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) 2.4%

A mixed earnings showing from Best Buy (BBY) and a string of uninspiring economic reports has helped to muddle investor confidence. As indices head lower, the fear index and ETNs like VXX are seeing a bounce. The past three days of upward action marks VXX's longest winning streak since early February.

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Healthcare Providers Index Fund (IHF) 1.2%

Since bottoming in October 2011, IHF has staged a multi-month rally that has helped it recover toward all-time highs. On Thursday, top holdings including UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Aetna (AET) and Cigna (CI) were leading the pack.

Despite targeting a noncyclical sector like health care, IHF's top-heavy portfolio may leave it vulnerable to a shakeup. UNH alone accounts for more than 12% of its assets.

Currency Shares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) 0.6%

The Japanese yen and long-term U.S. treasuries stand out as some of the few winners to come from this choppy trading session. The iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund (TLT) has managed to stage a nice bounce off its 200-day moving average. In the near term, it will be interesting to see if the strong spell continues.

Losers

iPath Dow Jones UBS Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN (GAZ) -6.9%

The GAZ bubble continues to deflate as the weekend approaches. The ETN's recent string of losses has caused it to retreat to levels last seen prior to its February run-up. Despite this selloff, GAZ's premium still stands at more than 60%.

The futures-tracking United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) is also taking lumps. Today's losses have pushed the fund to all-time lows.

Global X Uranium ETF (URA) -3.6%

A three-day string of losses has pushed the URA to its lowest level since mid-January. The nuclear industry isn't the only corner of the alternative energy sector that is taking a hit, though. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) is following up yesterday's steep decline with another round of losses.

iShares MSCI Italy Index Fund (EWI) -2.8%

A broad collection of international ETFs can be found toward the top of the losers list. In addition to EWI, investors are watching Asia-linked funds like the iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund (EWH), the iShares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund (EWT) and the Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (VNM) head lower.

All prices as of 2:10 PM DST

Written by Don Dion in Williamstown, Mass.

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At the time of publication, Dion Money Management had no positions in equities mentioned.