As I learn what is out there in the ETF universe, I discovered this 2/4/2009 article on Seeking Alpha. It was informative for me and I hope you enjoy it too.
ETF Ideas for a Time of Uncertainty
Investors and traders alike can profit by paying attention to equity sectors. We monitor sectors via our ETF universe. Every day we generate ratings for each ETF using a combination of Trend, Cycle, and a bit of Anticipation. Our model has a time horizon of about thirty days, drawing upon a sophisticated interpretation of market indicators. (For new readers, there is a more complete description of our methods and ratings at the end of the article.)
A Negative Picture
The main theme of our sector survey is negative. Only five ETFs earn a buy rating, which requires that the ETF meet two tests. A sector must have a positive strength rating on either a trend or cyclical basis. Second, it must not be in the "penalty box," where we put sectors that violate various technical criteria. You can think of it as a stop loss, but more sophisticated.
Three of the five sectors are inverse ETFs, so this is actually a negative signal. One of the two genuine long positions is the Market Vectors Gold Miners (GDX), which is a defensive play. The only true long is the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Medical Devices Index Fund (IHI), which has a modest positive rating, perhaps spurred by Obama speculation.
...." [continued, and includes informative list]
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1183...of-uncertainty
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