Tuesday's ETF Winners & Losers

Exchange-traded funds tracking homebuilders were among the best performers Tuesday. Shortly after the session began, the National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on sales contracts signed, rose 0.7% to 109.3 in February, from 108.5 in January.

The iShares Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction(ITB Quote) ETF was rising 2.2% at $34.49. The SPDR Homebuilders(XHB Quote) ETF was higher by 2.1% at $32.83.

The Internet Infrastructure HOLDRs(IIH Quote) ETF was another winner. Holdings Akamai Technologies(AKAM Quote), BEA Systems(BEAS Quote) and Internap Network Services(INAP Quote) were adding 2% or more, and the ETF was climbing 14 cents, or 2.7%, to $5.28.

Other winners include Retail HOLDRs(RTH Quote), which rose 1.6% as holdings Best Buy(BBY Quote), Home Depot(HD Quote), Lowe's(LOW Quote) and Target(TGT Quote) were all higher by 2% or greater. The retail ETF was gaining $1.65 to $103.33.

Elsewhere, bundled securities tracking the energy sector were among the worst performers of the day. The front-month May crude contract fell hard after Iran's top international negotiator, Ali Larijani, suggested discussions with Britain in order to resolve the captive situation peacefully.

Iran nabbed 15 British sailors and marines while they were searching vessels in the Persian Gulf on March 23 and has held them since. Crude prices were recently losing $1.73 at $64.21 a barrel.

The United States Oil(USO Quote) ETF was recently down 2.2% to $52.40. The iPath Goldman Sachs Crude Oil Index(OIL Quote) ETF eased 2.2% to $38.24. The PowerShares Dynamic Energy Exploration(PXE Quote) ETF was shedding 0.5% to $20.40. The Oil Services HOLDRs(OIH Quote) ETF was recently lower by 0.2% to $148.26.