Tuesday's ETF Winners & Losers

Energy-related exchange-traded funds were among the worst decliners Tuesday, as traders anticipated that a government report expected Wednesday will show stocks of oil and gas are continuing to rise.

Energy traders also turned their attention away from the Nigerian strike to questions involving Venezuelan production. Exxon Mobil(XOM Quote) and ConocoPhillips(COP Quote) still have not come to an agreement with Venezuela's state-run oil company allowing the companies to continue to pump there. The front-month crude contract was recently down $1.22 to $67.96 a barrel.

The PowerShares DB Oil (DBO Quote) was falling 51 cents, or 1.9%, to $26.77. The United States Oil (USO Quote) ETF was down 96 cents, or 1.8%, to $51. The iShares Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration Index (IEO Quote) was lower by 93 cents, or 1.5%, to $58.55. The iPath S&P Crude Oil Index (OIL Quote) ETF was losing 69 cents, or 1.7%, to $37.51.

ETFs tracking silver and gold were also among the worst performers. Silver futures fell by 69 cents to $12.19 an ounce. Gold futures were losing $8.90 to $643 an ounce.

The iShares Silver Trust (SLV Quote) was down $7.22, or 5.3%, to $121.03. The PowerShares DB Silver (DBS Quote) ETF was down $1.35, or 5%, to $24. The Market Vectors Gold Miners (GDX Quote) eased 92 cents, or 2.4%, to $36.93. The iShares COMEX Gold Trust (IAU Quote) shed $1.01, or 1.4%, to $63.52.

Among winners, the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Medical Devices (IHI Quote) was up 1.7%, thanks to headlines out of Medtronic (MDT Quote).

Late Monday, Medtronic said that the Supreme Court will decide whether patients can seek state court remedies against the company, even though its balloon catheter medical device won premarket approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Medtronic was higher by 1.4%, and the ETF was gaining 90 cents to $54.91.

Also in the health sector, the Pharmaceutical HOLDRs (PPH Quote) was rising thanks to gains of 1.9% or more in holdings Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY Quote), Wyeth (WYE Quote) and Merck (MRK Quote). The ETF was adding $1.18, or 1.5%, to $81.97.