Wild volatility, cybersecurity, and medical devices: These were the 11 best-performing ETFs of 2018

Rebecca UngarinoDec 28, 2018, 16:32 IST

Reuters / Brendan McDermid

The best-performing exchange-traded products in 2018 included funds geared toward shorting stocks, going long volatility, and fighting cyber crime.
Investors who were positioned for higher volatility were rewarded. The top performer, the exchange-traded note (ETN) VXX, exposes investors to futures contracts on the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), which reflects implied volatility in the S&P 500.
Business Insider compiled the 11 best-performing exchange-traded products (which include ETFs and ETNs, like the VXX) with at least $500 million of assets under management.

Even as the market plunged this year, some passive investors were rewarded.

The best-performing US-listed large exchange-traded products included those exposed to going long the US dollar, health care stocks, and volatility, in addition to shorting US stocks. One of the best performers, too, was a fund with exposure to companies focused on providing cybersecurity as a service.

The major US averages were all down meaningfully from their respective record highs hit earlier this year, with the S&P 500 (-18%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (-17%), and Nasdaq Composite (-21%) all in, or near, bear-market territory.

Globally, investors have poured nearly $338 billion into exchange-traded funds in 2018 through the end of last week, Bank of America Merrill Lynch told clients in a report.

Here are the top-performing vehicles, ranked by their 2018 returns through Thursday morning.

See Wild volatility, cybersecurity, and medical devices: These were the 11 best-performing ETFs of 2018 >>

ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF

Ticker: HACK

Assets under management: $1.4 billion

2018 return: +5.25%

2018 investments in the fund: +$253 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

ProShares Short S&P 500

Ticker: SH

Assets under management: $2.1 billion

2018 return: +7%

2018 investments in the fund: +$641 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury

Ticker: TBT

Assets under management: $1.2 billion

2018 return: +7.5%

2018 investments in the fund: -$946 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

Invesco S&P SmallCap Health Care ETF

Ticker: PSCH

Assets under management: $850 million

2018 return: +8%

2018 investments in the fund: +$704 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

Invesco DB US Dollar Bullish Fund

Ticker: UUP

Assets under management: $519 million

2018 return: +8%

2018 investments in the fund: -$61 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

iShares US Healthcare Providers ETF

Ticker: IHF

Assets under management: $890 million

2018 return: +8.3%

2018 investments in the fund: +$460 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

ProShares UltraShort S&P 500

Ticker: SDS

Assets under management: $962 million

2018 return: +10%

2018 investments in the fund: -$127 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

iShares North American Tech-Software ETF

Ticker: IGV

Assets under management: $1.7 billion

2018 return: +10%

2018 investments in the fund: $557 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

iShares US Medical Devices ETF

Ticker: IHI

Assets under management: $2.6 billion

2018 return: +12%

2018 investments in the fund: $984 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short-Term ETN

Ticker: TVIX

Assets under management: $597 million

2018 return: +27%

2018 investments in the fund: $56 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX)

Ticker: VXX

Assets under management: $925 million

2018 return: +68%

2018 investments in the fund: -$931 million

Data provided by Bloomberg.

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Wild volatility, cybersecurity, and medical devices: These were the 11 best-performing ETFs of 2018

ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF

ProShares Short S&P 500

ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury

Invesco S&P SmallCap Health Care ETF

Invesco DB US Dollar Bullish Fund

iShares US Healthcare Providers ETF

ProShares UltraShort S&P 500

iShares North American Tech-Software ETF

iShares US Medical Devices ETF

VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short-Term ETN

iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX)

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