ETF Strategist - Fixed Income

Top 10 Tech ETFs of the Past Three Years

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Top 10 Tech ETFs in Past 3 Years

As the JPMorgan Chase trading loss and European debt mess rekindle memories of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, it’s easy to forget how much U.S. stocks have bounced back since then. Until the recent turbulence, the major indices were at notable level. Specifically, the tech sector was at its highest level since the bubble days of a decade ago. And despite all the hand wringing of late, the Nasdaq Composite is still only off some 5 percent from its April peak. Given tech’s market leadership th
Photo: Jin Lee | Bloomberg | Getty Images

As the JPMorgan Chase trading loss and European debt mess rekindle memories of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, it’s easy to forget how much U.S. stocks have bounced back since then. Until the recent turbulence, the major indices were at notable levels. Specifically, the tech sector was at its highest level since the bubble days of a decade ago. And despite all the hand wringing of late, the Nasdaq Composite is still only off some 5 percent from its April peak.

Given tech’s market leadership this year and the emerging comparisons to the crisis of several years ago, we rounded up the 10 best performance tech ETFs over the past three years. (More specifically, the period covers the markets’ crisis low of March 9, 2009, to the March 26, 2012, peak.)

Though you’ll recognize some big names and old favorites among the funds’ top-five holdings, you’ll be surprised by what’s missing in many of them, as well as the overall diversity.

Click ahead to see the best-performing tech ETFS.

Posted 14 May 2012

Sources: performance and rankings from Morningstar; holdings from Fidelity (though May 10.)

10. iShares S&P North American Technology-Software Index Fund (IGV)

32.74 percent Microsoft Salesforce.com Oracle Intuit Adobe Systems
Photo: David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
32.74 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
Microsoft
Salesforce.com
Oracle
Intuit
Adobe Systems

9. iShares S&P North American Technology Index Fund (IGM)

33.84 percent Apple Microsoft IBM Google Intel
Photo: JB Reed | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
33.84 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
Apple
Microsoft
IBM
Google
Intel

8. Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight Technology (RYT)

35.24 percent Red Hat eBay VeriSign Teradata Citrix Systems
Photo: Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
35.24 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
Red Hat
eBay
VeriSign
Teradata
Citrix Systems

7. iShares Dow Jones US Technology Sector Index Fund (IYW)

35.49 percent Apple Microsoft IBM Google Intel
Photo: Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
35.49 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
Apple
Microsoft
IBM
Google
Intel

6. USD Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT)

35.78 percent Apple IBM Microsoft Google Intel
Photo: Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
35.78 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
Apple
IBM
Microsoft
Google
Intel

5. USD First Trust Technology AlphaDEX Fund (FXL)

37.73 percent NCR Equinox Hewlett-Packard Western Digital Apple
Photo: Tony Avelar | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
37.73 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
NCR
Equinox
Hewlett-Packard
Western Digital
Apple

4. First Trust NASDAQ 100 Technology Sector Index Fund (QTEC)

38.23 percent Seagate Technology VeriSign Citrix Systems BMC Software Cerner
Photo: Tony Avelar | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
38.23 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
Seagate Technology
VeriSign
Citrix Systems
BMC Software
Cerner

3. First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (FDN)

41.62 percent Google Amazon.Com eBay Priceline.com Yahoo!
Photo: Kimihiro Hoshino | AFP | Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
41.62 percent

Top-Five Holdings:
Google
Amazon.Com
eBay
Priceline.com
Yahoo!

2. PowerShares Dynamic Networking Portfolio (PXQ)

43.82 percent Citrix VMWare F5Networks Motorola Solutions Qualcomm
Photo: Mark Templeton | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
43.82 percent

Top Five Holdings:
Citrix
VMWare
F5Networks
Motorola Solutions
Qualcomm

1. PowerShares Nasdaq Internet Portfolio (PNQI)

46.59 percent Amazon.com Pricline.com eBay Google Baidu
Photo: Getty Images

Three-Year Gain:
46.59 percent

Top Five Holdings:
Amazon.com
Priceline.com
eBay
Google
Baidu