFs, announced today forward and reverse share splits on 10 of its ETFs. The splits will not change the total value of a shareholder&#39;s investment. Forward Splits Seven ETFs will forward split shares 2-for-1: &nbsp;&nbsp; Ticker&nbsp;ProShares ETF&nbsp;Split Ratio QLD&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/qld.html">Ultra QQQ</a>&nbsp;2:1 UDOW&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/udow.html">UltraPro Dow30</a>&nbsp;2:1 UWM&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/uwm.html">Ultra Russell2000</a>&nbsp;2:1 URE&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/ure.html">Ultra Real Estate</a>&nbsp;2:1 URTY&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/urty.html">UltraPro Russell2000</a>&nbsp;2:1 ROM&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/rom.html">Ultra Technology</a>&nbsp;2:1 SVXY&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/svxy.html">Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF</a>&nbsp;2:1 &nbsp; All forward splits will apply to shareholders of record as of the close of the markets on July 12, 2017, payable after the close of the markets on July 14, 2017. The funds will trade at their post-split prices on July 17, 2017. The ticker symbols and CUSIP numbers for the funds will not change. The forward splits will decrease the price per share of each fund with a proportionate increase in the number of shares outstanding. For example, for the 2-for-1 splits, every pre-split share will result in the receipt of two post-split shares, which will be priced at one-half the net asset value (&ldquo;NAV&rdquo;) of a pre-split share. Illustration of a Forward Split The following table shows the effect of a hypothetical 2-for-1 split: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Period&nbsp;# of Shares Owned&nbsp;Hypothetical NAV&nbsp;Value of Shares Pre-Split&nbsp;100&nbsp;$100.00&nbsp;$10,000.00 Post-Split&nbsp;200&nbsp;$50.00&nbsp;$10,000.00 &nbsp; Reverse Splits Three ETFs will reverse split shares at the following split ratios: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ticker&nbsp;ProShares ETF&nbsp;Split Ratio&nbsp;Old CUSIP&nbsp;New CUSIP SDS&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/sds.html">UltraShort S&amp;P500</a>&nbsp;1:4&nbsp;74347B300&nbsp;74347B383 VIXY&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/vixy.html">VIX Short-Term Futures ETF</a>&nbsp;1:4&nbsp;74347W262&nbsp;74347W171 UVXY&nbsp;<a href="http://www.proshares.com/funds/uvxy.html">Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF</a>&nbsp;1:4&nbsp;74347W239&nbsp;74347W163 &nbsp; All reverse splits will be effective at the market open on July 17, 2017, when the funds will begin trading at their post-split price. The ticker symbol for the funds will not change. All funds undergoing a reverse split will be issued a new CUSIP number, listed above. The reverse splits will increase the price per share of each fund with a proportionate decrease in the number of shares outstanding. For example, for a 1-for-4 reverse split, every four pre-split shares will result in the receipt of one post-split share, which will be priced four times higher than the NAV of a pre-split share. Illustration of a Reverse Split The following table shows the effect of a hypothetical 1-for-4 reverse split: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Period&nbsp;# of Shares Owned&nbsp;Hypothetical NAV&nbsp;Value of Shares Pre-Split&nbsp;1,000&nbsp;$10.00&nbsp;$10,000.00 Post-Split&nbsp;250&nbsp;$40.00&nbsp;$10,000.00 &nbsp; Fractional Shares from Reverse Splits For shareholders who hold quantities of shares that are not an exact multiple of the reverse split ratio (for example, not a multiple of 4 for a 1-to-4 reverse split), the reverse split will result in the creation of a fractional share. Post-reverse split fractional shares will be redeemed for cash and sent to your broker of record. This redemption may cause some shareholders to realize gains or losses, which could be a taxable event for those shareholders.

UDOW

URTY

ProShares Announces Several ETF Share Splits

Apple (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is widely expected to unveil its new iPhone 5 Wednesday in San Francisco. Rumored features include a thinner body, longer touch screen, better resolution, better camera, faster processor, longer battery life, 4G LTE support and a mobile payment component. Sales of the next-generation smartphone are expected to break records, with some wild estimates as high as 10 million units snapped up in the first few weeks. Some claims even have iPhone sales single-handedly propping up the slumping U.S. gross domestic product. 

For the small investor or the bargain hunter, Apple's $660-plus per share stock price probably means getting in on the hype is out of the question. A quick look for alternatives with price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios, return on equity, earnings per share (EPS) growth forecasts and recent performance similar to or better than Apple reveals Cooper Tire &amp; Rubber (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ctb#NYSE">CTB</a>), HollyFrontier (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/hfc#NYSE">HFC</a>) and Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/stx#NASDAQ">STX</a>). But unlike Apple, these three stocks also come with a dividend.

Cooper Tire &amp; Rubber

The share price of this maker of replacement tires for domestic and international markets is about 36 percent higher than six months ago, and shares are trading near the 52-week high. This Findlay, Ohio-based manufacturer, which launched a mobile-optimized version of its website last month, has a market cap of about $1.4 billion. The P/E ratio is lower than the industry average, and the dividend yield is nearly two percent. The return on equity is a healthy 52.1 percent, and short interest is more than six percent of the float. Four of six analysts who follow the stock surveyed by Thomson Reuters recommend buying shares; none recommend selling. They seem to think the stock has some room to run, as their consensus price target is more than 15 percent higher than the current share price. But over the past six months, the stock has outperformed Apple and the broader markets.

HollyFrontier

This independent petroleum refiner is trading near a multiyear high, after the share price climbed about 28 percent in the past 90 days. The Dallas-based company has a market cap of more than $8 billion. Though its dividend seems small at 1.5%, the company also issues special dividends, including three so far this year. Its P/E ratio is less than the industry average and the operating margin is greater than the industry average. The return on equity is more than 47 percent, which is better than peers such as Valero Energy (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vlo#NYSE">VLO</a>) and Western Refining (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wnc#NYSE">WNC</a>). Short interest is less than three percent of the float. Eleven out of 19 analysts polled rate the stock a Buy or Strong Buy; none recommend selling shares. The consensus price target is about nine percent higher than the current share price. The stock has outperformed Valero and Apple over the past six months.

Seagate Technology

The share price has pulled back about 15 percent from a recent multiyear high, around the time this Irish data storage maker announced that it would buy the former Solyndra headquarters. But the stock is still up more than 84 percent year to date. Seagate sports a market cap near $12 billion, and it is headquartered in Dublin. Its dividend yield is more than four percent and the long-term EPS growth forecast is more than 25 percent. The operating margin is greater than the industry average. Short interest is less than seven percent of the float. However, the consensus price target is hardly any higher than the current share price, and only nine out of 34 analysts recommend buying shares. Because of the recent pullback, Seagate has underperformed Apple over the past six months, though it has outperformed competitors NetApp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ntap#NASDAQ">NTAP</a>) and Western Digital (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wdc#NASDAQ">WDC</a>).

Of course, another way to the play the Apple hype without buying Apple shares is with exchange traded funds that have Apple as a prominent holding. Here are a few examples:

<ul><li>ProShares Ultra QQQ (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qld#NYSE">QLD</a>) is up more than 48 percent year to date.</li>
<li>ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) is up almost 39 percent year to date.</li>
<li>Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlk#NYSE">XLK</a>) is up more than 21 percent year to date.</li>
<li>iShares Dow Jones US Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iyw#NYSE">IYW</a>) is up more than 19 percent year to date.</li>
<li>Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vgt#NYSE">VGT</a>) is up more than 19 percent year to date.</li>
</ul>

<div class="entry-content">

		The Information Technology sector ranks second out of the ten sectors as detailed in my <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2012/07/10/roadmap-to-the-best-worst-etf-mutual-fund-sectors/">sector roadmap</a>. It gets my Neutral rating, which is based on aggregation of ratings of 27 ETFs and 137 mutual funds in the Information Technology sector as of July 11, 2012. Reports on the best &amp; worst ETFs and mutual funds in every sector and style are on <a href="http://www.newconstructs.com/nc/research/report/etf-and-fund-reports.htm">here</a>.

		Figures 1 and 2 show the five best and worst-rated ETFs and mutual funds in the sector. Not all Information Technology sector ETFs and mutual funds are created the same. The number of holdings varies widely (from 25 to 416), which creates drastically different investment implications and ratings. The best ETFs and mutual funds allocate more value to Attractive-or-better-rated stocks than the worst ETFs and mutual funds, which allocate too much value to Neutral-or-worse-rated stocks.

		To <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2012/04/03/how-to-find-the-best-etfs/">identify the best</a> and <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2012/04/05/how-to-avoid-the-worst-etfs/">avoid the worst</a> ETFs and mutual funds within the Information Technology sector, investors need a <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2011/11/23/predictive-fund-rating-methodology/">predictive rating</a> based on (1) <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2011/11/22/portfolio-management-rating-methodology/">stocks ratings</a> of the holdings and (2) the <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2011/10/28/total-annual-costs-methodology/">all-in expenses</a> of each ETF and mutual fund. Investors need not rely on backward-looking ratings. My fund rating methodology is detailed <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2011/11/23/predictive-fund-rating-methodology/">here</a>.

		Investors seeking exposure to the Information Technology sector should buy one of the Attractive-or-better rated ETFs or mutual funds from Figures 1 and 2.

		See ratings and reports on all ETFs and mutual funds in this sector on my free <a href="http://www.newconstructs.com/nc/fundscreener/fund-screener.htm?task=ACTION_CATEGORY_TYPE_SEARCH&amp;selectedTypes=0,1&amp;selectedCategoryIds=5d8a30a0114e11e199cf00188b533b34">mutual fund and ETF screener</a>.
<div>

			Figure 1: ETFs with the Best &amp; Worst Ratings &ndash; Top 5
</div>

		<a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech1.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4151" height="235" src="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech1.jpg" title="InfoTech1" width="329" /></a>

		* Best ETFs exclude ETFs with TNA&rsquo;s less than 100 million for inadequate liquidity.
<div>

			Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
</div>

		Focus Morningstar Technology Index ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ftq#NYSE">FTQ</a>) and ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) are excluded from Figure 1 because their total net assets (TNA) are below $100 million and do not meet our liquidity standards.
<div>

			Figure 2: Mutual Funds with the Best &amp; Worst Ratings &ndash; Top 5
</div>

		<a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech2.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4150" height="235" src="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech2.jpg" title="InfoTech2" width="329" /></a>

		* Best mutual funds exclude funds with TNA&rsquo;s less than 100 million for inadequate liquidity.
<div>

			Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
</div>

		<a href="http://bit.ly/Nn7fvO">Six mutual funds</a> are excluded from Figure 2 because their total net assets (TNA) are below $100 million and do not meet our liquidity standards.

		Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>) is my top-rated Information Technology ETF and Vanguard World Funds: Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vitax#NYSE">VITAX</a>) is my top-rated Information Technology mutual fund. Both earn my Attractive rating.

		PowerShares Lux Nanotech Portfolio (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pxn#NYSE">PXN</a>) is my worst-rated Information Technology ETF and Columbia Funds Series Trust I: Columbia Technology Fund (NYSE: CTCAX) is my worst-rated Information Technology mutual fund. Both earn my Dangerous rating.

		Figure 3 shows that 182 out of the 619 stocks (60% of the total net assets) held by Information Technology ETFs and mutual funds get an Attractive-or-better rating. However, only 10 out of 27 Information Technology ETFs and 7 out of 137 Information Technology mutual funds (5% of total net assets) get an Attractive-or-better rating. Note that 86% of the value allocated to ETFs in the sector is allocated to Attractive-rated ETFs. Only 1% of the value in mutual funds goes to Attractive-rated funds. It appears ETF investors are much better at allocating to the best funds than mutual fund investors.

		The takeaways are: ETF investors are allocating value to the most attractive investments and mutual fund managers allocate too much capital to low-quality stocks.
<div>

			Figure 3: Information Technology Sector Landscape For ETFs, Mutual Funds &amp; Stocks

			<a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech3.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4149" height="136" src="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech3.jpg" title="InfoTech3" width="410" /></a>

			Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
</div>

		&nbsp;

		As detailed in &ldquo;<a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2012/05/09/low-cost-funds-dupe-investors/">Cheap Funds Dupe Investors</a>&rdquo;, the fund industry offers many cheap funds but very few funds with high-quality stocks, or with what I call good <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2011/11/22/portfolio-management-rating-methodology/">portfolio management</a>.

		Investors need to tread carefully when considering Information Technology ETFs and mutual funds. Only 10 ETFs and 7 mutual funds in the Information Technology sector allocate enough value to Attractive-or-better-rated stocks to earn an Attractive rating.

		Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/atvi#NASDAQ">ATVI</a>) is one of my favorite stocks held by Information Technology ETFs and mutual funds and earns my Very Attractive rating. ATVI&rsquo;s current stock price (~$12.10) implies that after-tax profits (<a href="http://www.newconstructs.com/nc/help/glossary.htm#nopat">NOPAT</a>) will permanently decrease by 40%. These expectations are overly pessimistic given that ATVI has been able to grow its profits and improve its operating margins each year since 2008. Low expectations and strong historical performance make ATVI an excellent long candidate.

		InterNAP Network Services (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/inap#NASDAQ">INAP</a>) is one of my least favorite stocks held by Information Technology ETFs and mutual funds and earns my Very Dangerous rating. INAP&rsquo;s management has a long track record of poor capital allocation. The company&rsquo;s dismal 0.6% return on invested capital (<a href="http://www.newconstructs.com/nc/help/glossary.htm#roicDef">ROIC</a>) places the company in the bottom 20th percentile of all Russell 3000 companies. Not once in the 14 years I&rsquo;ve covered the company has it generated an ROIC over its weighted average cost of capital (<a href="http://www.newconstructs.com/nc/help/glossary.htm#helpWacc">WACC</a>). During that time, the company has written off 43 cents for every dollar that has been invested in the business. And yet the stock&rsquo;s valuation forecasts the company will have a phenomenal turnaround. To justify its current stock price (~$7.01), INAP must grow profits by 8% compounded annually for 30 years. The downside risk of this stock outweighs its upside potential.

		539 stocks of the 3000+ I cover are classified as Information Technology stocks, but due to style drift, Information Technology ETFs and mutual funds hold 619 stocks.

		Figures 4 and 5 show the rating landscape of all Information Technology ETFs and mutual funds.

		Our <a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/2012/07/10/roadmap-to-the-best-worst-etf-mutual-fund-sectors/">sector roadmap</a> report ranks all sectors and highlights those that offer the best investments.
<div>

			Figure 4: Separating the Best ETFs From the Worst ETFs
</div>
<div>

			<a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech4.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4148" height="245" src="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech4.jpg" title="InfoTech4" width="409" /></a>

			Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
</div>
<div>

			Figure 5: Separating the Best Mutual Funds From the Worst Mutual Funds
</div>
<div>

			<a href="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech5.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4147" height="245" src="http://blog.newconstructs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/InfoTech5.jpg" title="InfoTech5" width="409" /></a>

			Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
</div>

		Review my <a href="http://www.newconstructs.com/nc/fundscreener/fund-screener.htm?task=ACTION_CATEGORY_TYPE_SEARCH&amp;selectedTypes=0,1&amp;selectedCategoryIds=5d8a30a0114e11e199cf00188b533b34">full list</a> of ratings and rankings along with free reports on all 27 ETFs and 137 mutual funds in the Information Technology sector.

		Disclosure: I receive no compensation to write about any specific stock, sector or&nbsp;theme.
</div>

Best & Worst ETFs & Mutual Funds: Information Technology Sector

Shares of the following exchange traded funds are more than 15% higher than 90 days ago and trading within 9% of their 52-week highs.

Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cure#NYSE">CURE</a>) is more than 26% higher year to date but trading about where it was a month ago. The nondiversified fund creates long positions by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise the Health Care Select Sector Index, or financial instruments that provide leveraged and unleveraged exposure to the index. These financial instruments include: futures contracts, swap agreements and short positions.

Direxion Daily Large Cap Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bgu#NYSE">BGU</a>) is up more than 40% from the beginning of the year, including up almost 7% in the past week. The nondiversified fund creates long positions by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise the Russell 1000 Index, or financial instruments that provide leveraged and unleveraged exposure to the index. These financial instruments include: futures contracts, swap agreements and short positions.

Direxion Daily Real Estate Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/drn#NYSE">DRN</a>) is about 48% higher year to date, as well as up about 9% in the past week. The investment seeks daily investment results of 300% of the performance of the MSCI US REIT Index. The nondiversified fund normally creates long positions by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise the index, or financial instruments that provide leveraged and unleveraged exposure to the index.

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/12/05/2547337/s-p-look-to-etfs-holding-multi-family-reits-vnq-icf-rez">S&amp;P: Look to ETFs Holding Multi-Family REITs</a>

ProShares Ultra Nasdaq Biotechnology (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bib#NASDAQ">BIB</a>) is up more than 42% year to date, including about 7% higher in the past week. This investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to twice (2x) the daily performance of the underlying index. The nondiversified fund concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the index. Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/alxn#NASDAQ">ALXN</a>) is one top holding.

ProShares UltraPro QQQ (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tqqq#NASDAQ">TQQQ</a>) is up more than 69% since the beginning of the year, including about 10% in the past week. The investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to three times (3x) the daily performance of the underlying index. Assets of the fund not invested in equity securities or derivatives typically are held in money market instruments. Top holdings include Apple (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Microsoft (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Google (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>).

ProShares UltraPro S&amp;P 500 (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/upro#NYSE">UPRO</a>) is up more than 40% since the beginning of the year, including rising more than 7% in the past week. This investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to three times (3x) the daily performance of the underlying index. The nondiversified fund concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the index. Apple and Exxon Mobil (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xom#NYSE">XOM</a>) are top holdings.

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/04/2538130/etfs-for-sell-in-may-and-go-away-part-ii-fbt-xlu-soxs">ETFs to Sell in May and Go Away</a>

ProShares Ultra Russell 1000 Growth (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ukf#NYSE">UKF</a>) is more than 30% higher since the beginning of the year and trading near the 52-week high. This investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to twice (2x) the daily performance of the underlying index. The nondiversified fund concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the index. Top holdings include Apple, Exxon and IBM (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ibm#NYSE">IBM</a>).

ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) is more than 40% higher year to date, despite pulling back about 5% in the past month. The investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to twice (2x) the daily performance of the underlying index. Assets of this nondiversified fund not invested in equity securities or derivatives typically are held in money market instruments. Top holdings include Apple, IBM, Google and Intel (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>).

Teucrium Soybean (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soyb#NYSE">SOYB</a>) is trading about 15% higher than three months ago. The investment seeks to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the funds NAV per share reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for the three soybean futures contracts. The fund invests normally in Benchmark Component Futures Contracts or in other Soybean Futures Contracts trade on the CBOT or on foreign exchange.

<div id="action-items">ACTION ITEMS:

Bullish: Investors may also want to consider the following trades: 

<ul><li>ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/svxy#NYSE">SVXY</a>) is almost 88% higher year to date.</li>
<li>UBS E-TRACS Daily Short 2-Month S&amp;P 500 VIX Futures ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bbvx#NYSE">BBVX</a>) is more than 49% higher year to date.</li>
<li>iPath Inverse S&amp;P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN II (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ivop#NYSE">IVOP</a>) is about 44% higher year to date.</li>
</ul>Bearish: Traders may prefer to consider these alternative positions in stocks:

<ul><li>Apple (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is up almost 44% year to date.</li>
<li>Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/alxn#NYSE">ALXN</a>) is up more than 28% year to date.</li>
<li>Microsoft (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) is up more than 24% year to date.</li>
</ul>Neither Benzinga nor its staff recommend that you buy, sell, or hold any security. We do not offer investment advice, personalized or otherwise. Benzinga recommends that you conduct your own due diligence and consult a certified financial professional for personalized advice about your financial situation.</div>

Shares of the following exchange traded funds focused on technology or the Nasdaq 100 are between 20% and 90% higher year to date and trading at or near their 52-week highs.

Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tyh#NYSE">TYH</a>) is up about 82% year to date, including more than 15% higher in the past month. The fund usually creates long positions by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise the Russell 1000 Technology Index and/or financial instruments that provide leveraged and unleveraged exposure to the index. Top holdings include Apple (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and IBM (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ibm#NYSE">IBM</a>).

Focus Morningstar Technology ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ftq#NYSE">FTQ</a>) has risen almost 22% since the beginning of the year and reached an all-time high of $29.45 per share yesterday. The nondiversified fund normally invests at least 90% of total assets in the securities of the Morningstar Technology Index. The underlying index consists of companies engaged in the design, development and support of computer operating systems and applications.

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iyw#NYSE">IYW</a>) is more than 22% higher than at the beginning of the year, as well as up more than 26% from six months ago. The nondiversified fund invests at least 90% of assets in securities of the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index, which measures the performance of the technology sector of the U.S. equity market. Top holdings include Apple, Microsoft (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Intel (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) and Oracle (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/orcl#NASDAQ">ORCL</a>).

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/03/2452197/etfs-to-watch-march-29-2012-tbt-moo-fxp">ETFs to Watch March 29, 2012</a>

iShares S&amp;P Global Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ixn#NYSE">IXN</a>) is up about 21% from the beginning of the year and reached a multiyear high yesterday. The nondiversified fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the S&amp;P Global 1200 Information Technology Sector Index and in depositary receipts representing securities of the index. The index includes companies in the computer hardware and software, telecommunications equipment and microcomputer components industries.

ProShares Ultra QQQ (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qld#NYSE">QLD</a>) is almost 48% higher since the beginning of the year and reached an multiyear high yesterday. The investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to three times the daily performance of the underlying index. Assets of the fund not invested in equity securities or derivatives typically are held in money market instruments. Top holdings include Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>).

ProShares UltraPro QQQ (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tqqq#NASDAQ">TQQQ</a>) is up about 79% since the beginning of the year, and it also reached a multiyear high yesterday. The investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to three times the daily performance of the underlying index. Assets of the fund not invested in equity securities or derivatives typically are held in money market instruments. Top holdings include Apple, Microsoft, Google (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) and Oracle.

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/03/2447510/can-these-etfs-reclaim-their-52-week-highs-fez-tur-iai">Can These ETFs Reclaim Their 52-Week Highs?</a>

ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) is more than 49% higher year to date, including up about 10% in the past month. The investment seeks daily investment results that correspond to twice the daily performance of the underlying index. Assets of this nondiversified fund not invested in equity securities or derivatives typically are held in money market instruments. Top holdings include Apple, IBM, Google and Intel.

RBS NASDAQ 100 Trendpilot ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tndq#NYSE">TNDQ</a>) is more than 22% higher year to date and yesterday reached its high since it began trading late last year. The investment seeks to replicate the RBS NASDAQ-100 Trendpilot Index, which uses a systematic trend-following strategy to provide exposure to either the NASDAQ-100 index or the yield on a hypothetical notional investment in 3-month U.S. Treasury bills, depending on the relative performance of the index.

Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vgt#NYSE">VGT</a>) is more than 21% higher since the beginning of the year but up less than 5% in the past month. The nondiversified fund employs a passive management, or indexing, investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/ Information Technology 25/50, an index made up of stocks of large, medium-size, and small U.S. companies within the information technology sector.

<div id="action-items">ACTION ITEMS:

Bullish: Investors may also want to consider the following trades: 

<ul><li>Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soxl#NYSE">SOXL</a>) is more than 67% higher year to date.</li>
<li>UBS E-TRACS 2x ISE Solid State Drive ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ssdl#NYSE">SSDL</a>) is about 54% higher year to date.</li>
<li>UBS E-TRACS Monthly 2x ISE Cloud Computing (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lsky#NYSE">LSKY</a>) is almost 47% higher year to date.</li>
<li>ProShares Ultra Semiconductors (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/usd#NYSE">USD</a>) is more than 32% higher year to date.</li>
</ul>Bearish: Traders may prefer to consider these alternative positions:

<ul><li>Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soxs#NYSE">SOXS</a>) is trading near the 52-week low.</li>
<li>ProShares Short QQQ (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/psq#NYSE">PSQ</a>) is trading near the 52-week low.</li>
<li>ProShares UltraShort Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rew#NYSE">REW</a>) is trading near the 52-week low.</li>
</ul>Neither Benzinga nor its staff recommend that you buy, sell, or hold any security. We do not offer investment advice, personalized or otherwise. Benzinga recommends that you conduct your own due diligence and consult a certified financial professional for personalized advice about your financial situation.</div>

CSCO

iShares Trust S&P Global Information Technology Sector Index Fund

LSKY

ORCL

SOXL

Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares

SOXS

SSDL

TNDQ

Nine Technology ETFs on a Roll (TYH, TQQQ, ROM)

The following exchange traded funds ended the week in the neighborhood of their 52-week highs. The share price of each is more than 20% higher than at the beginning of the year as well.

Barclays Long B Leveraged S&amp;P 500 Total Return ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bxub#NYSE">BXUB</a>) is more than 22% higher than at the beginning of the year, and it end last week just shy of an all-time high. The investment seeks to replicate triple the daily performance of the S&amp;P 500 Total Return Index. That index is a capitalization-weighted index intended to provide an indication of the pattern of stock price movement in the U.S. equities market, covering 75% of total U.S. equities market.

Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tyh#NYSE">TYH</a>) is more than 57% higher since the beginning of the year, and it ended last week about 2% below a recent multiyear high. The investment seeks daily investment results of 300% of the performance of the underlying Russell 1000 Technology Index. Top holdings include Apple (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), IBM (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ibm#NYSE">IBM</a>), Microsoft (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Google (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>).

EGShares Industrials GEMS ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/igem#NYSE">IGEM</a>) is more than 27% higher year to date after pulling back about 2% in the past week. The investment seeks results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Industrials Titans 30 Index. The nondiversified fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities of companies that are included in the underlying index.

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/03/2390081/4-etfs-for-the-presidential-cycle-moo-qqq-kol">Four ETFs for the Presidential Cycle</a>

Global X Brazil Consumer ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/braq#NYSE">BRAQ</a>) is up more than 29% since the beginning of the year and poised to retake the 52-week high from last April. The nondiversified fund normally invests at least 80% of total assets in the securities of the Solactive Brazil Consumer Index and in depositary receipts based on the securities in the index. The underlying index is designed to measure the performance of the consumer sector of the Brazilian economy.

Global X FTSE Colombia 20 ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gxg#NYSE">GXG</a>) is up about 21% since the beginning of the year, but less than 1% higher in the past week. The nondiversified fund invests at least 80% of total assets in the securities of the FTSE Colombia 20 index and in depositary receipts based on the securities in the index. The index is free float adjusted, liquidity tested and a market capitalization-weighted index designed to measure broad-based equity market performance in Colombia.

iPath Long Extended S&amp;P 500 Total Return ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sfla#NYSE">SFLA</a>) is up more than 24% since the beginning of the year, ending last week at an all-time high. The investment seeks to replicate the leveraged return on the performance of the S&amp;P 500 Total Return index. That index is a capitalization-weighted index intended to provide an indication of the pattern of stock price movement in the U.S. equities market, covering 75% of total U.S. equities market.

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2384565/etfs-for-the-ipad-3"> ETFs for the iPad 3</a>

ProShares UltraPro QQQ (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tqqq#NASDAQ">TQQQ</a>) is more than 55% higher year to date and ended last week near an all-time high. The nondiversified fund invests in equity securities and derivatives that advisors believe, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as three times (3x) the daily return of the underlying index. Top holdings include Apple, Oracle (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/orcl#NASDAQ">ORCL</a>), Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>).

ProShares Ultra Russell 1000 Growth (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ukf#NYSE">UKF</a>) is about 23% higher since the beginning of the year and trading near a multiyear high. The nondiversified fund invests in equity securities and derivatives that advisors believe, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as twice (200%) the daily return of the Russell 1000 Growth Index. Top holdings include Apple, Exxon Mobil (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xom#NYSE">XOM</a>), Coca-Cola (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ko#NYSE">KO</a>) and McDonald's (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mcd#NYSE">MCD</a>).

ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) is up more than 35% since the beginning of the year and ended last week about 1% below a multiyear high. The nondiversified fund invests in equity securities and derivatives that advisors believe, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as twice (200%) the daily return of the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index. Top holdings include Apple, Intel (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) and Qualcomm (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qcom#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>).

<div id="action-items">ACTION ITEMS:

Bullish: Investors may also want to consider the following trades: 

<ul><li>ProShares Ultra QQQ (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qld#NYSE">QLD</a>) is more than 34% higher year to date.</li>
<li>Global X Brazil Financials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/braf#NYSE">BRAF</a>) is more than 30% higher year to date.</li>
<li>iPath Inverse S&amp;P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN II (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ivop#NYSE">IVOP</a>) is more than 23% higher year to date.</li>
<li>iShares MSCI Thailand Investable Market Index (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/thd#NYSE">THD</a>) is more than 19% higher year to date.</li>
</ul>Bearish: Traders may prefer to consider these alternative positions in individual, high-performing stocks:

<ul><li>Cybex International (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cybi#NASDAQ">CYBI</a>) is up more than 435% year to date.</li>
<li>BroadVision (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bvsn#NASDAQ">BVSN</a>) is up more than 310% year to date.</li>
<li>Threshold Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/thld#NASDAQ">THLD</a>) is up about 295% year to date.</li>
</ul>Neither Benzinga nor its staff recommend that you buy, sell, or hold any security. We do not offer investment advice, personalized or otherwise. Benzinga recommends that you conduct your own due diligence and consult a certified financial professional for personalized advice about your financial situation.</div>

Emerging Market ETFs

AMZN

BRAF

BRAQ

BVSN

BXUB

CYBI

IGEM

QCOM

SFLA

iShares MSCI Thailand Investable Market Index Fund

THLD

Nine ETFs Trading Near 52-Week Highs

Here's a quick look at some of the top performing tech stocks in February. These stocks all have a market cap of more than $500 million, and they all pay a dividend too.

Advantest (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ate#NYSE">ATE</a>) rose more than 33% in the past month but is still down almost 31% from a year ago. This Tokyo-based maker of semiconductor testing systems announced in January the launch of a diesel emissions analysis service. The company was founded in 1954 and now has a market cap of $2.5 billion. Its dividend yield is 0.8%. And the stock has outperformed Massachusetts-based competitor Teradyne (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ter#NYSE">TER</a>), as well as the broader markets, over the past six months.

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2337261/seven-japanese-stocks-up-more-than-10-year-to-date">Seven Japanese Stocks Up More Than 10% Year to Date</a>

Computer Sciences (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/csc#NYSE">CSC</a>) is up about 34% year to date, including a more than 22% rise in the past month. CSC recently named a new CEO, and the CFO is leaving the company in May. Also, the company is rumored to be a takeover target. CSC is an S&amp;P 500 component that has a market cap of $5.0 billion. And it has a dividend yield of 2.5%. The stock has outperformed competitors such as Accenture (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/acn#NYSE">ACN</a>), as well as the S&amp;P 500 average, since the beginning of the year.

ESCO Technologies (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ese#NYSE">ESE</a>) is up about 20% in the past month but pulled back a bit in the past week. The company blamed disappointing Q1 results on late payments from large customers. Based in St. Louis, this maker of engineered products and systems has a market cap of $954.9 million, a dividend yield of 0.9%, a long-term EPS growth forecast of 17.5%. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed competitors Itron (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/itri#NASDAQ">ITRI</a>) and Oracle (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/orcl#NASDAQ">ORCL</a>).

Jabil Circuit (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jbl#NYSE">JBL</a>) is almost 32% higher year to date, and up more than 57% in the past six months. The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based electronic components maker said fiscal first-quarter EPS and sales rose, and it offered strong guidance for the current quarter. The $5.4 billion market cap company is an S&amp;P 500 component. Its return on equity is 21.6%. The stock has outperformed competitors such as Flextronic International (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/flex#NASDAQ">FLEX</a>) over the past six months.

Garmin (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/grmn#NASDAQ">GRMN</a>) is more than 18% higher year to date, including more than 15% in the past month. The company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on strength in Europe and in the company's Fitness segment. This Swiss navigation, communication and information products maker has a market cap of $9.2 billion. Its dividend yield is 3.4%. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed Apple (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Motorola Mobility (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mmi#NYSE">MMI</a>) and Sony (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sne#NYSE">SNE</a>).

Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/stx#NASDAQ">STX</a>) is trading almost 62% higher than at the beginning of the year. Shares surged at the end of January when the hard drive maker said that its fiscal second-quarter net income more than tripled from a year earlier. The $11.8 billion market cap Irish company has a dividend yield of 3.8% and its return on equity is 29.3%. The stock has outperformed peers NetApp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ntap#NASDAQ">NTAP</a>) and Western Digital (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wdc#NYSE">WDC</a>) over the past six months.

See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2378169/seven-hot-european-stocks">Seven Hot European Stocks</a>

VimpelCom's (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vip#NYSE">VIP</a>) share price is up more than 28% year to date but still down more than 13% from the 52-week high. The Dutch telecom is expected to say in its March 13 quarterly report that revenues more than doubled year over year. It has a dividend yield of 6.5% and an operating margin higher than the industry average. Short interest is 0.4% of the float. The stock has outperformed the likes of Mobile Telesystems OJSC (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mbt#NYSE">MBT</a>) since the beginning of the year.

<div id="action-items">ACTION ITEMS:

Bullish: Investors interested in exchange traded funds focused on the tech sector might want to consider the following trades:

<ul><li>Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tyh#NYSE">TYH</a>) is up more than 55% year to date.</li>
<li>ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) is up more than 34% year to date.</li>
<li>SPDR Morgan Stanley Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mtk#NYSE">MTK</a>) is up more than 16% year to date.</li>
<li>First Trust Technology AlphaDEX (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxl#NYSE">FXL</a>) is up almost 15% year to date.</li>
</ul>Bearish: Traders may prefer to consider these alternative positions:

<ul><li>Direxion Daily Technology Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/typ#NYSE">TYP</a>) is trading near a 52-week low.</li>
<li>ProShares UltraShort Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rew#NYSE">REW</a>) is trading near a 52-week low.</li>
</ul>Neither Benzinga nor its staff recommend that you buy, sell, or hold any security. We do not offer investment advice, personalized or otherwise. Benzinga recommends that you conduct your own due diligence and consult a certified financial professional for personalized advice about your financial situation.</div>

Dividends

FLEX

GRMN

ITRI

Open Joint Stock Company Vimpel-Communications

Garmin, Jabil Circuit and Other Top Tech Stocks in February

If financial markets operated in the same fashion as a high school popularity contest, it could be said that Apple (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/appl#Nasdaq">APPL</a>) might be an $800 stock, not a $400 stock. The latter is the current neighborhood in which the iPad maker resides and despite a topsy-turvy for the Nasdaq, Apple has operated in its own vacuum, surging over 20% year-to-date.

But at $400, the stock is still untouchable for many retail investors and betting on Apple with options can prove costly if you have bad luck and consistently buy the wrong calls. Fortunately, ETFs can ameliorate both situations and since Apple is the second-largest U.S. company by market, there's no shortage of ETFs holding the tech darling.

That said, investors hunting for Apple exposure via ETFs might want to examine funds beyond the known entities like the PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qqq#Nasdaq">QQQ</a>) and the Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlk#NYSE">XLK</a>), though those are <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/11/10/1994630/five-etfs-for-apple-earnings">fine options in their own right</a>.

Here are some ETFs to consider as Apple plays.

Global X Nasdaq 500 ETF (Nasdaq: QQQV):
This newly minted ETF is off to a very nice start. QQQV made its debut on December 5th and has already raked in more than $2.4 million in assets under management. While QQQV isn't a pure tech play, the sector does account for more than 60% of the fund's weight and Apple is the ETF's top holding with an allocation of over 11%.

iShares Morningstar Large Growth Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jke#NYSE">JKE</a>):
The iShares Morningstar Large Growth Index Fund isn't a pure tech play either and we're not sure when Coca-Cola (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ko#NYSE">KO</a>), the ETF's third-largest holding, became a growth stock, but we're not going to argue with the fact that Apple is the ETF's top holding with a weight of over 12%. Plus, JKE is actually slightly higher year-to-date. A lot of growth ETFs can't say that. Get real-time trading ideas <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">here</a>.

ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>):
The ProShares Ultra Technology is a leveraged ETF and we've been <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/11/12/2220100/epic-fail-part-ii-short-financial-etfs-an-unpleasant-surprise">highlighting the risks</a> associated with such fare. However, ROM makes for a decent short-term play on Apple as the stock accounted for 17% of the ETF's as of Wednesday's close. 

iShares Russell Top 200 Growth Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iwy#NYSE">IWY</a>):
OK, we'll admit the iShares Russell Top 200 Growth Index Fund doesn't fit the bill as obscure. Having over $394 million in assets under management does that to an ETF. And when looking at ETF's top-10 holdings, it's not the growth-iest ETF out there as five Dow stocks are found among IWY's 10 largest allocations. Still, Apple leads the way with a weight of over 8%. Have a look at IWY above $31.

 

<div id="action-items">ACTION ITEMS: Bullish: Traders who believe that Apple is on the rise might want to consider the following trades: <ul><li>Long QQQ. It's still the ETF with the biggest Apple allocation.</li></ul><ul><li>Save up $4,000 and buy 10 shares of the stock.</li></ul><ul><li>Long out of the money Apple LEAPs.</li></ul>Bearish: Traders who believe that Apple is going to fall may consider alternative positions: <ul><li>Long the ProShares UltraShort Nasdaq (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qid#NYSE">QID</a>). If QQQ falls, QID will pop. Short-term trade only.</li></ul><ul><li>Neither Benzinga nor its staff recommend that you buy, sell, or hold any security. We do not offer investment advice, personalized or otherwise. Benzinga recommends that you conduct your own due diligence and consult a certified financial professional for personalized advice about your financial situation.</li></ul>&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;</div>

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Specialty ETFs

New ETFs

Technicals

Intraday Update

Markets

Movers

APPL

iShare Morningstar Large Growth Index Fund

Take A Bite Out Of Apple With These Obscure ETFs

American participants at the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade meeting in Chengdu, China clashed with their Chinese counterparts as they tried to agree to terms that would improve trade relations between the world's two biggest economies.

U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson said that the trade talks failed to make as much progress as was hoped for and warned his Chinese hosts that the American business community and the United States Congress were both moving towards a "more negative view of our trading relationship" with China.

While the American participants focused on issues like the artificially low value of the Chinese currency and widespread intellectual property theft in China, the Chinese were more interested in lowering trade barriers between China and the United States. Addressing American concerns over a growing trade imbalance between the two countries, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan said that the the two countries would benefit from freer trade and that an unbalanced recovery would be better than a balanced decline.

Vice Premier Wang Qishan also said that his government was making progress in its efforts to protect intellectual property rights and repeated calls from China for the United States to increase exports of hi-tech products to China. However, the United States' complaints about poor enforcement of intellectual property rights in China were underscored by the fact that the hotel hosting the trade talks is home to a clothing store called “Amornini”, complete with a logo similar to the logo of the Italian company Giorgio Armani.

The Chinese have long said that the United States should ease trade restrictions on sensitive technology products and that doing so would go a long way in reducing trade imbalances between the two countries. However, when the very hotel hosting sensitive high level trade talks between the two countries is profiting from intellectual property theft, it's difficult to to see the American stance changing any time soon.

Investors who feel that despite the embarrassing gaffe of having a knock off Armani store in the same hotel that is hosting an important meeting on American-Chinese bilateral trade, the meeting between Chinese and American officials will lead to freer trade between the two countries have a number of investments to consider. If China is allowed greater access to the American market and American technology, the iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxi#NYSE">FXI</a>) and the Global X China Technology ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/chib#NYSE">CHIB</a>) funds could both move higher.

However, as China shows few signs of actually doing anything to stop intellectual property theft, any relaxing of trade restrictions between the two countries could hurt ETFs like the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ibb#Nasdaq">IBB</a>), ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) and Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tyh#NYSE">TYH</a>), while benefiting ETFs like ProShares UltraShort Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rew#NYSE">REW</a>) and ProShares UltraShort Nasdaq Biotech (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bis#NASDAQ">BIS</a>).

Although technology and biotech companies could get a short term boost from increasing sales in China, they could lose out in the long run if their products are reverse engineered and sold at lower prices by Chinese competitors who have the advantages of low wages, an artificially low currency and low research and development costs.

Politics

Global

General

CHIB

China Tells US to Ease Hi-Tech Export Restrictions at Trade Event Housing a Fake Armani Store

It has been and will be said hundreds, if not thousands, of times in the coming days that Apple (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#Nasdaq">AAPL</a>) has lost a legend with the departure of Steve Jobs as CEO. Perhaps no company in the history of corporate America has been so intimately linked to the aura and persona of its CEO as Apple has been to Jobs.

To be sure, there will be some near-term for some of the ETFs on this list. That could also make someof them value plays in the not-too-distant future if Apple can prove and investors believe that the loss of Jobs does not mean the loss of demand for iPads, iPhones, iMacs, etc.

With that, these ETFs will certainly be in play in the coming days. 

Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlk#NYSE">XLK</a>):
Beyond the obvious PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qqq#Nasdaq">QQQ</a>), XLK is one of the most liquid ETFs with large Apple exposure, in this case almost 15%. XLK has been ruthlessly been battered in the past month and if the Apple news is enough to make XLK violate support at $22.75, the ETF could be in for another 10% of downside. 

Protect XLK or play downside with the Direxion Daily Technology Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/typ#NYSE">TYP</a>).

iShares S&amp;P Global Technology Sector Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ixn#NYSE">IXN</a>):
Apple accounts for over 13% of IXN's weight and even if everything was perfect Apple, IXN's Google (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/goog#Nasdaq">GOOG</a>) and Cisco (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/csco#Nasdaq">CSCO</a>) exposure would be problematic. The global exposure here is also an issue because with IXN, that means Taiwan, home to several Apple suppliers.

Protect IXN or play downside with the ProShares UltraShort Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rew#NYSE">REW</a>).

One for value players to roll the dice on:
The iShares Morningstar Large Growth Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jke#NYSE">JKE</a>) devotes nearly 11.4% of its weight to Apple, but with over 100 stocks in its lineup, including top-10 allocations to Schlumberger (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/slb#NYSE">SLB</a>) and Amazon (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amzn#Nasdaq">AMZN</a>), JKE could be one ETF to keep an eye on. JKE's short is actually showing decent risk/reward here.

Certainly Avoid:
The ProShares Ultra Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>), which is a double leveraged play on the tech sector. Apple accounts for over 10% of this ETF's weight and as if that wasn't bad enough, ROM's chart is just pitiful. The aforementioned REW is the better near-term bet if you must dance with a leveraged play.

Events

ETFs To Play/Avoid On The Shocking Steve Jobs News

Unless you've been living in a cave for the past ten years, you know that Technology and its growth have been the big economic and social story of our times. From the dawn of the personal computer in Steven Jobs's garage to the iPhone, we have seen literally centuries of progress made in the just the span of a few years. 
In recent days, blowout earnings reports from the likes of Apple, Google, IBM and Advanced Micro Devices point to the potential for another strong year for the tech sector, and ETFs offer a convenient and potentially lucrative way to participate in this powerful “Super Sector.” 
In my book, <a href="http://www.supersectors.net">Super Sectors: How to Outsmart the Market Using Sector Rotation and ETF</a>,  I identify and discuss five “super sectors' that are likely to outperform the general markets due to vast sociological and demographic changes that will be sweeping over our world during the next five years. 
One of those sectors is Technology and there can be no question that technology has been more than the equivalent of the Industrial Revolution and that Bill Gates and Michael Dell and Larry Ellison are the Rockefellers, Carnegies and Mellons of our day. 
I'm old enough to remember the dawn of television and the first transistor radios and digital watches, and the progress since those “Leave It to Beaver” days has been nothing short of breathtaking. 
The personal computer, internet and smart phones are the equivalent of the steam engine, the Model T and the assembly line, and, like then, many fortunes have been made in recent years on these emerging technologies. 
While some say that all the big money has been made and that the pace of change and innovation has to slow down, I believe that we're still in the very early days of the “Technology Revolution” and that many more opportunities still lie ahead. 
For investors, I believe that exchange traded funds offer one of the best ways to participate in this dynamic sector.  You can participate in broad tech indexes like the NASDAQ 100 or Semiconductors or you can delve into specified and special sub sectors like bio tech, internet, semiconductors, software or broadband. 
Plus in today's ever expanding world of exchange traded funds, aggressive investors can find opportunities in leveraged technology funds that provide 2X and even 3X returns over the underlying indexes. 
Here's a quick overview of some of my favorite ETFs in the technology sector: 
Broad Index ETFS 
iShares S&amp;P Global Technology Sector Index Fund (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/ixn#">IXN</a>):  Broad global index fund that tracks the S&amp;P Global Technology Index 
PowerShares QQQ (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/qqqq#">QQQQ</a>): Widely traded ETF that tracks the NASDAQ 100 Index 
Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlk#">XLK</a>):  ETF with its largest holdings centered in tech companies like Apple (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#">AAPL</a>) Microsoft (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/msft#">MSFT</a>) International Business Machines (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/ibm#">IBM</a>) Google (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/goog#">GOOG</a>) Oracle (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/orcl#">ORCL</a>) Intel (Intel) and others. 
Hardware ETFs: 
Merrill Lynch Internet Architecture HOLDRs (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/iah#">IAH</a>) 
Software ETFs:  
iShares S&amp;P GSTI Software Index Fund (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/igv#">IGV</a>) 
Merrill Lynch Software HOLDRs (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/swh#">SWH</a>) 
Semiconductors ETFs:
iShares S&amp;P GSTI Semiconductor Index Fund (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/igw#">IGW</a>) 
SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#">XSD</a>) 
Internet and Technology Services ETFs
Merrill Lynch Internet HOLDRs (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/hhh#">HHH</a>)
  
Merrill Lynch Internet Infrastructure HOLDRs (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/iih#">IIH</a>) 
Leveraged Technology ETFs 
ProShares Ultra Technology ETF (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#">ROM</a>): offers daily 200% leverage to the Dow Jones Technology Index 
Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X: (<a class="ticker" href="/stock/tyh#">TYH</a>): offers 300% leverage to the price performance of the Russell 1000 Technology Index 
This list could go on and on as exchange traded funds providers rush to provide investors with a seemingly never ending array of new products, particularly in hot sectors like technology. 
And I believe that this sector will remain hot because who among us could survive without our internet connection or cell phone?  When times get tough, we can cut back on dining out or taking a vacation, but if your laptop or cell phone dies, you have to replace them virtually on that very day. 
For us as investors, once again, Exchange Traded Funds offer an almost unlimited array of investment possibilities.  We can easily get exposure to general technology funds, semiconductors, software, hardware or broadband and we can just as easily drill down into subsectors like biotech and nanotechnology. 
The ride won't be straight up and it won't necessarily be easy, but for investors and traders with just the simplest systems, the potential could be enormous.  Plus, with Exchange Traded Funds, you don't have to pick the next Apple or Microsoft because quite likely you'll already find it residing in one of the ETFs that you might choose.
<a href="http://www.supersectors.net">Learn more at Super Sectors.net</a>
 Disclosure: No positions in any ETFs or stocks mentioned.  Wall Street Sector Selector actively trades a wide range of exchange traded funds and positions can change at any time.

iShares Trust S&P Semiconductor Index Fund

Merrill Lynch Internet Infrastructure HOLDRs Trust

QQQQ

A Potential "Super Sector" for 2011 (IXN, QQQQ, XLK, AAPL, GOOG)

According to TradingMarkets, selling pressure has shifted from the technology sector to the financials sector. While several financial ETFs that were highly overbought, such as the ProShares Ultra Financials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/uyg#NYSE">UYG</a>), slipped by more than 1% at the end of the week, ProShares Ultra Technology ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) climbed over 1%.
Across the world, the scenario for ETFs remained mixed, with some like iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxi#NYSE">FXI</a>) continuing to face pressure while others rallied. On Monday, look out for:
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlp#NYSE">XLP</a>) had been upgraded from 7 to 9 late in trading on Friday. Meanwhile, Vanguard REIT ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vnq#NYSE">VNQ</a>), which had bounced back shortly on Thursday only to retreat the next day, was upgraded to 8 on the last trading day of the week ended January 8.
The Industrial Select Sector SPDRS ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xli#NYSE">XLI</a>) has closed last week in the overbought territory, above the 200-day moving average for five consecutive trading days. 
The next most oversold ETF at the moment seems to be iShares Dow Jones US Telecommunications Index Fund ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iyz#NYSE">IYZ</a>). IYZ had closed lower for a third consecutive trading session on Friday.

iShares Dow Jones US Telecommunications Sector Index Fund

Top 7 ETFs That Warrant Attention Today (UYG, ROM, FXI, XLP, VNQ, XLI, IYZ)

Here is the ETF Professor's ETF Watch List for Monday December 21, 2009.
Both the iShares MSCI Brazil Index (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ewz#NYSE">EWZ</a>) and the iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fxi#NYSE">FXI</a>) have moved below important averages and have weak looking charts.
An inverse play on emerging markets that may be worth watching over the near-term is the UltraShort MSCI Emerging Markets ProShares ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/eev#NYSE">EEV</a>).
Watch the iShares S&amp;P Global Materials (NSYE: MXI) as a play on mining stocks on Monday.
Try the Ultra Technology ProShares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rom#NYSE">ROM</a>) for leveraged play on tech.
The Claymore/Delta Global Shipping ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sea#NYSE">SEA</a>) got some bullish chatter last week.
The SPDR KBW Regional Banking ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kre#NYSE">KRE</a>) was the top gainer among financial ETFs on Friday, so keep an eye on it on Monday.
For an energy play, watch the PowerShares Dynamic Oil &amp; Gas Services ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pxj#NYSE">PXJ</a>).
For a gold play, watch the Ultra Gold ProShares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ugl#NYSE">UGL</a>), a 2x leveraged play on gold bullion for London delivery.

Currency ETFs

Pre-Market Outlook

ProShares UltraShort MSCI Emerging Markets

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust Dynamic Oil Services Portfolio

ETFs To Watch December 21, 2009 (FXI, KRE, ROM, EWZ)

PowerShares Global Coal Portfolio(<a href="/stock/etf">ETF</a>) (NASDAQ: <a href="/stock/pkol">PKOL</a>) found its place among ETFs that made a new high today. PKOL's high was at $28.16, but then it retreated slightly and now it trades at $27.98.
Tech rally pushed Direxion Daily Tech Bull 3x (<a href="/stock/etf">ETF</a>) (NYSE: <a href="/stock/tyh">TYH</a>) to $163.18, which is its highest price ever. TYH currently trades 2.78% up at $161.94.
Another technology ETF, ProShares Ultra Technology (<a href="/stock/etf">ETF</a>) (NYSE: <a href="/stock/rom">ROM</a>) reached its new high at $48.48. ROM is 1.86% up and trades at $48.23. It can thank Apple (NASDAQ: <a href="/stock/aapl">AAPL</a>) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: <a href="/stock/msft">MSFT</a>) for that success. MSFT is approximately 1% up and Apple (<a href="/stock/aapl">AAPL</a>) gained 1.22% so far. Both stocks are in the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index, and ROM corresponds to twice of the performance of that index. 
iShares MSCI United Kingdom Index (<a href="/stock/etf">ETF</a>) (NYSE: <a href="/stock/ewu">EWU</a>) and CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust (NYSE: <a href="/stock/fxa">FXA</a>) have also reached their highs, EWU at $16.75 and FXA at $93.55.

Aberdeen Emerging Markets Telecommunications & Infrastructure Fund

PKOL

Benzinga's ETFs Hitting New Highs (PKOL, TYH, ROM, EWU, FXA)

OTTAWA and SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwire - August 7, 2009) -

 
What 
Jim Lipman, Marketing Director at Sidense, will make a presentation on: "A 
Novel Embedded OTP Memory Bit Cell Based on Oxide Breakdown." The talk 
will describe an antifuse-based split-channel OTP bit-cell architecture 
based on predictable and irreversible thin-oxide breakdown. The bit cell 
is at the heart of a field-programmable, very small, highly secure, and 
very reliable embedded memory that does not require any additional masks or 
process steps when implemented in a standard-logic CMOS process. The bit 
cell is scalable down to 40nm and below.
Where 
Flash Memory Summit (<a href="http://www.flashmemorysummit.com">www.flashmemorysummit.com</a>) 
Santa Clara Convention Center 
Santa Clara, CA
When 
Thursday, August 13, 2009 
8:30-9:40 AM 
In the session on "Life Beyond Flash: New Non-Volatile Memory Technologies"
Who 
Jim Lipman, Director of Marketing

About Sidense

Sidense Corp., the only logic non-volatile memory provider listed on EE 
Times 60 Emerging Startups list for 2009, provides secure, dense and 
reliable non-volatile, one-time programmable (OTP) memory IP for use in 
standard-logic CMOS processes, with no additional masks or process steps 
required. Sidense's patented one-transistor 1T-FuseT architecture (U.S. 
Patent #7402855 and others) provides the industry's smallest footprint, 
most reliable and lowest power Logic Non-Volatile Memory IP solution and 
offers an alternative solution to Flash, mask ROM and eFuse in many 
applications.

Sidense OTP memory is available at 180nm, 130nm, 110nm, 90nm, 65nm, and 
55nm and is scalable to 40nm and below. The IP is available at all 
top-tier semiconductor foundries. Customers are using Sidense OTP for 
analog trimming, code storage, encryption keys such as HDCP, RFID and Chip 
ID, medical, automotive, and configurable processors and logic. For more 
information, please visit <a href="http://www.sidense.com">www.sidense.com</a>.

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