Top Performing U.S. ETFs to Start the New Year
The new year is off to a rocky start, with many of the most popular stock and bond funds falling in the first three days of 2024. But there are still plenty of ETFs with different strategies that are seeing big returns to kick off the year. Through Jan. 4, these are the five top performing U.S. ETFs with at least $100 million in assets under management that are not leveraged or inverse funds:
1. United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)
The United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) has been by far the best performer through the first three days of the year, gaining more than double the second-place ETF. The fund buys futures contracts for natural gas, which have spiked in the opening days of 2024. However, commodity prices can be volatile, and the UNG’s return could shrink if Friday morning’s decline for natural gas proves to be a directional change.
2. ETFMG U.S. Alternative Harvest ETF (MJUS)
Both the ETFMG U.S. Alternative Harvest ETF (MJUS) and AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (MSOS) have been long-term underperformers, but do occasionally enjoy sharp rallies. MJUS tracks the volatile sector of marijuana stocks and has shown promising results.
3. AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (MSOS)
Similar to MJUS, AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (MSOS) focuses on the marijuana sector, offering potential investment opportunities amid periods of market volatility. While historically an underperformer, MSOS has experienced notable spikes in returns.
4. ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO)
ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) tracks bitcoin futures and has witnessed a significant hot streak over the past few months. The rally in bitcoin futures is associated with the growing expectation that spot bitcoin ETFs will be allowed to launch in the U.S., potentially posing competition for BITO.
5. AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL)
The AGF U.S. Market Neutral Anti-Beta Fund (BTAL) provides a more complex investment strategy. It utilizes long and short positions to act as a counterweight to broad equity funds in investor portfolios. BTAL has shown a 5% increase so far this year and is included on the list for its non-directional nature, distinguishing it from many inverse sector funds.
While alternative investment strategies like long-short funds can outshine in volatile or bear market conditions, they can also be expensive over the long-term. BTAL, for example, has a net expense ratio of 1.43%.