iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF (ARCA: VEGI)

最新ニュース iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF (ARCA:VEGI)

iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers Fund

Consumer Defensive

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The fund generally will invest at least 90% of its assets in the component securities of the underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of the underlying index. The index measures the combined performance of equity securities of companies in both developed and emerging markets that are primarily engaged in the business of agriculture. The fund is non-diversified.

Deere & Co.

Corteva Inc.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.

Nutrien Ltd

Bunge Global Sa

Kubota Corp

Cf Industries Holdings Inc.

Toro Co/the

Mosaic Co.

Cnh Industrial Nv

iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF

After President Donald Trump imposed an additional 10% levy on Chinese imports, China has retaliated with tariffs on major agricultural imports from the U.S. Many agricultural product manufacturers, suppliers, and related businesses are likely to be impacted by this move.
What Happened: China&#8217;s newly imposed tariffs will take effect from March 10, whereas the goods already in transit will be exempt until April 12, according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry.
These latest measures from Beijing target about $22 billion of American agriculture products that include one of its largest export worth $12 billion to China — Soybeans, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/da80beaf-d916-4125-a9bc-040a1f15942e?ref=biztoc.com">reported</a> FT. Chicken, pork, beef, corn, seafood, and cotton are among the 740 items with newly imposed tariffs.
These Chinese tariffs on agricultural products emerged after Trump&#8217;s joint Congress address, where he said that his tariff polices focused on protecting the American farmers.
&#8220;Because those goods that come in from other countries and companies, they're really, really in a bad position in so many different ways. They're uninspected. They may be very dirty and disgusting and they come in and they pour in and they hurt our American farmers,&#8221; said Trump at the Congress address. 
Following this, Beijing also halted U.S. timber imports, citing pest infestations such as recent detections of bark beetles and longhorn beetles.
Here&#8217;s a list of public companies involved with the manufacturing and supply of soybeans that could be impacted following China&#8217;s tariffs.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stocks</td>
<td>YTD Performance</td>
<td>One Year Performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seaboard Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEB#NYSE">SEB</a>)</td>
<td>22.89%</td>
<td>-6.81%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Corteva Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CTVA#NYSE">CTVA</a>)</td>
<td>7.49%</td>
<td>9.93%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Norfolk Southern Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NSC#NYSE">NSC</a>)</td>
<td>3.25%</td>
<td>-6.21%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADM#NYSE">ADM</a>)</td>
<td>-1.55%</td>
<td>-9.96%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bunge Global SA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BG#NYSE">BG</a>)</td>
<td>-2.54%</td>
<td>-19.41%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Here is the list of common agricultural industry exposed exchange-traded funds that could bear the brunt of tariffs on all 740 items.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>ETFs</td>
<td>YTD Performance</td>
<td>One Year Performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Teucrium Soybean Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOYB#NYSE">SOYB</a>)</td>
<td>-0.07%</td>
<td>-13.66%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Global X AgTech &amp; Food Innovation ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KROP#NASDAQ">KROP</a>)</td>
<td>6.98%</td>
<td>-4.02%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VanEck Agribusiness ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOO#NYSE">MOO</a>)</td>
<td>7.55%</td>
<td>-5.06%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First Trust Nasdaq Food &amp; Beverage ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FTXG#NASDAQ">FTXG</a>)</td>
<td>3.82%</td>
<td>-0.62%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VEGI#NYSE">VEGI</a>)</td>
<td>7.06%</td>
<td>2.50%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44213521/us-economic-slowdown-talk-of-the-town-says-economist-mohamed-el-erian-as-fed-chair-powell-reaffirms-growth-at-sol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Economic Slowdown ‘Talk Of The Town,' Says Economist Mohamed El-Erian As Fed Chair Powell Reaffirms Growth At ‘Solid Pace'</a>
Why It Matters: While tariffs are inherently considered to be inflationary, some analysts have opined otherwise. According to Louis Navellier of Navellier &amp; Associates, "The anxiety over tariffs may be holding back some consumers, but I want to assure you that I do not expect most tariffs to be inflationary. As an example, the tariffs that have been imposed on China are expected to be suppressed by Chinese deflation as well as a weak Chinese yuan."
On Sunday, Trump acknowledged the potential of short-term turbulence and didn&#8217;t rule out recession stemming from his economic agenda. In a Fox News <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoRzZWLHa8M">interview</a>, he said, "I hate to predict things like that" and called the changes being brought about by his administration as "very big."
However, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed recession fears, saying the U.S. is in a &#8220;transition&#8221; as President Trump plans broad reciprocal tariffs. "There's going to be no recession… Global tariffs will drop," Lutnick <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/commerce-secretary-lutnick-americans-shouldnt-brace-recession-rcna195522">told</a> NBC's Meet the Press.
Additionally, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/07/cnbc-transcript-united-states-treasury-secretary-scott-bessent-speaks-with-cnbcs-squawk-box-today.html">warned</a> Friday that the U.S. economy is overly dependent on government spending, predicting a &#8220;detox period.&#8221;
Price Action: The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell in premarket on Monday. SPY lost 1.29% to fall at $568.50 level, and QQQ declined 1.47% to $484.55, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Read Next:
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Global

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CTVA

FTXG

KROP

SOYB

VEGI

China Hits Its Largest US Import, Soybeans, With Tariffs Along With Other Agricultural Products: Here's A List Of Stocks, ETFs That Could Be Impacted

Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CTVA#NYSE">CTVA</a>) shares are trading lower after the company reported<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/07/n40081426/corteva-reports-second-quarter-and-first-half-2024-results-updates-full-year-guidance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> second-quarter 2024 revenue results</a>.:
Net sales of $6.11 billion missed the consensus of $6.159 billion. 
Revenue: 
<ul>
<li>North America rose by 2% Y/Y</li>
<li>EMEA declined by 6% Y/Y</li>
<li>Latin America increased by 7%</li>
<li>Asia Pacific fell 4% Y/Y in the quarter.</li>
</ul>
Volumes stayed flat compared to the previous year, as growth in Crop Protection countered a decline in Seed volumes.
Crop Protection volumes rose by 6% Y/Y, primarily due to increased demand for new products and spinosyns in Latin America and North America.
Seed volume declined 2% Y/Y due to earlier seasonal deliveries in&nbsp;North America,&nbsp;partly offset by the delayed season in EMEA&nbsp;into second quarter.
Operating EBITDA for the second quarter was $1.92 billion, reflecting a 10% increase Y/Y and about 250 basis points of margin improvement. Adjusted EPS&nbsp;of $1.83&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beat the consensus of&nbsp;$1.73</a>.
&#8220;Corteva&#8217;s results for the first half of 2024 were solid, led by the Seed business and overall operational execution,&#8221; CEO Chuck Magro said. &#8220;Our Seed business segment had another standout performance, hitting a new record for first-half operating EBITDA. This reflects the sustained strength of our product portfolio, as farmers continue to rely on our leading technology.&#8221;
&#8220;The Crop Protection market is showing signs of stabilization, however we continue to navigate competitive price pressures. &nbsp;We are encouraged by the Crop Protection business volume improvement in the second quarter and expect that to continue in the second half of the year.&#8221;
The company plans to repurchase approximately $1 billion worth of shares in 2024.
Outlook: Corteva sees FY24 operating EPS of&nbsp;$2.60-$2.80&nbsp;vs. consensus of&nbsp;$2.77&nbsp;and revenue&nbsp;of $17.2 billion-$17.5 billion&nbsp;vs&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">$17.37 billion estimate</a>.&nbsp;
CFO Appointment: The company also announced the retirement of CFO Dave Anderson, who will transition to a Strategic Advisor role until his retirement in Q1 2025. David Johnson will join as the new Executive Vice President and<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/07/n40081358/corteva-announces-cfo-dave-anderson-retirement-appoints-david-johnson-as-evp-chief-financial-offic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> CFO, effective Sept. 16, 2024</a>.
Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Global X AgTech &amp; Food Innovation ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KROP#NASDAQ">KROP</a>) and iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VEGI#NYSE">VEGI</a>).
Price Action: CTVA shares are down 2.25% at $54.84 premarket at the last check Thursday.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Movers

Agriculture Giant Corteva Shows Seed Strength, Latin America Revenue Spikes 7%

Schlumberger NV (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLB#NYSE">SLB</a>), Agco Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AGCO#NYSE">AGCO</a>) and Darling Ingredients Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DAR#NYSE">DAR</a>) are three American companies trading near 52-week lows. Benzinga&#8217;s fundamental and technical ratings signal that the stocks are trading below their intrinsic value, check technical boxes and could outperform <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/wall-street">Wall Street expectations</a>.
Benzinga Ratings: Benzinga generates rating overviews for publicly traded companies utilizing fundamentals and technicals. Fundamental analysis includes earnings per share (EPS), price-to-earnings (PE), price-to-book ratios, return on equity, and debt-equity ratios compared to public comps. Technical analysis uses buy and sell ratings, RSI and price trends.
Schlumberger Bull Case: Schlumberger, an off-shore drilling services company, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SLB">is rated &#8220;Good,&#8221;</a> performing well in fundamental and technical analysis.
The company specializes in using technology for processing data for reservoir exploration, carbon capture and drilling among other segments. 
The company&#8217;s stock has traded lower after encouraging signs of conflict resolution in the Middle East and an OPEC meeting in which members said they would start phasing out voluntary production cuts, according to <a href="https://benzinga.com/pro">Benzinga Pro</a>.
There are encouraging signs that Schlumberger can reverse course. In March, the company <a href="https://investorcenter.slb.com/news-releases/news-release-details/slb-announces-agreement-acquire-majority-ownership-aker-carbon">acquired</a> Aker Carbon Capture ASA (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AKCCF#OTC">AKCCF</a>) to improve the company&#8217;s carbon capture platform. 
In April, the company <a href="https://investorcenter.slb.com/news-releases/news-release-details/slb-announces-agreement-acquire-championx-all-stock-transaction">announced</a> the acquisition of the publicly traded ChampionX Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHX#NASDAQ">CHX</a>) in an all-stock deal. The deal will help Schlumberger&#8217;s production chemicals segment. SLB&#8217;s share price did not move off of either acquisition.
Schlumberger shares are trading at $43.69, up 1.13% on Thursday. The stock is down about 30.48% from its 52-week high, which is $62.12. The company recently increased its yearly dividend to $1.10.
Agco Corp Bull Case: Agco, an agricultural machinery manufacturer, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AGCO">is rated &#8220;Good.&#8221;</a>
Agco is a relatively small manufacturer of farming equipment. The company competes with the much larger Deere &amp; Co in high-end tractor equipment. While the company excelled throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, it has struggled recently along with the broader industry: iShares MSCI Agriculture Producers ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VEGI#NYSE">VEGI</a>) is down over 6% in the past year amid slowing demand.
Agco is trading at a low PE of 7. While the stock&#8217;s price has been beaten up, the company still commands a substantial market share in an industry with a <a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/io/agriculture/united-states">stable</a> compound annual growth rate. 
The Georgia-based company recently closed a deal to acquire Trimble to improve Agco&#8217;s agritech platform. The acquisition could be a future growth driver.
Agco shares are trading at $103.19, down 0.29% on Thursday. The company&#8217;s stock is down 24.89% from its 52-week high of $140.46.
Darling Ingredients Bull Case: Darling Ingredients, a natural ingredients producer, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DAR">is rated &#8220;Good.&#8221;</a>
The company transforms food and agriculture waste into sustainable ingredients for use in animal feed and energy, among other products. 
Darling saw rapid growth in the aftermath of the pandemic, jumping over 400% in a year. The company&#8217;s revenue and earnings growth and earnings have since declined. 
In particular, the company&#8217;s Diamond Green Diesel joint venture with Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VLO#NYSE">VLO</a>) has seen declining earnings.
Amid the company&#8217;s woes, its drawdown could mark an attractive time for investors optimistic about Darling&#8217;s business model to invest in the company. In particular, Darling&#8217;s sustainability goals have substantial potential amid greater environmental consciousness.
Darling Ingredients shares are trading at $37.80, down 0.18% on Thursday. DAR is down 46.88% from its 52-week high of $71.60
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/06/39205294/jim-cramer-recommends-buying-pnc-financial-services-calls-mastec-a-great-infrastructure-">Jim Cramer Recommends Buying PNC Financial Services, Calls MasTec A &#8216;Great Infrastructure Play&#8217;</a>
Photo: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

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AGCO

AKCCF

Buying The Dip: Three 'Good' Stocks Are Near 52-Week Lows — Are They Worth It?

The <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/agriculture">agricultural business sector</a> of the market has been slow to keep pace with the pronounced growth in the major indices over the last year. The flagging prices of agricultural commodities such as corn, wheat and soybeans have capped the gains in fertilizer and other supply companies that are heavily tied to crop production.
<h3>
	Market Vectors Agribusiness</h3>

	Fortunately, those misfortunes may be soon be put to rest as the price of the Market Vectors Agribusiness (ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>) is testing its 52-week highs. MOO has more than $1.5 billion invested in 58 global agriculture companies that derive a significant portion of their profits from this industry.

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/15/01/5130159/chinas-approval-could-make-agriculture-more-appealing">China&#39;s Approval Could Make Agriculture More Appealing</a></bzrelatedlink>

	The portfolio is structured with 50 percent of the assets in the U.S. and the remaining half peppered throughout international stock markets.

	Top holdings in MOO include:
<ul>
<li>
		Syngenta Ag (ADR) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/syt#NYSE">SYT</a>)</li>
<li>
		Monsanto Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mon#NYSE">MON</a>)</li>
<li>
		Deere &amp; Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/de#NYSE">DE</a>)</li>
<li>
		Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (USA) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pot#NYSE">POT</a>)</li>
</ul>
<div id="preview-wrapper">
<div id="file-preview">
		<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/imce?app=nomatter%7Cimceload%40imceInline.load#" title=""><img alt="moo_0.png" height="284" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u79448/moo_0.png" width="460" /></a></div>
</div>

	Potash in particular is set to report earnings this week, and is trading higher in anticipation of a jump in profitability versus the same quarter last year. Further positive earnings announcements that surprise consensus forecasts in this industry will likely help boost MOO above its 2014 highs.

	In addition, a reversal or consolidation in the PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dba#NYSE">DBA</a>) would likely be seen as a positive catalyst. This ETF tracks a diversified basket of commodity futures contracts in the agriculture sector and recently fell to new one-year lows.
<h3>
	PowerShares Global Agriculture Portfolio</h3>

	The PowerShares Global Agriculture Port(ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pagg#NYSE">PAGG</a>) is another similar portfolio of stocks engaged in farming-related activities. This ETF tracks a comparable composite of stocks as MOO, but has a more pronounced weighting towards international and mid-cap companies. PAGG has $52 million in total assets and charges an expense ratio of 0.75 percent.
<h3>
	iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers</h3>

	Lastly, the iShares Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>) provides a highly diversified mix of 132 securities with a reasonable expense ratio of just 0.39 percent. This index has more ground to make up in order to recapture its 2014 highs, but has been showing similar positive momentum as MOO and PAGG over the last several weeks.

	This industry will certainly be one to watch in 2015, as it battles to overcome some of the headwinds that capped gains last year.

Specialty ETFs

ETFs

PAGG

3 Agriculture ETFs Seeking To Breakout

Agricultural business stocks have been fighting for survival amid falling commodity prices that threaten to pull them into the abyss. Corn, wheat and soybean prices all hit year-to-date lows this week as crop yields continue to produce an overabundance of supply.

	These statistics have made an impact on the Market Vectors Agribusiness (ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>), which contains 52 stocks engaged in the global agriculture industry. Constituents of this ETF must be primarily engaged in the business of agriculture by deriving at least 50 percent of total revenues from it.

	This ETF currently has $1.7 billion in total assets and charges an expense ratio of 0.55 percent annually.

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs/sector-etfs/14/09/4830226/retail-china-and-gold-etfs-to-watch-this-week">Retail, China And Gold ETFs To Watch This Week</a></bzrelatedlink>

	Top holdings in MOO include well-known names such as Monsanto Co&nbsp;and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. In addition, only 50 percent of the total holdings in MOO are U.S.-based companies. The other half is spread among a variety of emerging and developed nations, making this a truly global basket of securities.

	So far this year, MOO has struggled to remain above the flat line and has recently breached its 200-day moving average for the second time in the last six months.
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</div>

	While this weakening price action is concerning, a potential turn in commodity prices may be just what these stocks need to regain footing and reestablish a new uptrend.

	Other key ETFs in this space include the Global X Fertilizers/Potash ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soil#NYSE">SOIL</a>) and iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>). SOIL includes 24 companies that are actively involved in the fertilizer industry, while VEGI has a wider index of 122 global agriculture stocks.

	Both alternatives offer a unique index construction methodology that is markedly different than MOO. However, this entire group is suffering from sideways price action since the beginning of the year that has been marked by uncertainty.

	The next phase for these ETFs will likely be driven by increased global demand for agriculture production as a result of commodity cycle expansion and growth in emerging or frontier nations.

Commodities

SOIL

Agribusiness ETFs Fight Summer Malaise

The Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>) is up 10.5 percent this year. That would appear to be a decent gain, but when considering the SPDR S&amp;P 500 (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/spy#NYSE">SPY</a>) has outperformed MOO by nearly 300 basis points with 430 basis points less in volatility, a case can be made that some agribusiness ETFs are laggards relative to the risks this sub-sector presents.

That laggard status could be reborn next year amid expectations for lower potash prices. China and India, the world's two largest consumers of the crop nutrient, have been delaying signing new contracts with North American suppliers, some of which are constituents in MOO and rival agribusiness ETFs. 

India has started negotiations with potash producers and it is expected to China will do the same in January or February. Problem is the two emerging markets economic superpowers are poised to get their largest potash price reduction in three years, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-19/potash-seen-falling-as-asia-wields-purchasing-power-commodities.html">Bloomberg reported</a>.

Analysts at Credit Agricole Securities USA, Dahlman Rose &amp; Co. and Goldman Sachs expect China and India could pay as little as $430 per ton for potash next year, according to Bloomberg. That is down from the current level of $490 per ton paid by India and $470 per ton paid by China.

Should China and India be successful in negotiating their potash prices down to $430 per ton (or lower), that news could present a near-term cap on upside for MOO and the rival iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>).

To be fair to MOO, the ETF is home to 51 stocks and non-potash holdings include Monsanto (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mon#NYSE">MON</a>), Deere (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/de#NYSE">DE</a>) and Archer-Daniels Midland (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/adm#NYSE">ADM</a>). That trio represents 19.5 percent of MOO's weight. VEGI, which debuted in January and is home to 135 stocks, allocates about a quarter of its weight to that trio.

That is to say both ETFs have some insulation from fluctuating potash prices. "Fluctuating" might be too kind of an assessment. Potash prices flirted with <a href="http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/potash/1-year/">$485 per ton earlier this year, but now reside closer to $425</a>.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pot#NYSE">POT</a>), the world's largest producer of its namesake fertilizer, Russia's Uralkali, Mosaic (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mos#NYSE">MOS</a>) and Agrium (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/agu#NYSE">AGU</a>) combine for about 21 percent of MOO's weight and 19 percent of VEGI's weight.

Making matters potentially worse for poatsh producers is that the crop nutrient has come nowhere close to <a href="http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/potash/all/">returning to its pre-financial crisis highs</a>. Back then, potash traded traded over $800 per ton and even flirted with $900. 

Of course it can be said that potash probably overshot on the way up and $800 per ton should have never been seen in the first place. However, potash prices are down this year despite higher grain prices.

"To see negative growth in a period of strong, albeit volatile, grain prices suggest to us that… there is lack of understanding of the merits of using potash in some developing markets, where the growth is supposed to come from," <a href="http://www.agrimoney.com/news/credit-suisse-cuts-forecast-for-potash-prices--5226.html">according to Credit Suisse</a>. The bank is forecasting Vancouver spot potash prices of $445 per ton next year and in 2014.

Arguably, the market has already started pricing in rough times ahead for potash producers. On average, shares of Agrium, Mosaic and Potash have tumbled 4.83 percent in the past three months. MOO, by far the largest agribusiness ETF with $5.58 billion in assets under management, has risen 1.5 percent over that time. Still, that means investors would have been better off with a broader materials ETF such as the iShares S&amp;P Global Materials Sector Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mxi#NYSE">MXI</a>).

MXI, which does have some agribusiness exposure via Monsanto, Potash and others, is up nearly four percent over the past 90 days. Bottom line: Agribusiness ETFs may not be subject to massive declines in 2013, but with buyers holding the best cards in potash price negotiations, investors would do well to find materials ETFs with reduced potash exposure.

For more on ETFs, click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs">here</a>.

Analyst Color

Short Ideas

New ETFs

Futures

Price Target

Contracts

Events

Pre-Market Outlook

Intraday Update

iShares S&P Global Materials Sector Index Fund

Agribusiness ETFs Could be in For Tough 2013

It may not seem like much, but a stock's ticker does have slight meaning in terms of how the shares perform right out of the gate. As wild as it may seem, there is <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/09/2892758/what-if-facebook-picked-a-different-ticker">evidence to support the fact that stocks with pronounceable tickers</a> outperform those without catchy trading symbols immediately following their respective initial public offerings.

Obviously, investing based on a stock's ticker alone is foolhardy and regardless of how memorable a ticker is, if there is something fundamentally wrong with the company behind the ticker, the market will eventually make the stock pay.

Tickers as they pertain to ETFs are a different story, particularly because analysts, traders and others refer to ETFs as "the FAZ" or "the GLD." So it is not surprising <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204468004577167080550487746.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">that ETF issuers put some effort into coming up with catchy trading symbols</a>. 

Again, do not buy an ETF just because of its ticker, but have a look at the following funds to see if it is possible to have a pronounceable symbol and generate solid returns.

Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/nugt#NYSE">NUGT</a>)

No, that ticker is not "nugget," but the reality is that is how this triple-leveraged play is referred to in some circles. Is it plausible that traders say to each "Are you trading the N-U-G-T today?" Sure, but it is more plausible that they say "I'm trading nugget today." 

Regardless of ticker, NUGT proved to be the ideal way to profit from the QE3 announcement as the fund surged 15.1 percent. NUGT has a bearish cousin with a memorable ticker, the Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dust#NYSE">DUST</a>). 

Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cure#NYSE">CURE</a>)

Another triple-leveraged play with a memorable ticker, the Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X Shares tracks the same index as the popular Health Care Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlv#NYSE">XLV</a>). Highlighting the belief that tickers are not everything, CURE had a bearish equivalent that was closed earlier this month, the Direxion Daily Healthcare Bear 3X Shares. That fund traded under the ticker "SICK."

PowerShares DWA Emerging Markets Technical Leaders Portfolio (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pie#NYSE">PIE</a>)

The PowerShares DWA Emerging Markets Technical Leaders Portfolio might have one of the best ETF tickers around. PIE's returns are not too shabby, either, as the fund is up 10.6 percent year-to-date and 7.5 percent in the past 90 days. 

The $166.6 million ETF is a multi-country emerging markets play, but this fund is not to be confused with the likes of the Vanguard MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vwo#NYSE">VWO</a>). PIE uses a relative strength screen and that means <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/08/2800633/under-the-hood-a-slice-of-pie">different country weights than what are found in traditionally weighted emerging markets funds</a>.

At 14 percent, South Korea is PIE's second-largest country allocation and it is common for that country to play a prominent role in many mulit-country funds. However, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand combine for about 35 percent of PIE's weight, giving the fund significant exposure to some of Asia's more impressive growth stories.

Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>)

First-to-market advantage, not the ticker, is probably the reason MOO has been the dominant agribusiness ETF since it came to market five years ago. Several ETF sponsors have introduced competing products over the years, but none have really challenged MOO's agribusiness supremacy. Some of those rivals folded. The ones that are still around are practically unheard of in comparison to the $5.6 billion MOO.

Proving a catchy ticker does not mean big inflows, the iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>) debuted in late January and even though it has a lower expense ratio than MOO, VEGI has not come close to even being a thorn in MOO's side. VEGI has slightly outperformed MOO in the past three months, but that has not meant much in terms of inflows. VEGI has just $10.3 million in AUM.

For more on ETF tickers, click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2320082/the-10-best-etf-tickers">here</a>.

Emerging Market ETFs

CURE

DUST

NUGT

PowerShares DWA Emerging Markets Technical Leaders

Do ETFs With Cute Tickers Perform Better?

One noteworthy trend that has been easily spotted during the evolution of the exchange-traded products business has been the proliferation of copycat or "me too" ETFs. Simply put, one ETF issuer comes to market with a fund focusing on a particular country, sector on niche and a rival issuer later follows suit with a fund that has a different, but one that essentially does the same thing as the original. 

Vanguard, the third-largest U.S. ETF sponsor with almost $208 billion in ETF assets under management at the end of April, has introduced plenty of funds that aren't much different than comparable, older iShares and SPDRs products. iShares, the world's largest ETF firm, also has a long list of first-to-market funds, but the firm has also <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2310295/more-me-too-etfs-from-ishares-debut-today">encroached on territory previously occupied by its rivals</a>.

This isn't a bad thing, at least not for investors, because the proliferation of me too ETFs has been known to spark some fee reductions from the issuer of the first-to-market fund that is facing new competition. 

In one recent example <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/05/2546872/van-eck-pares-expenses-on-indonesia-etf">Van Eck's Market Vectors unit pared costs on its Market Vectors Indoneis ETF (NYSE: </a><a class="ticker" href="/stock/idx#NYSE">IDX</a>) for the second time since January 2011. The firm didn't say it, but it's not unreasonable to assume the lower expenses are at least partially attributable to existence of the iShares MSCI Indonesia Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/eido#NYSE">EIDO</a>).

Again, competition is a good thing, but even though rival ETFs keep popping up, some funds have first mover advantages that have proven to be too much to overcome or that will prove to be hard to fight in the future. Here are some noteworthy examples.

Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>)
In the world of agribusiness ETFs, maybe there can be only one. At least only one that focuses on the sub-sector's large-caps and that one is the Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF. Nearly five years old, MOO has seen competitors come and go while maintaining its status as the largest, most liquid agribusiness ETF. 

The iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>) came to market in late January and is 14 basis points cheaper than MOO, but has gained little traction against its more established rival, attracting just $4.6 million in AUM. To this point, only the IndexIQ Global Agribusiness Small Cap ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/crop#NYSE">CROP</a>), more a complement to than a rival of MOO, has proven to be a worthy option beyond MOO among agribusiness funds.

iShares MSCI Philippines Investable Market Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ephe#NYSE">EPHE</a>)
This isn't a commentary on the validity of the Philippines investment thesis or EPHE itself, though we'll admit <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/05/2575773/etfs-looking-for-strength-in-all-the-right-places-xly-fcg-vnm">our bullish view of the ETF has taken a hit recently, but EPHE appears to have found support at $27</a>.

Disclaimers aside, in 18 months of trading as the only Philippines-specifc ETF on the market, EPHE has amassed almost $136 million in AUM. More importantly, it is now known as the go-to Philippines ETF. Perhaps the only way a rival can hope to compete is to significantly undercut EPHE's 0.59% expense ratio.

Global X Social Media Index ETF (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/socl#Nasdaq">SOCL</a>)
Surprisingly glum action on Facebook's (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fb#Nasdaq">FB</a>) first day of trading notwithstanding, SOCL's status as the first, and to this point only, social media ETF should prove durable. Being the first ETF <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/05/2598815/facebook-ipo-something-special-for-social-media-etf">that Facebook will call home won't hurt SOCL's status as the preeminent social media ETF, either</a>. 

Despite the popularity of social media and all the attention given to the Facebook IPO, ETF sponsors have shown no plans that indicate they're willing to challenge SOCL.

Market Vectors High-Yield Muni ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/hyd#NYSE">HYD</a>)
The Market Vectors High-Yield Muni ETF does have a rival in the form of the SPDR Nuveen S&amp;P High Yield Municipal Bond ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/hymb#NYSE">HYMB</a>), which debuted in April 2011. HYMB now has almost $84 million in AUM, not bad, but well short of the $605.4 million HYD has. Not to mention, HYD's 30-day SEC yield is nearly 30 basis points and its expense ratio is 10 basis points lower than the SPDR fund.

EGShares Emerging Markets Consumer ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/econ#NYSE">ECON</a>)
There were ETFs that offered exposure to the emerging markets consumer before the EGShares Emerging Markets Consumer ETF popped up in late 2010, but ECON was really the first fund to be an overt pure-play on emerging markets shoppers. As we previously noted, <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/04/2489113/checking-in-the-other-em-consumer-etf-emdi-econ-coh">a rival to ECON has appeared, but ECON has outperformed that fund</a>. ECON also has over $400 million in AUM, a figure that could easily prove to be too much to overcome in this narrowly-focused corner of the exchange-traded marketplace.

Bonds

Technicals

CROP

Emerging Global Shares Dow Jones Emerging Marketsnsumer Titan Index Fund

ECON

iShares MSCI Indonesia Investable Market Index Fund

EIDO

ISHARES MSCI PHILIPPINES INVESTABLE MARKET INDEX FUND

EPHE

Market Vectors High Yield Municipal Index ETF

HYMB

SOCL

5 ETFs With Distinct First Mover Advantages (ECON, HYD, MOO)

After years being caught in what can best described as a death spiral, the likes of which multiple reverse splits could not fix, the U.S. Natural Gas Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ung#NYSE">UNG</a>) has started to perk up recently. In fact, the ETF which at one point earlier this year had lost almost 96% of its value since its 2007 debut, has jumped 7.3% in the past week.

The reason for the bullishness? The U.S. Energy Information Administration cut its 2012 production outlook for the clean-burning fuel while dramatically increasing its demand forecast. Good news <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/05/2570355/beyond-ung-is-this-nat-gas-etf-ready-to-soar">UNG and other ETFs that are heavily exposed to the nat gas trade</a>. 

But this is bad news for one specific group of funds: Agribusiness ETFs. With a quick chemistry lesson, we'll explain why: Natural gas is an integral component in the production of nitrogen-based fertilizers. Simply put, the price of nitrogen fertilizer is intimately correlated to the price of natural gas. 

Consider the following from the <a href="http://www.noble.org/ag/soils/nitrogenprices/">Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation</a>

"Manufacturing 1 ton of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer requires 33,500 cubic feet of natural gas. This cost represents most of the costs associated with manufacturing anhydrous ammonia. When natural gas prices are $2.50 per thousand cubic feet, the natural gas used to manufacture 1 ton of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer costs $83.75. If the price rises to $7.00 per thousand cubic feet of natural gas, the cost of natural gas used in manufacturing that ton of anhydrous ammonia rises to $234.50, an increase to the manufacturer of $150.75."

In other words, it's not a bold statement to say the reason CF Industries (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cf#NYSE">CF</a>), the largest U.S. nitrogen fertilizer producer, is down 9% in the past week is because UNG is up 7.3% over the same time.

Predictably, natural gas' climb has also been bad news for the likes of the Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>) and its new, unheralded rival, the iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>). 

The Global X Fertilizers/Potash ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soil#NYSE">SOIL</a>) isn't escaping the carnage either. SOIL's <a href="http://globalxfunds.com/SOIL">nitrogen heavy lineup has dragged the ETF down more than 5% in the past week</a>. CF accounts for almost 6% of SOIL's weight and is the fund's second-largest holding.

CF Industries accounts for barely more 3% of the overall weights of MOO and VEGI, but that's just one stock. Agrium (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/agu#NYSE">AGU</a>) and Yara International also have nitrogen exposure and both are held by both ETFs. Potash Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pot#NYSE">POT</a>), the second-largest holding in both ETFs, is obviously known more for its namesake crop nutrient, but the company controlled 2% of global nitrogen production at the end of 2010, according to its Facebook page.

Clearly, from the equities side, higher natural gas prices are problematic for MOO, VEGI and some of their constituents. On the futures side, the Teucrium Corn ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/corn#NYSE">CORN</a>) has slid almost 5% in the past week,. Again, it's easy to see why: Corn is one of the most nitrogen-intensive crops to produce.

It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea, nor should it be, but perhaps the current state of affairs with ETFs such as MOO and VEGI calls for a look at the Direxion Daily Agribusiness Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cows#NYSE">COWS</a>), a thinly-traded, triple-leveraged bearish play on agribusiness stocks. Consider COWS as a short-term hedge on agribusiness funds or as a pairs trade with UNG or the First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fcg#NYSE">FCG</a>).

For more on energy ETFs, please click <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/04/2466106/energy-etfs-careful-what-you-wish-for-in-november-xle-xop">HERE</a>.

CORN

COWS

First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund

Rising Nat Gas Good For Some, Not All (UNG, MOO, COWS)

A dozen new exchange-traded products have come to market thus far in April and by the looks issuers' pipelines, investors can expect plenty of new products to debut over the coming months. Here's a recap of what has been a brisk couple of days on the filing front.

PowerShares, the fourth-largest U.S. ETF issuer, has filed plans with the Securities and Exchange Commission to possibly introduce the PowerShares China A-Share Portfolio. If that fund comes to market, it would be <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/12/04/2519882/powershares-may-list-china-a-shares-etf">the second to offer investors exposure to the China A shares market</a>. The original fund to do that is the Market Vectors China ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pek#NYSE">PEK</a>).

PowerShares has also filed plans for the PowerShares Absolute Return Allocation Portfolio. That fund will invest in U.S. Treasuries and large-cap stocks. No ticker or expense ratio were mentioned in the filing. PowerShares also filed plans for the PowerShares Global Macro Portfolio and the PowerShares Emerging Markets Equity Allocation Portfolio. The emerging markets fund will invest in EM stocks, exchange-listed futures contracts on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and futures on the CBOE Emerging Markets ETF Volatility Index. 

PowerShares may also add to its commodities lineup with the PowerShares Crude Oil Allocation ETF, which invest in oil futures contracts and futures contracts on the CBOE Crude Oil ETF Volatility Index. The PowerShares Gold Allocation Portfolio will be the gold equivalent of the aforementioned oil fund, tracking gold futures and futures contracts on the CBOE Gold ETF Volatility Index.

KraneShares filed to possibly list the dKraneShares Dow Jones China Select Dividend ETF. The Underlying Index is an unmanaged dividend yield-weighted index comprised of eligible companies included in the Dow Jones China Offshore Total Stock Market Index and the Dow Jones Hong Kong Total Stock Market Index, which are market capitalization-weighted indexes designed to measure the performance of equity securities with readily available prices. In general, the Underlying Index is designed to select securities with positive dividend-paying and yield characteristics, according to the filing. 

KranShares ETFs <a href="http://www.indexuniverse.com/sections/news/9711-faithshares-founder-files-for-china-consumer-etfs.html">have previously been filed for</a> though none have come to market. No ticker or expense ratio were mentioned in the most recent filing.

State Street's (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/stt#NYSE">STT</a>) State Street Global Advisors, the second-largest U.S. ETF issuer, has filed plans to perhaps list the SPDR SSgA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF which will trade under the ticker "RLY" on the New York Stock Exchange and feature a 0.7% expense ratio. Looking at RLY's composition, it could be a possible rival to the multi-asset Global X Permanent ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/perm#NYSE">PERM</a>).

SSgA may also list the SPDR SSgA Income Allocation ETF, which will trade on the NYSE under the ticker "INKM" and also feature an expense ratio of 0.7%. Other new SSgA funds could include the SPDR SSgA Conservative Global Allocation ETF, which trade on the NYSE under the ticker "CNSA" with a fees of 0.35%, and the SPDR SSgA Global Allocation. That fund will also trade on the NYSE with the ticker "GAL." GAL will also have an expense ratio of 0.35%.

The SSgA filings don't end there. The firm may roll out the SPDR SSgA Aggressive Global Allocation ETF, which will trade on the NYSE with the ticker "AGRA" and feature an expense ratio of 0.35%. The SPDR Blackstone/GSO Senior Loan ETF, which be NYSE-listed with the ticker SRLN and an expense ratio of 0.9%.

First Trust, the tenth-largest U.S. ETF issuer, may list the First Trust Global Agriculture AlphaDEX Fund. That fund could prove to be a possible rival to the Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>) and the iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>). Neither an expense ratio nor ticker were included in the First Trust filing.

Fresh of the debut of the Global X MLP ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mlpa#NYSE">MLPA</a>), Global X has filed plans for the Global X Risk Parity ETF, which may invest in developed and emerging markets bonds, equities, commodities, currencies and real estate. Ticker and expense ratio data weren't included in the Global X filing.

Following the March debut of the Yorkville High Income MLP ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ymlp#NYSE">YMLP</a>), Exchange Traded Concepts has filed plans to introduce the Yorkville High Income Composite MLP, which will trade on the NYSE under the ticker "YMLC," and the Yorkville High Income Infrastructure MLP, which also list on the NYSE under the ticker "YMLI." The filings did not mention expense ratios, but YMLP charges 0.82%. 

Merk Investments may list the Merk Gold Trust. The Merk Gold Trust will hold London Good Delivery Bars and may hold other gold bars and coins with a minimum fineness (or purity) of 995 parts per 1,000 (99.5%), except that the Trust also may obtain American Gold Eagle gold coins (with a minimum fineness of 91.67%) solely for the limited purposes described herein, according to ETF Daily News. 

The Merk Gold Trust will trade on the NYSE under the ticker "OUNZ" and unlike the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gld#NYSE">GLD</a>) and comparable funds, OUNZ will allow investors to take physical delivery of gold in exchange for their shares, <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1546652/000089843212000505/s-1.htm">according to the filing</a>.

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Currency ETFs

MLPA

PERM

YMLP

Review Of Recent ETF Filings

The pace of new ETF introductions has again been impressive in 2012, but that doesn't mean <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/markets/bonds/12/03/2439513/checking-in-first-to-market-stud-emcb-lqd-eld">all new ETFs</a> are flourishing. 

Sure, there are examples of ETFs that are doing well in terms of assets under management right off the bat. The WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund (Nasdaq: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/emcb#Nasdaq">EMCB</a>) already has almost $60 million in AUM and it isn't even a month old. The Market Vectors Indonesia Small-Cap ETF (NYSE: IDXJ) already has $4 million in AUM and that fund is just a week old.

On the other hand, some rookie ETFs aren't giving reasons to leave more established funds or even look at the new kids on the block in the first place and that's referring either assets, performance or both. Surprisingly, some <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2310295/more-me-too-etfs-from-ishares-debut-today">copycat funds have made nary a dent against their older rivals</a>.

Examples include:

iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>)
To be fair, the iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund has slightly outperformed the Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>) since its early February debut. With an expense ratio of 0.39%, VEGI is cheaper than MOO, which charges 0.56%. 

We're not picking on VEGI, but this is the reality. With its thin volume, investors might encounter wide bid/ask spreads. That's a factor that will drive up costs and it's NOT an issue with MOO. Another cold hard fact is some ETFs have tried to compete with MOO in the past. All of have failed. MOO is the very definition of "first-to-market" advantage. 

VEGI probably won't head to the ETF graveyard because iShares doesn't have a tradition of closing ETFs, even its low asset, low volume funds, but the only other agribusiness ETF that really stands out is the IndexIQ Global Agribusiness Small-Cap ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/crop#NYSE">CROP</a>), which is more complement to than rival of MOO.

iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/slvp#NYSE">SLVP</a>)
Just to be clear, we're really not picking on iShares. In fact, the iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ring#NYSE">RING</a>) deserves credit for pulling in almost $22.4 million in AUM in less than two months of trading. On the other hand, SLVP has just $4.6 million in AUM. That could be a case of bad timing since silver has been sliding the past few weeks. 

Or we could be seeing a replay of the VEGI/MOO scenario. In terms of SLVP, that means that the first-to-market advantage for the Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sil#NYSE">SIL</a>) might prove too big to overcome.

Yorkville High Income MLP ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ymlp#NYSE">YMLP</a>)
The Yorkville High Income MLP ETF will be competing directly with the ALPS Alerian MLP ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amlp#NYSE">AMLP</a>) for investor dollars. We're not saying YMLP is a bad ETF. It already has almost $5 million in AUM, but there are issues to consider and those issues pertain to both AMLP and YMLP.

It has been noted these ETFs <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ymlp-etf-abomination-alert-001613722.html">do not have C-corporation structure</a> as nearly all other ETF do. Not having the C-corp. structure can cost investors money, indicating that owning individual MLPs or MLP ETNs might be preferable to investing in MLP ETFs.

After-Hours Center

AMLP

EMCB

RING

SLVP

Some New ETFs Not Up to Snuff (VEGI, YMLP)

When it comes to ETFs that track stocks such as Agrium (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/agu#NYSE">AGU</a>), Mosaic (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mos#NYSE">MOS</a>) and Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pot#NYSE">POT</a>), the conversation typically drifts to one fund: The Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>). 

The Market Vectors Agribusiness has been around almost five years and in that time the fund has faced <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/11/12/2203791/two-jefferies-etfs-to-close">some competition</a> but those pretenders to the throne have wilted. 

Except for one that is, that found being the Global X Fertilizers/Potash ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soil#NYSE">SOIL</a>). There is an important difference between these two ETFs. MOO does not exclusively focus on fertilizer producers. The Global X Fertilizers/Potash ETF does. SOIL came to market last year as part of Global X's "four F's of the food chain" suite of ETFs. Today, SOIL is the only of that quartet that remains.

Unbeknownst to a lot of investors, SOIL has not only survived, but thrived. The 25-stock ETF has accumulated over $29.3 million in assets under management since its May 2011 debut and average daily volume is north of 32,100 shares. Rounding SOIL's most recent closing price up a few pennies to $14 means the fund has average weekly dollar volume in excess of $2.2 million shares. In other words, SOIL probably isn't headed to the ETF graveyard anytime soon.

SOIL's concentration on fertilizer issues has served the ETF well in 2012. The return to the high beta trade has been good news for the likes of Agrium, Potash and CF Industries (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cf#NYSE">CF</a>). That's helped MOO to a nice year-to-date gain. That trend has also helped SOIL outperform its larger rival.

The new iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>) hasn't been able to hold a candle to either MOO or SOIL and VEGI is easily trumped by SOIL when it comes to assets and liquidity. VEGI's top-10 holdings represent almost 58% of that fund's while MOO's top-10 stocks account for about 56% of its weight. SOIL is slightly more diverse with its top-10 lineup representing almost 54% of its total weight.

SOIL might also be benefiting from its global exposure. The U.S. and Canada combine for about 38% of the fund's country weight, which is to be expected with a farm/fertilizer ETF. Beyond that, SOIL offers exposure to a dozen more countries, six developed markets and six emerging markets. In order, Israel, Australia and China round out SOIL's top-five country weights.

The fundamental story behind ETFs like SOIL and MOO is well documented at this point. It goes something like this: The world's population will soon outpace farmers' ability to produce food and those looking to profit from that dire situation would do well to buyer fertilizer stocks, or in this case, ETFs.

With that scenario known, looking at SOIKL's technicals is worth a few minutes of one's times. If the ETF, which has an RSI that is NOT sporting an oversold condition, can break resistance around $14.20, there is no more material resistance until just over $16. On the downside, support looks firm around $13.25 and as long as high beta is in style, SOIL should sprout higher.

Whatever Happened to...The Other Fertilizer ETF? (MOO, POT, SOIL)

The Wall Street Journal features an astute <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204468004577167080550487746.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">piece today regarding the marketing value of some ETF tickers</a>. While not as important in the big scheme of things <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2319813/brazils-stealthy-etf-studs">as size or first-to-market advantage</a>, the right ticker can at least help traders and investors remember an ETF's name and that's not a bad thing at all.

Thanks to the Journal for writing about the importance of ETF tickers. We'll take it from here and rank the 10 best ETF tickers (in no particular order).

Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/nugt#NYSE">NUGT</a>)
The Journal piece mentioned NUGT's bearish cousin, the Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dust#NYSE">DUST</a>). That's a pretty good ticker for a bearish gold ETF, but we like NUGT better. It gets us thinking about the Golden Nugget casino.

Teucrium Sugar Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cane#NYSE">CANE</a>)
This one is nothing if not straight forward. If you only saw the ticker for this ETF, chances are you'd immediately know what the fund is about. Marketing simplicity can have its advantages and that's why another Teucrium fund makes the list...

Teucrium Corn Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/corn#NYSE">CORN</a>)
Again, see the ticker and it's hard not to know what this ETF is about. On a more serious note, CORN is down year-to-date, but a move above $42 might make the fund worth a look.

PowerShares DWA Emerging Markets Technical Leaders ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pie#NYSE">PIE</a>)
For writers, this ticker is <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/10/09/460214/time-to-grab-a-piece-of-this-pie">is quite useful</a>. For investors, the ETF is different type of emerging markets multi-country play and that may not be a bad thing. Grabbing a slice of PIE would mean a return of 10% year-to-date. 

IndexIQ U.S. Real Estate Small Cap ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/roof#NYSE">ROOF</a>)
Not only is the IndexIQ U.S. Real Estate Small Cap ETF the first ETF devoted to small-cap real estate plays, it has the best ticker of any REIT or other real estate-related ETF out there. If ROOF's ticker isn't appealing, maybe the yield of over 6% will do the trick.

PowerShares Dynamic Food &amp; Beverage Portfolio (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pbj#NYSE">PBJ</a>)
There might be some debate if PBJ indicates what this ETF actually does, but once you see the ETF's full name, the ticker makes perfect sense. As a conservative, risk off play PBJ also makes perfect sense.

Direxion Daily Healthcare Bear 3X Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sick#NYSE">SICK</a>)
Great ticker to remember a bearish play on health care stocks. 

Market Vectors LatAm Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bono#NYSE">BONO</a>)
No, this ETF was not named for U2's lead singer, but when an ETF's ticker is the same as a celebrity's name, it's that much easier to remember. BONO, the ETF not the singer, is up over 5% year-to-date and there's legitimate reason to <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/markets/bonds/11/09/1920440/four-international-bond-etfs-your-broker-forgot-to-mention">have a look at this fund</a>. We're calling it: A Brazil ETF with the ticker "PELE." That's our idea.

iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vegi#NYSE">VEGI</a>)
Considering VEGI is new and faces <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/12/02/2310295/more-me-too-etfs-from-ishares-debut-today">intense competition</a>, the ETF is off to a fine start with more than $2.5 million in AUM in less than a week of trading. VEGI is a good ticker and appropriate for this ETF, but it's probably not as good as...

Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>)
MOO is the big steer of the agribusiness ETFs and VEGI has the enviable task trying to compete with this ETF. This has the potential to be an Ohio State/Michigan-esque ETF rivalry for investors' assets going forward, but we'll stick with MOO as the superior ticker.

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