Dion's Thursday ETF Winners and Losers

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Welcome to Don Dion's "ETF Winners and Losers." Be sure to stop by throughout the week to find out which ETFs are gaining or losing.

Winners

iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures ETN (VXX) 3.3%

Worrisome reports out of China and Europe helped the markets get off on a shaky note. The downward action has persisted even after this week's initial jobless claims report noted another decline. VXX's strength marks the ETN's first day of gains in six sessions.

CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) 1.2%

As major stock market indices slide, investors are venturing back into safe haven asset classes. This strength is encouraging for investors with exposure to FXY. After weeks of stumbling, the fund appears to be showing signs of stabilizing. In the event that jitters persist, the yen could be in for additional upside action.

The yen is not alone in pushing higher. ETFs linked to the nation's equity markets are also seeing slight gains. The MAXIS Nikkei 225 Index Fund (NKY) is up over 0.3%.

Losers

iPath Dow Jones UBS Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN (GAZ) -4.7%

ETFs and ETNs linked to natural gas are sliding into the second half of the trading week, weighed down by reignited investor fears. GAZ and FCG are both off around 4% heading into the close. However, GAZ's losses can be partially attributed to the ETN's premium.

Other components of the energy spectrum are taking lumps. A three-day slide has caused the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP) to revisit its 50-day moving average. The futures-tracking United States Oil Fund (USO) is also suffering losses.

ETFS Physical Palladium Shares (PALL) -4.6%

Growth fears are weighing heavily on industry linked metals. As the bullion-backed palladium ETF slides to its lowest level since the middle of January, miners are also taking a shot across the bow. The SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (XME) is off over 3% during mid-day trading.

Despite its designation as a safe haven, gold is offering little protection from today's downturn. Shares of the iShares Gold Trust (IAU) are off nearly 0.5%.

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