Middle East ETF

Comparison of a few Middle East ETF's for opportunity investing:

MES - Market vector gulf states - general multi country in middle east
GULF - focusing on dividend stocks in middle east

Main countries both focus on: Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, (19% Egypt in GULF)

GULF looks more diversified among more countries than MES but focuses bit more on financials/telecom than MES (both ~70%)

Probably consider MES more. Currently down ~10% from peak due to middle east revolution issues right now.


http://seekingalpha.com/article/200114-comparing-middle-east-etfs-gulf-vs-mes

Analysis Of Short Term Treasury ETF to Park CASH

List of good ETF's to park money for short term (~1 month) while waiting for opportunities.

Criteria: Some yield (above the low interest rates available from money markets), low volatility, high liquid, low bid/ask spread.

Barclays iShares US Treasury Bond ETFs
iShares Lehman Short Treasury Bond Fund (SHV)
iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Treasury Bond Fund (SHY)
iShares Lehman 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Fund (IEI)
iShares Lehman 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Fund (IEF)
iShares Lehman 10-20 Year Treasury Bond Fund (TLH)
iShares Lehman 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund (TLT)

State Street SPDR US Treasury Bond ETFs
SPDR Lehman 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL)
SPDR Lehman Intermediate Term Treasury ETF (ITE)
SPDR Lehman Long Term Treasury ETF (TLO)

Vanguard Government Bond Index ETFs
Vanguard Short-Term Government Bond Index Fund (VGSH)
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Government Bond Index Fund (VGIT)
Vanguard Long-Term Government Bond Index Fund (VGLT)

Inflation Protected Bond [TIPS] ETFs
iShares Lehman TIPS Bond Fund (TIP)
SPDR Barclays TIPS ETF (IPE)

Analysis TBD

Market Charting Indicators

List of symbols to use in stockcharts.com to determine % of stocks above/below moving averages.

Useful to determine oversold/overbought conditions in market

http://stockcharts.com/symsearch/?day%20moving%20average

List of Commodity Based ETFs

• Broad commodity indexes and baskets are available via ETFs (GCC, GSG, DBC) and ETNs (UCI, GSC, DJP, GSP). There's also a leveraged broad commodity ETF (UCD), a leveraged broad commodity ETN (DYY), and a double-short broad commodity ETF (CMD) and ETN (DEE).
• Agricultural commodities include cocoa (NIB), coffee (JO), cotton (BAL) and sugar (SGG) -- all ETNs. Agriculatural commodity baskets cover livestock (UBC, COW), grains (JJG, GRU), softs -- ie. coffee, cotton and sugar -- (JJS), biofuels (FUE) and food (FUD). Broader agricultural indexes are also available via ETF (DBA) or ETN (UAG, JJA, RJA). Don't confuse agricultural commodity ETFs/ETNs with ETFs which track the stocks of companies in the agricultural commodity business (CUT, MOO).
• Industrial commodities include aluminum (JJU), copper (JJC), lead (LD), nickel (JJN) and tin (JJT) -- all ETNs. Industrial metals baskets are also available via ETF (DBB) and ETF (UBM, JJM, RJZ). As with agriculture, ETFs are available which track the stocks of companies in the industrial commodities business (PKOL, KOL, SLX, HAP).
• Oil is available as a simple long (USO, USL, OIL, DBO, OLO), leveraged long (UCO), short (SZO, DNO) and double short (DTO, SCO). There are also simple long ETFs for heating oil (UHN) and gasoline (UGA). Natural gas is available as an ETF (UNL, UNG) or ETN (GAZ). Energy commodity baskets are available as an ETF (DBE) or ETN (UBN, RJN, JJE).
• Precious metals are available as baskets (DBP, PSAU) or individual metals. Gold is available as a simple long (GLD, IAU, SGOL, DGL, UBG), leveraged long (DGP, UGL), short (DGZ) and double short (DZZ, GLL) position. Silver, too, is available as a simple long (SLV, SIVR, DBS, USFV), leveraged long (AGQ) and double short (ZSL) position. Platinum comes as a simple long (PPLT, PTM, PGM) and short (PTD). Palladium comes only as a simple long (PALL). Like the other commodities, you can buy ETFs containing gold and silver related stocks -- the gold miners and junior gold miners (GDX, GDXJ).

http://seekingalpha.com/article/30369-a-guide-to-commodity-etfs-and-etns