Dion's Weekly ETF Blog Wrap

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Don Dion posts his current insights on the stock, bond, commodity and currency markets in his RealMoney blog, anticipating which ETFs will be in play next.

Here are three of his blog posts from the past week:

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Focus on Gaming

Published 7/22/2011 11:18 a.m. EDT

Whatever your view of the gaming industry, there is no question that it has been one of the best sector plays of the past few months. Despite high unemployment and sluggish economic growth in the U.S., big gaming names have posted impressive earnings this year, and the Market Vectors Gaming ETF (BJK) has hit a series of all-time highs.

I am long BJK, whose top holdings include Las Vegas Sands (LVS)(12.69%), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) (9.79%), Genting Bhd (6.23%), Crown (3.72%) and SJM Holdings (3.53%). Right now, this is the only ETF that offers focused gaming exposure.

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Some of the unfamiliar names on this list point to one of the reasons the gaming sector is flourishing. It is truly a global industry. Genting, for instance, is a Malaysian company with a significant presence in Southeast Asia. SJM is one of the six companies with a license to operate in Macau, the former Portuguese enclave in China, which is now the world's biggest gaming destination.

The latest good earnings news from Wynn and record-setting numbers from Las Vegas Sands in the first quarter have given BJK the impetus to move higher, so it's one of my ETFs to watch for next week.

Although BJK is focused exclusively on gaming, there are other funds that provide indirect exposure to the space. Real estate investment trust (REIT) ETFs such as the Vanguard REIT ETF (VNQ) or the iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund (ICF) often have hotel and resort property managers lurking in their holdings.

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