Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (
GDX) is up 0.2% and
its companion Market Vectors Gold Minors Junior ETF (
GDXJ) is down
0.4%.
Commodities -
United States Oil Fund (
USO) is up 0.9%. United State Natural Gas
Fund (
UNG) is up 0.5%. SPDR Gold Shares (
GLD) is up 0.1%. iShares
Silver Trust (
SLV) is up 0.4%.
ETF Power Play:
SPDR S&P Retail ETF (
XRT) is off earlier lows, trading just in
negative territory and ranging between 47.60 and 46.38, in light early
volume Monday. The fund is already in the upper end of the 52-week
range of 34.09 and 47.46 and may have trouble aggressively extending
that upside boundary.
Despite lukewarm early market reaction, initial analysis of the
shopping season is largely favorable. The National Retail Federation
said 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the weekend,
up from 195 million last year, with the average shopper spending 6.4%
more than a year ago.
Other funds expected to be in play in regular trading: Merrill
Lynch Retail HOLDRs (
RTH); iShares S&P Global Consumer
Discretionary Sector Index Fund (
RXI); Consumer Discretionary Select
Sector SPDR Fund (
XLY); Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (
XLP);
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Goods Sector Index Fund (
IYK); Vanguard
Consumer Discretionary ETF (
VCR); and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF
(
VDC).
Amazon.com (
AMZN) is up 1.5%, adding to modest pre-market gains and
geting a boost as what's become known as Cyber Monday shopping is
expected to help the season pick up the pace considerably. Reuters said
that online activity is up more than 30% over a year ago and that half
of all retailers were shifting Cyber Monday to effectively create a
Cyber Sunday.
Internet HOLDRs (
HHH) is lightly traded in pre-market trading but is expected to gain in step with AMZN's move.