Dion's ETF Winners and Losers: VXX, ITB, DXJ

After scoring one of the top spots on Monday's losers list, the fear-tracking VXX ETN has managed to recover some of its lost ground.

Author:: Don Dion
Publish date:: Mar 27, 2012 3:16 PM EDT

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) - Get Report

7.0%

After scoring one of the top spots on Monday's losers list, the fear-tracking VXX ETN has managed to stage a comeback, recovering some of its lost ground. This bounce comes after the volatile instrument locked in all-time lows.

With its premium nearly wiped out, the

VelocityShares Daily 2X VIX Short Term ETN

(TVIX) - Get Report

is also staging a comeback, capping a four-day string of losses.

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction Index Fund

(ITB) - Get Report

2.7%

This morning's Case-Shiller data indicated that housing prices continued to drop in January, tumbling to their lowest level since the start of 2003. Despite this disappointing news, homebuilders are reacting favorably, with ITB and the

SPDR S&P Homebuilder ETF

(XHB) - Get Report

locking in gains.

The past week's economic data have helped to remind investors that the U.S. real estate industry is still riddled in uncertainty. Tread carefully here.

WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity ETF

(DXJ) - Get Report

1.2%

Japan-related ETFs are pushing higher as the Nikkei 225 surges toward levels seen prior to last year's earthquake and tsunami. While the

iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund

(EWJ) - Get Report

is scoring gains, it is being trumped by DXJ. This WisdomTree-sponsored fund has managed to carve out a leadership position during the opening quarter of 2012. Its standout strength stems from its currency hedge strategy.

Losers

Market Vectors Vietnam ETF

(VNM) - Get Report

-2.8%

After two days of gains, the Vietnam ETF is retreating to March lows. Although the inherently volatile product kicked off the month on a strong note, during the final month of the quarter, it appears to have run out of steam. A resurgence of confidence may be enough to spur it further, but investors should use extreme caution here.

iPath Dow Jones UBS Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN

(GAZ) - Get Report

-2.7%

GAZ's losing streak has extended into its fourth day as the ETN's heavy premium continues to deflate. For weeks I've warned that this type of action would occur when the product reverts to its underlying index. Continue to watch from the sidelines. At 54%, the premium still has room to fall.

Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF

(GDXJ) - Get Report

-2.3%

Comments from

Fed

Chairman Ben Bernanke helped to inject some confidence into gold miners and other gold-related ETFs. The strength, however, appears to be abating, leading GDXJ and the

iShares Gold Trust

(IAU) - Get Report

to losses.

A number of other precious metals-related funds are heading south. One notable exception is the platinum-tracking

ETFS Physical Platinum ETF

(PPLT) - Get Report

, which is sitting in positive territory.

All prices as of 2:13 PM DST

Written by Don Dion in Williamstown, Mass.

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