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Americas’ Oil Price War Could Boost Refiner-Heavy ETF

Summary Canada and Mexico are competiting to sell to refiners in the Gulf Coast. Greater competition could cause more discounts to the benefit of refiners. An energy-sector ETF with a heavy refiner exposure. As Canada and Mexico compete for oil processing along the U.S. Gulf Coast, West Texas Intermediate oil prices may remain depressed, but oil refiners and sector-related exchange traded funds could come out on top. The new Seaway Twin pipeline could double the amount of heavy Canadian crude oil to the Gulf, pressuring crude from Mexico and Venezuela that have traditionally fed refineries along Texas and Louisiana, Bloomberg reports. The greater competition could cut down costs for oil refiners. For instance, in December, state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos raised its discount for U.S. buyers by the most since August 2013. Now, Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO ) and Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE: MPC ), which invested in equipment to refine heavy crude, will benefit the most from the increased Canadian supply. While there are no specific oil refiner ETFs available, the PowerShares Dynamic Energy Exploration & Production Portfolio (NYSEARCA: PXE ) is a refiner heavy ETF , with components like the Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY ), which like Exxon (NYSE: XOM ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) is an integrated oil firm and has refining operations, and PXE features four pure play refiners among its top 10 holdings for a combined 18% of the ETF’s overall holdings. Specifically, VLO is 5.2% and MPC is 5.0%. The U.S. Gulf Coast remains the go-to area for heavy crude oil processing in the Americas. Consequently, Latin American countries will fight to maintain their spot in the U.S. “U.S. refineries built out their capacity to run heavy barrels,” John Auers, executive vice president at Dallas-based Turner Mason & Co, said in the Bloomberg article. “Refineries in the rest of world aren’t built to run heavy barrels.” Consequently, in an attempt to stay competitive, Mexico’s discount to refineries and its reliance on oil revenue could also weigh on the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (NYSEARCA: EWW ) . While EWW has no exposure to the energy sector, oil sales still accounts for over 25% of Mexico’s government revenue . WTI crude was down 2.5% Monday to $53.4 per barrel. The United States Oil Fund (NYSEARCA: USO ) , which tracks West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures, has plunged 40.9% over the past three months. PowerShares Dynamic Energy Exploration & Production Portfolio (click to enlarge)

Best ETF Strategies For 2015

Stocks are on their way to close this year on a strong note–with the S&P 500 index up 15% year to date-the third consecutive year of double-digit growth for the index. With the economy growing at the fastest clip in more than a decade, stocks are expected to continue their upward move, as companies will be able to boost their profits. Plunging energy prices and low interest rates will further benefit stocks. At the same time, after a bull run of almost six years, stocks are not cheap. And with the Fed expected to start raising rates sometime next year, many wonder how long the stock market party can go on. As we head into 2015, it may be a good time to look at the investment landscape and reposition your investment portfolio for the new year. Can the Bull Run Continue in 2015? U.S. stocks are still more attractive compared to most other asset classes and investors should continue to favor them in coming months as well. The Fed has gone out of its way in assuring investors that it will be “patient” in raising rates. Some may argue that rising rates will kill the stock market rally, but history tells us that the initial phase of rate increase is almost always accompanied by higher stock prices. And the reasons are clear-the increase in rates reflects an improving economy and lower risk of deflation-which are positive for stocks. Thus, stocks are the place to be in next year. Top Sectors for 2015 My favorite sectors for 2015 are Technology, Retail and Financial. Many U.S. corporates have accumulated huge piles of cash on their balance sheets and as the economy gathers steam, they should be more inclined to increase spending on R&D and Capex, benefiting tech firms. Low oil prices and slowly rising wages are good for U.S. consumers. Strong holiday sales suggest that consumer spending will grow as plunging oil prices increase disposable incomes. Financials have come a long way since the great recession with much healthier balance sheets and improved risk management systems in place. With improving economy, the sector has been able to grow earnings and increase dividend payouts. The Vanguard Technology ETF (NYSEARCA: VGT ), SPDR Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT ) and SPDR Financials ETF (NYSEARCA: XLF ) are worth considering. Many energy stocks and ETFs look enticingly cheap now but I think it would be better to wait till we see some signs of oil prices bottoming out, unless you can stomach high volatility in anticipation of gains over much longer period. What to Expect from the Bond Market? Robust economic growth in the U.S. in the face of soft economic conditions in many other parts of the world, coupled with accommodative monetary policy worked great for bonds. In fact, the unexpected rally in the Treasury bond market this year surprised most. Treasury bonds-in particular longer term– may continue to benefit from heavy buying by foreign investors, as long as interest rates remain ultra-low in Europe and Japan, the U.S. dollar continues to strengthen and long term inflation expectations remain benign. Shorter term yields however may rise in anticipation of fed funds rate hike and thus the trend of yield curve flattening may continue next year. Municipal bonds were also big winners this year as investors poured $23.9 billion into municipal debt funds due to their tax benefits and relatively “safe” status. With flat supply expected in 2015 , municipal bonds may continue to outperform. Emerging Markets-Winners and Losers? With the plunge in oil prices, emerging markets landscape has undergone a significant change. Countries like China and India are among the biggest beneficiaries of cheap oil. China is the second largest importer of oil in the world and each $1 decline in oil price saves the country $2.1 billion annually. India relies on imports for 75% of its energy needs and oil accounts for about a third of its imports. Further, the government spends a lot on fuel subsidies. Declining oil prices will not only help the country narrow down its trade and budget deficit but also bring down inflation. With easing inflation, the central bank will be able to lower interest rates, boosting economic growth. Take a look at WisdomTree India Earnings ETF (NYSEARCA: EPI ). Indonesia and Thailand are also set to gain from the precipitous decline in oil prices. On the other hand, Russia and Venezuela in particular are likely to experience further pain next year. Prepare for Higher Volatility Markets saw some bouts of high volatility this year but in general the indexes maintained their positive momentum. Investors should however prepare themselves for more twists and turns in 2015 as the Fed moves closer to normalization of monetary policy. Geopolitical risks may further add to the uncertainty. Consider adding some low volatility ETFs-like SPDR S&P Low Volatility ETF (NYSEARCA: SPLV ) and iShares MSCI Minimum Volatility ETF (NYSEARCA: USMV ) to the portfolio. These not only shine during highly volatile market environments but also deliver superior risk adjusted returns over longer term.

5 Strong Buy Technology Mutual Funds To Bet On

More often than not the technology sector is likely to report above-par earnings than other sectors, as the demand for technology and innovation remains high. However, technology stocks are considered to be more volatile than other sector-specific stocks in the short run. In order to minimize this short-term volatility almost all tech funds adopt a growth management style with a focus on strong fundamentals and a relatively higher investment horizon. Investors having an above-par appetite for risk and fairly longer investment horizon should park their savings in these funds. Below, we will share with you 5 top-rated technology mutual funds. Each has earned a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) as we expect these mutual funds to outperform their peers in the future. Fidelity Select Software & Comp Portfolio (MUTF: FSCSX ) seeks capital growth. The fund invests a lion’s share of its assets in companies whose primary operations are related to software or information-based services. Investments are made in both domestic and foreign companies. The fund uses fundamental analysis to select companies for investment purposes. The non-diversified technology mutual fund has a one year return of 10.5%. This fund has an expense ratio of 0.78% as compared to category average of 1.55%. T. Rowe Price Science & Technology Advisor (MUTF: PASTX ) invests a large portion of its assets throughout the world in the common stocks of companies that benefit from the development and use of technology. It may sell securities in order to secure gains, curtail losses and reinvest assets. The technology mutual fund has a one year return of 14%. Kennard W. Allen is the fund manager and has managed the fund since 2009. Columbia Global Technology Growth A (MUTF: CTCAX ) seeks capital growth. The fund invests a major share of its assets in companies from the technology sector that benefit from advancement and the development of technology. It invests a minimum of 40% of its assets in foreign companies. It may invest in companies irrespective of their market capitalizations. The non-diversified technology mutual fund has a one-year return of 19.8%. As of October 2014, this fund held 123 issues with 5.52% invested in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL ) Fidelity Advisor Electronics A (MUTF: FELAX ) invests heavily in companies involved in manufacturing, designing and distribution of electronic components. The fund invests in firms throughout the world. Factors such as financial strength and economic conditions are considered for investment decisions. The non-diversified technology mutual fund has a one-year return of 40.3%. Stephen Barwikowski is the fund manager and has managed the fund since 2009. Columbia Seligman Communications & Information A (MUTF: SLMCX ) seeks capital growth over the long run. The fund invests a lion’s share of its assets in companies engaged in operations related to communications and information sector. It may also invest in sectors such as information technology and media. It invests a maximum of 25% of its assets in non-U.S. companies. The non-diversified technology mutual fund has a one-year return of 29.6%. This fund has an expense ratio of 1.41% as compared to category average of 1.55%. Now that you’ve read this, are you Bullish or Bearish on ? Bullish Bearish Sentiment on ( ) Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Why are you ? Submit & View Results Skip to results » Share this article with a colleague