NEW YORK ( ETF Expert) --Investing in stock assets when the S&P 500 is hitting fresh highs can be as dangerous as driving on a yet-to-be-plowed stretch of highway. You may get to your destination without a hitch. Then again, you might spin out of control and crash.
At present, both the eurozone's ongoing recession and "Snowmageddon" on the East Coast are likely to have an adverse impact on U.S. economic growth. It follows that a blind allocation in a blizzard is ill-advised. Traditionally, clean-up efforts have been beneficial to corporations like Home Depot ( HD) and Lowe's ( LOW). Reconstruction endeavors have also been positive for the homebuilders. In theory, you may even see a jolt to the automakers if enough cars are destroyed by this weekend's snow superstorm. There's little reason to doubt that repairs and rebuilding will occur after the snowfall stops. On the other hand, homebuilders and automakers have already had a remarkable run. Indeed, it may be more sensible to pursue beneficiaries that have not pole-vaulted quite as high over the previous three to six months. For example, according to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), the price of retail gas has rocketed 30 cents in the last month alone. By way of comparison, natural gas prices have been tame. If one accepts the idea that a snowstorm of the projected magnitude is likely to push heating costs higher, and if one looks at residential heating oil prices outpacing retail gasoline over the previous eight winters, it is reasonable to anticipate bigger profits for the natural gas producers. Enter First Trust Natural Gas ( FCG). Whereas the Dow and the S&P 500 have risen way above the highs of September 2012, FCG is still recovering. Only recently has this exchange-traded tracker of natural gas companies climbed back above a long-term 200-day trendline.
