Ghosts!

One interesting development that was made possible by the vast increase in the number of exchange traded funds available is the possibility to devise a profitable ETF rotation strategy for timing the stock market. Such a strategy can theoretically allow an investor to find the sectors of the market that are increasing in price.

Broad Market ETFs

There are several types of ETFs that can be used to devise a profitable rotation strategy. The earliest type of ETF, represented by SPY and DIA as examples, track some broad market index. SPY, for example, tracks the Standard and Poors 500 Index, while DIA tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average index. Another example of such an ETF is QQQQ which tracks the NASDAQ 100 index which is heavy in technology stocks. These broad based index ETFs allow one to devise a strategy to move into various broad based sectors when the time is right. For example, for extended periods it is sometimes true that technology stocks have outperformed the broader market. Other times, small capitalization stock have outperformed the market.

More Specific Sector ETFs

Sector rotation strategies are now practicable because of the number of specific sector ETFs that are now available. Exchange Traded Funds cover almost every conceivable sector of the economy, from transportation, to energy and gold. These ETFs are specific enough to ensure that at least some of the market segments will move up no matter what phase of the economic cycle the economy is in. Thus, sector rotation strategies that can give great returns are now possible without investing in individual stocks.

ETF rotation strategies must be nimble to move into the correct sector at the right time.

ETFs that Cover Specific Countries or Regions

The last type of ETF that is useful for creating sector rotation strategies are the country or region specific ETFs. ETFs in recent years have been created for very specific country indexes -there are country specific ETFs for countries (or regions) as small as Hong Kong, South Africa and even Belgium. These country specific ETFs allow the investor to devise a rotation strategy that moves into the “hot” region and then out again when another region is poised to outperform.

ETF Rotation Strategies – the Possibilities are Limitless!

Exchange Traded Funds exist that cover almost every part of the world’s markets – aggressive traders and investors have a whole world of opportunities (literally) to profit from.