Select ETFs Soaring To Start the New Year (KOL, DGP, GDX, UNG, USO, TAN, GRN, ICLN, QCLN)

Stock picking can get tricky in volatile sectors, but investors can ride hot trends with a variety of exchange-traded funds.

At this point, there isn’t much that can’t be traded using some form of exchange-traded funds (ETF), and that is great news for investors in all strategies. Last week we highlighted how various ETFs that can be used to help hedge against downside risk. Now it’s time to look at some hot segments where ETF investors have already netted sizable gains in 2010.

A weak U.S. dollar and continued optimism for a global economic rebound have helped drive various commodities higher in recent weeks. The trend has helped components of the Commodity ETFs Index, many of which have added more than 5% over the last week.

The Market Vectors-Coal ETF (KOL), PowerShares DB Gold Double Long ETN (DGP), and Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) have all shot up by 8% or more in the past five sessions. Meanwhile, rising energy prices have helped the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) and United States Oil Fund (USO) by more than 2.5% respectively.

A look at tickerspy’s best Indexes over the last month shows that solar Indexes occupy the top two spots. Investors familiar with the sector know that it can be quite volatile, and with individual contracts often moving only select components, stock picking can get tricky. Thankfully for inactive solar bulls there is an ETF play on the segment. The Claymore/MAC Global Solar Index Fund (TAN) has added more than nearly 8% in just the last five sessions.

The iPath Global Carbon ETN (GRN), iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund (ICLN), and First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund (QCLN) have also helped the Green ETFs Index over the last week.

For more ETF investing ideas, check out the ETFs SuperIndex at tickerspy.com.

Tags: DGP, GDX, GRN, ICLN, KOL, QCLN, TAN, UNG, USO