Tuesday's ETF Winners & Losers

Exchange-traded funds tracking the financial and real estate sectors continued their seesaw Tuesday, trading up on news that some key players were better positioning themselves in the ongoing liquidity crisis.

In the financial space, Countrywide Financial(CFC) was on the rise, after the Wall Street Journal reported that superinvestor Warren Buffett could be interested in buying parts of it. Capital One(COF) was also making gains, despite shutting down its GreenPoint Mortgage unit and eliminating 1,900 jobs. Investors cheered the move away from the mortgage space.

The WisdomTree International Financial(DRF) was gaining 87 cents, or 3.3%, to $26.98. The PowerShares FTSE RAFI Financials(PRFF) was rising 71 cents, or 1.4%, to $50.07. The PowerShares Dynamic Banking(PJB) was advancing 31 cents, or 1.4%, to $22.80.

Funds tracking real estate investment trusts also were performing well. Archstone-Smith Trust(ASN) and Vornado Realty Trust(VNO) were both rising about 3%.

The First Trust S&P REIT(FRI) was adding 44 cents, or 2.5%, to $17.76. The iShares FTSE NAREIT Real Estate 50(FTY) was gaining 87 cents, or 2%, to $43.37. The iShares FTSE NAREIT Residential(REZ) was adding 66 cents, or 1.7%, to $46.91.

Technology-related ETFs also had a solid day, as the Nasdaq 100 index climbed about 17 points to 1910. The Internet Infrastructure HOLDRs(IIH) was rising 11 cents, or 2.4%, to $4.73. The PowerShares Dynamic Hardware & Cons Elec(PHW) was adding 25 cents, or 1.4%, to $18.38. The First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index(FDN) was gaining 35 cents, or 1.5%, to $23.84.

Concerns about Hurricane Dean's impact on drilling facilities in the Gulf of Mexico subsided as the storm weakened, sinking ETFs tacking the sector. Crude futures fell $1.65 to $69.47. Natural gas slipped 22 cents to $5.82.

The Ultra Oil & Gas ProShares(DIG) was losing $2.83, or 3.1%, to $88.63. The United States Natural Gas(UNG) ETF was off 91 cents, or 2.4%, to $37.79. The SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services(XES) was sinking 88 cents, or 2.5%, to $34.96. The PowerShares DB Oil(DBO) was losing 28 cents, or 1.1%, to $25.82.

Silver-related funds were also among the losers, as silver futures declined 23 cents to $11.51.

The iShares Silver Trust(SLV) was losing $2.79, or 2.4%, to $114.50. The PowerShares DB Silver(DBS) was off 39 cents or 1.7%, to $22.74.

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