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Toro reported Q2 FY24 results, sales up 1%, beating consensus, adjusted EPS $1.40 (-11% Y/Y), FY24 outlook remains unchanged.

Why Outdoor Equipment Products Provider Toro Shares Are Surging Today

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Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) reports improved poultry health after reintroducing certain antibiotics, resulting in better weight gain and reduced mortality rates. CEO Donnie D. King notes this shift, part of a broader efficiency strategy, has strengthened their chicken business. Tyson remains committed to avoiding antibiotics critical to human medicine, reflecting its balanced approach amid rising costs and surplus supply.

Tyson Foods&#39; Says Reintroducing Antibiotics Yields Healthier Chickens

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Zoetis Inc (NYSE: ZTS) beats revenue expectations with 10% Y/Y increase. U.S. segment up 16%, international up 3%. FY24 guidance revised higher. ZTS shares up 4.66%. 

Why Animal Health-Focused Zoetis Shares Are Trading Higher Today

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Bunge reports Q1 earnings beat but misses revenue estimates, citing mixed performance in agribusiness units; maintains full-year outlook.

Bunge Shares Dip Over 5% After Q1 Results: Details Here

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Rising Stars, Falling Trends: July&#39;s Industry ETF Winners And Losers

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Unmasking Q2 2023&#39;s Stars &amp; Strugglers: Industry ETFs And Top Stock Standouts

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The latest U.S. labor market report showed a remarkable rise in non-farm payrolls in May, with a surprising gain of 339,000.

This marks the strongest pace of employment growth since January 2023.

Which Industries Are Hiring The Most/Least Right Now  - What May Jobs Data Shows

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The Toro Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TTC#NYSE">TTC</a>) shares are trading higher after the company reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/06/b39204551/the-toro-company-reports-results-for-the-second-quarter-of-fiscal-2024" rel="noreferrer noopener">second-quarter FY24 results</a>.
Sales increased 1% Y/Y to $1.35 billion, beating the consensus of $1.343 billion.
Sales by segments: Professional $1.006 billion (-5.9% Y/Y), and Residential $335.6 million (+26.3 Y/Y).
Adjusted gross margin contracted to 33.6% from 35.8% a year ago due to a change in product mix and higher material and manufacturing costs.
Adjusted operating margin declined to 14.2% from 16.3% the prior year. Adjusted EPS of $1.40 (-11% Y/Y) surpassed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">the consensus of $1.29</a>.
As of May 3, cash and equivalents stood at $188.8 million.
Richard M. Olson, chairman and chief executive officer, said, &#8220;We realized exceptional growth in our residential segment due to our strong mass channel, successful new product introductions, and better weather conditions compared to last year.&#8221;
&#8220;Importantly, we made significant progress in reducing dealer field inventories of lawn care equipment in both the residential and professional segment, a result of lower shipments to that channel, coupled with spring retail momentum.&#8221;
FY24 Outlook: Toro continues to expect low-single-digit total company net sales growth and adjusted EPS of $4.25-$4.35&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">(vs. consensus: $4.26)</a>.
Olson added, &#8220;We expect continued growth in shipments to our residential segment mass channel, and anticipate this growth will help offset our expectations for lower preseason shipments of snow and ice management products given the lack of snow this past winter.&#8221;
Investors can gain exposure to the stock via MarketDesk Focused U.S. Dividend ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDIV#NASDAQ">FDIV</a>) and VanEck Agribusiness ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOO#NYSE">MOO</a>).
Price Action: TTC shares are up 12.77% at $89.81 at the last check Thursday.

Tyson Foods Inc.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSN#NYSE">TSN</a>) has reported positive outcomes from its decision to reintroduce some antibiotics into its poultry operations.&nbsp;
The company observed healthier birds with better weight gain and reduced mortality rates, according to CEO&nbsp;Donnie D. King.&nbsp;
The largest meat supplier in the U.S. had previously eliminated all antibiotics but reversed this decision last year, maintaining a commitment not to use antibiotics critical to human medicine, reported&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-15/tyson-says-adoption-of-some-chicken-antibiotics-is-paying-off?srnd=industries-v2&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a>.
The move&nbsp;was tracked&nbsp;by chicken buyers like the restaurant operator&nbsp;Chick-Fil-A Inc.&nbsp;
This adjustment was part of Tyson's broader strategy to improve operational efficiency amid rising costs and a surplus of chicken supply.&nbsp;
King, speaking at the BMO Global Farm to Market conference in New York, highlighted that these efforts have resulted in a significantly stronger chicken business over the past year.
The company reported that in the second quarter of FY24, adjusted EBITDA increased by 25.5% to $1.5 billion. Adjusted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38643035/whats-going-on-with-tyson-foods-stock-post-mixed-q2-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">EPS of $0.62 beat the consensus estimate of $0.39.</a>
The demand for Tyson's chicken products has surged while the industry grapples with limited supply due to poor egg fertility and high mortality rates.&nbsp;
King noted that the company's measures, including plant closures and reintroducing certain antibiotics, have&nbsp;played a crucial role&nbsp;in this turnaround.
Additionally, Tyson has benefited from a decline in U.S. meat inventories and a reduction in feed costs.&nbsp;
However, King emphasized that the most significant improvements stemmed from internal efficiency measures, particularly the closure of six processing plants last year.
Despite these gains, the broader poultry industry continues to face challenges. Tyson's strategic moves, including its antibiotic policy shift, highlight the company's efforts to navigate these difficulties and maintain its market position.
Tyson's stock has gained more than 23% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;VanEck Agribusiness ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOO#NYSE">MOO</a>) and&nbsp;Invesco S&amp;P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RSPS#NYSE">RSPS</a>).
Price Action: TSN shares were trading lower by 0.05% at $60.68 at the last check on Thursday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo via Shutterstock

Tyson Foods' Says Reintroducing Antibiotics Yields Healthier Chickens

Zoetis Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZTS#NYSE">ZTS</a>) shares are trading higher after the company reported first-quarter FY24 revenue of $2.19 billion, up 10% Y/Y on reported and 12% Y/Y on an operational basis,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/05/b38577408/zoetis-announces-first-quarter-2024-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">beating the&nbsp;consensus of $2.132 billion</a>.
Revenue in the U.S. segment was $1.2 billion, up 16% Y/Y.&nbsp;Sales of companion animal products increased by 25%, driven by growth in&nbsp;key&nbsp;franchises&nbsp;including&nbsp;Simparica Trio, flea, tick&nbsp;and&nbsp;heartworm combination&nbsp;product,&nbsp;key&nbsp;dermatology portfolio, including Apoquel&nbsp;and Cytopoint, and&nbsp;osteoarthritis (OA) pain products, Librela&nbsp;for dogs and Solensia&nbsp;for cats.
Revenue in the&nbsp;International segment&nbsp;stood at $1.0 billion, rising by 3%&nbsp;on a reported basis and by 8% Y/Y operationally in the quarter.
Net income for the first quarter was $599 million, or $1.31 per diluted share, an increase of 9% and 10%, respectively,&nbsp;on a reported basis.
Adjusted net income for the first quarter was $634 million, or $1.38 per share, an increase of 4% and 5%, respectively, on a reported and rising 15%&nbsp;and 17% on an operational basis,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">beating the consensus of $1.34</a>.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/03/37967535/largest-animal-health-firm-zoetis-hit-with-european-probe-over-possible-breach-of-competition-rule" rel="noreferrer noopener">Largest Animal Health Firm Zoetis Hit With European Probe Over Possible Breach of Competition Rules Related To Dog Pain Medicine</a>
FY24 Guidance Revised:&nbsp;Zoetis updated FY24 revenue guidance to $9.050 billion to $9.200 billion (from $9.075 billion-$9.225 billion), representing an operational growth of 8.5% to 10.5%, vs. the consensus of $9.16 billion.
The animal health-focused Zoetis now sees FY24 adjusted EPS of $5.71 to $5.81 (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/02/37102045/animal-health-focused-zoetis-stock-faces-near-term-pressure-analyst-cites-uncertain" rel="noreferrer noopener">from $5.74-$5.84 earlier) vs. the consensus of $5.79.</a>
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/04/38223218/animal-health-giant-zoetis-stock-crumbles-possible-side-effect-of-its-pet-arthritis-pain-drugs-si" rel="noreferrer noopener">Animal Health Giant Zoetis Stock Crumbles: Possible Side Effect Of Its Pet Arthritis Pain Drugs Sickened Dogs, Cats</a>
Investors&nbsp;can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;ProShares Pet Care ETF&nbsp;(BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PAWZ#BATS">PAWZ</a>) and&nbsp;VanEck Agribusiness ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOO#NYSE">MOO</a>).
Price Action: ZTS shares are up 5.21% at $166.76 at the last check Thursday.
Image by Africa Studio via Shutterstock

Bunge Limited&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BG#NYSE">BG</a>) shares traded lower&nbsp;&nbsp;Wednesday after the company<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;reported first-quarter results</a>.
The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.04,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/04/b38398262/bunge-reports-first-quarter-2024-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">beating the analyst consensus of $2.54</a>.&nbsp;
Quarterly revenues of $13.417 billion<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;missed the street view of $13.956 billion.</a>
In the agribusiness, higher processing results were more than offset by lower results in merchandising, while refined and specialty Oil units were down from a strong prior year.&nbsp;
&#8220;During the quarter we invested further in our pipeline of growth projects and made excellent progress&nbsp;on&nbsp;integration planning for our announced combination with Viterra,&#8221; said Greg Heckman, Bunge&#8217;s&nbsp;Chief Executive Officer.
Bunge exited the quarter with cash and equivalents worth $2.939&nbsp;billion&nbsp;and inventories worth $7.505 billion.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>,&nbsp;BG stock has gained over 15% in the past year.&nbsp;Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;First Trust Cons. Staples AlphaDEX&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FXG#NYSE">FXG</a>) and&nbsp;VanEck Agribusiness ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOO#NYSE">MOO</a>).
Outlook:&nbsp;Bunge reiterated a full-year 2024 adjusted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">EPS outlook of approximately $9.00 versus&nbsp;the $9.39 estimate.</a>
The company sees full-year 2024 net interest expense in the range of $280 million to $310 million, which is down from previous&nbsp;expectation&nbsp;of $300 million to $330 million.
&#8220;While we are off to a strong start, we continue to have limited visibility into the back half of the year,&#8221; Heckman added.
Price Action:  BG shares are trading lower by 5.57% to $103.51 at last check Wednesday.

As July comes to an end, it&#8217;s time to take a look at the best- and worst-performing industry <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-etfs">ETFs for the month.</a>
Among the largest ETFs that represent major U.S. stock indices, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) returned 3.1% in July, marking its fifth consecutive month of gains. The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) had similar monthly performance, but the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) outperformed by 3.8%. The strongest performer, though, was the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>), which increased by 4.9%.
Which industries have performed significantly better than the overall market? Which ones, on the other hand, had a particularly rough month despite the broader risk-on period?
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5 Top Performing Industry ETFs In July</h2>
5) Semiconductors &#8211; VanEck Semiconductors ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMH#NYSE">SMH</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 5% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: 58.8% &#8211; Top holdings: NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) (20%), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) (10.74%), Broadcom Inc. (5.64%) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) &#8211; Monthly stock contributors: Nvidia (2.8 percentage points), Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>) (0.6pp), Intel Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NYSE">INTC</a>) (0.5pp)
4) Agriculture &#8211; VanEck Agribusiness ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOO#NYSE">MOO</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 7.8% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: 3.1% &#8211; Top holdings: Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZTS#NYSE">ZTS</a>) (8.6%), Deere &amp; Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DE#NYSE">DE</a>) (8.33%) &#8211; Monthly stock contributors: Zoetis Inc. (1pp); Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADM#NYSE">ADM</a>) (0.9pp); 
3) Oil &amp; Gas – SPDR Oil &amp; Gas Explor. &amp; Prod. ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOP#NYSE">XOP</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 10.1% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: 11% &#8211; Top holdings: Antero Resources Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AR#NYSE">AR</a>) (2.6%), SM Energy Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SM#NYSE">SM</a>) (2.5%) &#8211; Monthly stock contributors: Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OVV#NYSE">OVV</a>) (0.6pp); APA Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APA#NYSE">APA</a>) (0.5pp)
2) Oil services – VanEck Oil Services (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OIH#NYSE">OIH</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 18.9% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: 18.4% &#8211; Top holdings: Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLB#NYSE">SLB</a>) (19.6%); Halliburton Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HAL#NYSE">HAL</a>) (11%). &#8211; Monthly stock contributors: Schlumberger Ltd. (4pp); Halliburton Company (2.2pp)
1) Regional Banks – SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 19.8% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: -16.2% &#8211; Top holdings: Western Alliance Bancorp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WAL#NYSE">WAL</a>) (2.4%), Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PNFP#NYSE">PNFP</a>) (2.3%). &#8211; Monthly stock contributors: Western Alliance Bancorp. (0.85pp); ZIONS Bancorporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZION#NYSE">ZION</a>) (0.8pp)
Read now: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/23/07/33450464/oil-prices-hit-80-sparking-5-week-winning-streak-5-must-watch-oil-etfs-to-ride-th">Oil Prices Hit $80, Sparking 5-Week Winning Streak: 5 Must-Watch Oil ETFs To Ride The Wave</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chart: Industry ETFs Gainers In July 2023</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="822" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31095930/SMH_2023-07-31_15-58-18_36b42-1024x822.png" alt="" class="wp-image-78242" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31095930/SMH_2023-07-31_15-58-18_36b42-1024x822.png 1024w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31095930/SMH_2023-07-31_15-58-18_36b42-300x241.png 300w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31095930/SMH_2023-07-31_15-58-18_36b42-768x616.png 768w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31095930/SMH_2023-07-31_15-58-18_36b42-1536x1233.png 1536w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31095930/SMH_2023-07-31_15-58-18_36b42.png 1540w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5 Worst Performing Industry ETFs In July</h2>
5) Water Resources &#8211; Invesco Water Resources ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PHO#NASDAQ">PHO</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 2.9% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: 12.6% &#8211; Top holdings: Danaher Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DHR#NYSE">DHR</a>) (8.1%), Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ECL#NYSE">ECL</a>) (8%), Ferguson Plc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FERG#NYSE">FERG</a>) (8%). &#8211; Monthly stock draggers: Walmont Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VMI#NYSE">VMI</a>) (-0.3pp); Mueller Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MLI#NYSE">MLI</a>) (-0.1pp). 
4) Biotech &#8211; iShares Biotechnology ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBB#NYSE">IBB</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 2.1% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: down by 0.3% &#8211; Top holdings: Amgen Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMGN#NYSE">AMGN</a>) (8.5%), Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRTX#NYSE">VRTX</a>) (8.5%) &#8211; Monthly stock draggers: Apellis Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APLS#NYSE">APLS</a>) (-0.7pp); Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIIB#NASDAQ">BIIB</a>) (-0.3pp). 
3) Real Estate – Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VNQ#NYSE">VNQ</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: 2% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: 3.3% &#8211; Top holdings: Prologis Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLD#NYSE">PLD</a>) (7.6%), American Tower Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMT#NYSE">AMT</a>) (6%). &#8211; Monthly stock draggers: CoStar Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSGP#NASDAQ">CSGP</a>) (-0.2pp), Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCI#NYSE">CCI</a>) (-0.2pp)
2) Airlines – U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JETS#NYSE">JETS</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: down by 0.4% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: 25.9% &#8211; Top holdings: Delta Airlines Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DAL#NYSE">DAL</a>) (10.8%), American Airlines Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAL#NYSE">AAL</a>) (9.8%). &#8211; Monthly stock draggers: American Airlines Group Inc. (-0.5pp), Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) (-0.4pp)
1) Solar – Invesco Solar ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TAN#NYSE">TAN</a>) &#8211; Total return month-to-date: down by 3.3% &#8211; Total return year-to-date: down by 4.4% &#8211; Top holdings: First Solar Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FSLR#NYSE">FSLR</a>) (11.1%), Enphase Energy Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENPH#NYSE">ENPH</a>) (9.1%) &#8211; Monthly stock draggers: SolarEdge Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEDG#NASDAQ">SEDG</a>) (-0.7pp), SMA Solar Technology AG (OTCPK: SMTGF) (-0.6pp). 
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chart: Industry ETF Losers In July</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="822" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31102147/IBB_2023-07-31_16-04-00_04583-1024x822.png" alt="" class="wp-image-78251" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31102147/IBB_2023-07-31_16-04-00_04583-1024x822.png 1024w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31102147/IBB_2023-07-31_16-04-00_04583-300x241.png 300w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31102147/IBB_2023-07-31_16-04-00_04583-768x616.png 768w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31102147/IBB_2023-07-31_16-04-00_04583-1536x1233.png 1536w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/31102147/IBB_2023-07-31_16-04-00_04583.png 1540w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Photo via Shutterstock.

Rising Stars, Falling Trends: July's Industry ETF Winners And Losers

As the second quarter comes to a close, it&#8217;s time to look at the performance of industry ETFs and the stocks that helped shape <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/23/03/31609224/top-5-best-and-worst-u-s-industry-etfs-in-q1-2023-ai-and-bank-turmoil-shaped-stock-returns">their respective sector returns. </a>
With the S&amp;P 500 Index, as represented by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), up 6% during this time, investors are eager to know which industries have outperformed or lagged behind the overall market over the quarter. 
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Performing Industry ETFs in Q2 2023</h2>
The top five performing Industry ETFs in the second quarter of the year were:
5) First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDN#NYSE">FDN</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: FDN tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Internet Composite Index, providing exposure to leading internet companies.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): 7.4%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (9.76%), Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) (9.47%), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) (7.7%). </li>
<li>Top three stock contributors (% added to industry quarterly performance): AMZN (2.5%), META (2.2%), Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) (1.2%)</li>
</ul>
4) US Global Jets ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JETS#NYSE">JETS</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: JETS invests in the global airline industry, including airlines, manufacturers, and airport services, allowing investors to access the aviation sector.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): 9.4%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DAL#NYSE">DAL</a>) (10.7%), Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) (10.5%), American Airlines Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAL#NYSE">AAL</a>) (10.2%) </li>
<li>Top three stock contributors: DAL (3.4%), United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UAL#NYSE">UAL</a>) (2.7%), SkyWest Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SKYW#NASDAQ">SKYW</a>) (2%). </li>
</ul>
3) iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IGV#NYSE">IGV</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: IGV aims to replicate the performance of the S&amp;P North American Technology-Software Index, offering exposure to the software industry.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): 10.4%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: Adobe, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADBE#NASDAQ">ADBE</a>) (9.1%), Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) (8.9%), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) (8.5%)</li>
<li>Top three stock contributors: ORCL (2.6%), ADBE (2.4%), MSFT (1.5%). </li>
</ul>
2) VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMH#NYSE">SMH</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: SMH seeks to track the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index, providing exposure to companies in the semiconductor industry.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): 12.2%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) (19.6%), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NASDAQ">TSM</a>) (11.8%), Bradcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) (5.1%)</li>
<li>Top three stock contributors: NVDA (7.9%), AVGO (1.4%), TSM (1.2%) </li>
</ul>
1) iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ITB#NYSE">ITB</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: ITB invests in U.S. companies involved in home construction and improvement, allowing investors to participate in the housing sector.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): 16.7%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DHI#NYSE">DHI</a>) (15.4%), Lennar Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LEN#NYSE">LEN</a>) (12.8%), and NVR Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVR#NYSE">NVR</a>) (7.7%) </li>
<li>Top three stock contributors: DHI (3.6%), LEN (2.3%), PulteGroup Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PHM#NYSE">PHM</a>) (2.2%)</li>
</ul>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/23/06/32913576/us-builders-are-the-most-confident-theyve-been-about-new-single-family-homes-in-11-months" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Builders Are The Most Confident They&#8217;ve Been About New Single-Family Homes In 11 Months</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Performing U.S. Industry ETFs For The Quarter</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="759" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161047/ITB_2023-06-26_22-10-13_1505e-1024x759.png" alt="" class="wp-image-58013" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161047/ITB_2023-06-26_22-10-13_1505e-1024x759.png 1024w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161047/ITB_2023-06-26_22-10-13_1505e-300x222.png 300w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161047/ITB_2023-06-26_22-10-13_1505e-768x569.png 768w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161047/ITB_2023-06-26_22-10-13_1505e-1536x1138.png 1536w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161047/ITB_2023-06-26_22-10-13_1505e.png 1660w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Worst Performing Industry ETFs in Q2 2023</h2>
The worst five performing Industry ETFs in the second quarter of the year were:
5) VanEck AgriBusiness ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOO#NYSE">MOO</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: MOO seeks to replicate the performance of the MVIS Global Agribusiness Index, offering exposure to companies involved in various segments of the agricultural industry, including farming, fertilizers, equipment, and more.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): down by 6.7%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: Deere &amp; Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DE#NYSE">DE</a>) (8.54%), Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZTS#NYSE">ZTS</a>) (8.3%), and Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAYRY#OTC">BAYRY</a>) (6.95%).</li>
<li>Worst 3 stock contributors: Nutrien Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NTR#NYSE">NTR</a>) (-1.1%), The Mosaic Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MOS#NYSE">MOS</a>) (-0.5%), and Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSN#NYSE">TSN</a>) (-0.4%).</li>
</ul>
4) SPDR S&amp;P Metals &amp; Mining ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XME#NYSE">XME</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: XME follows the S&amp;P Metals &amp; Mining Select Industry Index, investing in companies involved in metals and mining production.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): down by 7.7%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: Commercial Metals Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMC#NYSE">CMC</a>) (4.8%), Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMR#NYSE">AMR</a>) (4.7%), and Nucor Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NUE#NYSE">NUE</a>) (4.6%).</li>
<li>Worst three stock contributors: MP materials corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MP#NYSE">MP</a>) (-0.9%), Alcoa Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AA#NYSE">AA</a>) (-0.8%), and Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BTU#NYSE">BTU</a>) (-0.7%).</li>
</ul>
3) SPDR S&amp;P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KRE#NYSE">KRE</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: KRE seeks to replicate the performance of the S&amp;P Regional Banks Select Industry Index, providing exposure to regional banking companies.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): down by 8.6%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NYCB#NYSE">NYCB</a>) (2.08%), Bank OZK (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OZK#NASDAQ">OZK</a>) (2.06%), and Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFR#NYSE">CFR</a>) (2.06%).</li>
<li>Worst 3 stock contributors: First Horizon Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHN#NYSE">FHN</a>) (-0.9%), PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PACW#NASDAQ">PACW</a>) (-0.5%), and Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VLY#NASDAQ">VLY</a>) (-0.4%).</li>
</ul>
2) Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PBW#NYSE">PBW</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: PBW aims to track the WilderHill Clean Energy Index, offering investors exposure to clean energy companies.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): down by 9.3%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: Bel Fuse Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BELFA#NASDAQ">BELFA</a>) (2.4%), Joby Aviation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JOBY#NYSE">JOBY</a>) (2.3%), and Fluence Energy (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FLNC#NASDAQ">FLNC</a>) (2.04%).</li>
<li>Worst 3 stock contributors: Workhorse Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WKHS#NASDAQ">WKHS</a>) (-0.5%), Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLNK#NASDAQ">BLNK</a>) (-0.4%), and Wallbox N.V. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBX#NASDAQ">WBX</a>) (-0.4%).</li>
</ul>
1) Invesco Solar ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TAN#NYSE">TAN</a>)
<ul>
<li>Description: TAN tracks the MAC Global Solar Energy Index, providing investors with exposure to companies involved in the solar energy industry.</li>
<li>Performance quarter-to-date (as of June 26): negative by 11.8%</li>
<li>Top three holdings: First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FSLR#NASDAQ">FSLR</a>) (9.9%), Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENPH#NASDAQ">ENPH</a>) (9.4%), and SolarEdge Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEDG#NASDAQ">SEDG</a>) (8.9%).</li>
<li>Worst three stock contributors: ENPH (-2.1%), FSLR (-1.8%) and SEDG (-1.3%). </li>
</ul>
Read now: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options/23/06/33011147/this-is-what-whales-are-betting-on-first-solar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">This Is What Whales Are Betting On First Solar</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Worst Performing U.S. Industry ETFs For The Quarter</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="759" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161237/TAN_2023-06-26_22-12-23_54cc0-1024x759.png" alt="" class="wp-image-58014" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161237/TAN_2023-06-26_22-12-23_54cc0-1024x759.png 1024w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161237/TAN_2023-06-26_22-12-23_54cc0-300x222.png 300w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161237/TAN_2023-06-26_22-12-23_54cc0-768x569.png 768w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161237/TAN_2023-06-26_22-12-23_54cc0-1536x1138.png 1536w,https://s3.amazonaws.com/editorial.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/26161237/TAN_2023-06-26_22-12-23_54cc0.png 1660w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>

Unmasking Q2 2023's Stars & Strugglers: Industry ETFs And Top Stock Standouts

The latest&nbsp;U.S. labor market report&nbsp;showed a remarkable rise in non-farm payrolls in May, with a surprising gain of 339,000.
This marks the strongest pace of employment growth since January 2023.
This surprising jump also bucked&nbsp;projections of a decline in job growth to 180-190,000 the revised April result of 294,000, signaling <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/23/06/32689386/us-labor-market-on-fire-may-jobs-data-reveals-employment-boom-steady-wage-growth-" target="_blank">healthy employment conditions overall. </a>
May&#39;s&nbsp;jobs&nbsp;report also indicated notable variations in employment growth&nbsp;between industries, underscoring the importance for investors to monitor these <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/money/best-sectors-to-invest-in-right-now/">sector</a>-specific trends closely.
<h3>Which Industries Added the Most And Least Jobs in May?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Private education and health services led with 97,000 new hires, driven by a 52,400 employment growth in health care.</li>
<li>Professional and business services witnessed an increase of 64,000 jobs.&nbsp;</li>
<li>
Leisure and hospitality added 48,000 employees, with food services and drinking places contributing 33,000.
</li>
<li>
Construction industry saw a surge of 25,000 jobs.
</li>
<li>
Employees in transportation and warehousing grew by 24,200, driven by transit, ground passenger transportation, and couriers.
</li>
<li>
Financial activities hired 10,000 employees, with finance and insurance adding 7,100 jobs and real estate and rental and leasing adding 2,800 jobs. Within this industry, commercial banking saw 5,800 layoffs.
</li>
<li>
Utilities, wholesale trade, and mining/logging had minimal employment growth.
</li>
<li>
The nondurable goods industry&nbsp;experienced a loss of 5,000 jobs.
</li>
<li>
The information industry suffered the most job losses, down by 9,000.&nbsp;Publishing and telecommunications segments both recorded a loss of 2,500 jobs. 
	&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
<h3>How Those Industries&#39; ETFs Performed: Winners And Losers</h3>
While tech-related industries such as semiconductors, the internet, and software have had strong growth in the last month, driven by the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank">AI rally</a>. Other sectors such as agriculture, mining, and retail have lagged.
Here are some industry ETF performance highlights over the past month:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smh#NASDAQ">SMH</a>) up 17.1%.</li>
<li>First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fdn#NASDAQ">FDN</a>) up 12.3%.</li>
<li>iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (ARCA: IGV) up 11.3%.</li>
<li>SPDR S&amp;P 500 Retail ETF (ARCA: XRT) down by 4%.</li>
<li>VanEck Gold Miners ETF (ARCA: GDX) down by 5.2%.</li>
<li>VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF (ARCA: MOO) down by 7.4%.</li>
</ul>
Now Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/penny-stocks/23/06/32682660/benzingas-stock-whisper-index-5-stocks-investors-are-secretly-monitoring-but-not-talking-abo" target="_blank">Benzinga&#39;s &#39;Stock Whisper&#39; Index: 5 Stocks Investors Are Secretly Monitoring But Not Talking About Yet</a>
Image: Pixabay

<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-16/blankfein-called-it-now-the-whole-world-is-watching-commodities?sref=TBDibEcD">Bloomberg </a>this weekend reported on the boom that is taking shape in the commodities markets.
What Happened: Investors are moving from the bull market in stocks to areas further afield in search of returns in a very-low interest rate environment.
&quot;Commodities haven&rsquo;t been this sexy since the mid-2000s, when China was stockpiling everything from copper to cotton,&quot; Bloomberg reports.
The story points to several developments:
<ul>
<li>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jpm#NYSE">JPM</a>) recommending a move away from bonds toward materials</li>
<li>Hedge fund bets at their highest levels in a decade, totalling nearly $120 billion</li>
<li>Agricultural markets also up more than 30% in the last decade</li>
<li>Corn at a seven-year high</li>
<li>Soybeans and wheat at their highest prices since 2014</li>
<li>Copper having the potential to rally&nbsp;20% to more than $10,000 a metric ton, according to Francisco Blanch, head of global commodities research at Bank of America</li>
</ul>
Quick Ways To Jump In: If this makes you itchy to get in on the action, then here are three ETFs and two copper funds that can give you exposure to metals and agriculture, which we&nbsp;gathered by asking around the Benzinga staff for some quick ways to place bets.
Note that this is by no means a comprehensive list but some simple ways to buy if you believe these commodities will continue their rise.
<ul>
<li>Invesco DB Agriculture Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dba#NYSE">DBA</a>) With $691.8 million in assets under management, this is one of the largest ETFs that holds actual agricultural commodities. Its 26-week return rate stands at&nbsp;20.79%, according to ETF Database.&nbsp;Its share price is up&nbsp;20.79% over the past six months and closed last week at&nbsp;$16.56.</li>
<li>For an ETF that holds&nbsp;agricultural stocks, the largest is&nbsp;VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF&nbsp;(NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>). It has $914.5 million in assets under management and &quot;the&nbsp;best ticker symbol out there,&quot; says Spencer Israel, producer of Benzinga&#39;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket-prep/">PreMarket Prep</a>.&nbsp;It has a 26-week return rate of&nbsp;31.32%, according to ETF Database.&nbsp;It is up&nbsp;29.89% over the past six months and closed last week at&nbsp;$82.14.</li>
<li>The VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/remx#NYSE">REMX</a>) holds stocks of companies that produce rare earth&nbsp;metals&nbsp;such as titanium, molybdenum, cerium, manganese&nbsp;and tungsten. It has&nbsp;$421.1 million in&nbsp;assets under management. The ETF&#39;s 26-week return rate is 89.57%, and its share price closed last week at&nbsp;$72.38, up 87.90% over six months.</li>
<li>For pure copper plays, also look into the&nbsp;Barclays iPath Bloomberg Copper Subindex (NYSEARCA: JJC), which is an exchange-traded note, and the&nbsp;United States Copper Index Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cper#NYSE">CPER</a>), an exchange-traded product.</li>
</ul>
Image source: Pexels

It&#39;s tied with energy for the smallest weight in the <a href="https://www.ssga.com/us/en/intermediary/etfs/funds/spdr-sp-500-etf-trust-spy">S&amp;P 500 at 2.57%</a>, but the oft-overlooked materials sector is on the rise.
The S&amp;P 500 Materials Index gained almost 1.5% last week and enters Monday trading at its highest levels since late 2017. While there are plenty of indications that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/20/08/16989656/5-value-stocks-in-the-basic-materials-sector">the sector is undervalued</a>, that status isn&#39;t the only reason the group is being bid higher.
Depressed Treasury yields &mdash;&nbsp;which are stirring inflation speculation &mdash;&nbsp;and rising commodities are fueling renewed interest in the sector.
Here are three materials exchange traded funds for investors to consider in the search for more near-term upside.
Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB)
The Materials Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xlb#NYSE">XLB</a>) is the largest ETF tracking this sector and is higher by 3.26% over the last month. XLB also enters Monday trading less than 1% below its 52-week high.
Owing to a shallow pool of large-cap candidates for this sector, XLB has just 28 holdings and is top-heavy, as Linde Plc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lin#NYSE">LIN</a>) accounts for more than 18% of the fund&#39;s weight. XLB&#39;s top 10 holdings combine for almost two-thirds of the fund&#39;s weight.
Fun fact: XLB is&nbsp;either the best or second-best sector SPDR ETF in <a href="https://www.cxoadvisory.com/calendar-effects/sector-performance-by-calendar-month/">four months of the year</a>.
VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF (MOO)
The VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>) is higher by almost 8% over the past month and is closing in on all-time highs. The ETF turns 13 years old at the end of this month.
MOO follows the &ldquo;MVIS Global Agribusiness Index (MVMOOTR), which is intended to track the overall performance of companies involved in: (i) agri-chemicals, animal health and fertilizers, seeds and traits, from farm/irrigation equipment and farm machinery, aquaculture and fishing, livestock, cultivation and plantations (including grain, oil palms, sugar cane, tobacco leafs, grapevines, etc.), and trading of agricultural products,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.vaneck.com/etf/equity/moo/overview/">according to VanEck</a>.
MOO is interesting in the current environment because agricultural commodities are&nbsp;historically&nbsp;inflation fighters, and an equity approach is a practical play on what&#39;s usually a volatile asset class.
Invesco S&amp;P SmallCap Materials ETF (PSCM)
With small-cap stocks in rally mode, adventurous investors may want to give the Invesco S&amp;P SmallCap Materials ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pscm#NASDAQ">PSCM</a>) a look. While PSCM is higher by 17% over the past month, making it the best-performing member of the trio highlighted here, it also has the furthest to run back to its 52-week high.
Home to 38 stocks, PSCM allocates almost 56% of its weight to chemicals manufacturers. A third of the fund&#39;s components are classified as value stocks.

During his Twitter tirade last week, President Trump mentioned his displeasure with the fact that China has not upped its purchases of U.S. farm products as it promised it would as part of trade talks. Those comments affected agribusiness stocks.
<h3>What Happened</h3>
Not surprisingly, the VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>) tumbled last week, but with the help of Thursday&#39;s 2.32% gain, the lone dedicated agribusiness exchange traded fund is trading modestly higher this week.
MOO, which celebrates its 12th birthday at the end of this month, tracks the MVIS Global Agribusiness Index. That index &ldquo;is intended to track the overall performance of companies involved in: (i) agri-chemicals, animal health and fertilizers, seeds and traits, from farm/irrigation equipment and farm machinery, aquaculture and fishing, livestock, cultivation and plantations (including grain, oil palms, sugar cane, tobacco leafs, grapevines, etc.), and trading of agricultural products,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.vaneck.com/etf/equity/moo/overview/">according to VanEck</a>.
<h3>Why It&#39;s Important</h3>
Agriculture machinery makers, such as Deere &amp; Co. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/de#NYSE">DE</a>) and Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsco#NASDAQ">TSCO</a>), are among MOO&#39;s top 10 holdings, underscoring the fund&#39;s vulnerability in the face of trade tensions in which agriculture is being discussed.
&ldquo;China&#39;s recently announced embargo on US agricultural imports escalates trade-related risks to the US farm sector, which is experiencing falling sales, prices and land values from previous tariffs,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.fitchratings.com/site/pr/10085745">said Fitch Ratings in a recent note</a>.
MOO allocates about 40% of its weight to the cyclical materials and industrial sectors, groups that have been pinched by the trade tussle, but the ETF also offers some defensive positioning as the consumer staples and healthcare sectors combine for almost 57%/
<h3>What&#39;s Next</h3>
As for what&#39;s next, the White House needs to find a way to make nice with China or find other countries to fill the void for American farmers because U.S. farm exports to the world&#39;s second-largest economy are tumbling.
&ldquo;US agricultural exports to China fell dramatically to $9.1 billion in 2018 from $19.5 billion in 2017 as a result of the imposition of Chinese tariffs on US agricultural imports, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA),&rdquo; according to Fitch. &ldquo;Exports declined an additional 20% in first-half 2019. The decline in exports to China is exacerbating weather challenges, which affect plantings and yields, for the farming sector this year.&rdquo;
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/19/08/14226038/why-this-china-etf-will-rise-again">This China ETF Will Rise Again</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/19/08/14225773/a-bond-etf-for-adventurous-investors">A Tempting Bond ETF</a>

A new exchange traded fund aimed at providing diverse asset allocation while limiting volatility debuted Tuesday. The VanEck Vectors Real Asset Allocation ETF (NYSE: RAXX) provides exposure to real assets using the ETF-of-ETFs model.
RAXX &ldquo;seeks to maximize real returns while seeking to reduce downside risk during sustained market declines by allocating primarily to exchange-traded products that provide exposure to real assets, which include commodities, real estate, natural resources and infrastructure,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.vaneck.com/etf/equity/raax/overview/">according to VanEck</a>.
The new ETF debuted holding 10 other ETFs, six of which are VanEck funds. RAXX can hold up to 12 ETFs and can go to 100-percent cash in the event of elevated market stress.
<h3>
	The RAXX Report</h3>
RAXX allocates over half its weight to just two ETFs: the PowerShares Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 Portfolio (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pdbc#NASDAQ">PDBC</a>) and the VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>).
The actively managed PDBC features exposure to a broad basket of commodities, including West Texas Intermediate crude, Brent crude, wheat, natural gas, zinc, aluminum, corn, soybeans, gasoline and gold. Speaking of gold, the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gld#NYSE">GLD</a>) and the iShares Gold Trust (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/iau#NYSE">IAU</a>), the two largest gold ETFs, combine for about 20 percent of RAXX&#39;s roster.
RAXX holdings &ldquo;provide exposure to agribusiness, coal, infrastructure, real estate, steel, oil services, unconventional oil and gas and gold mining companies, as well as diversified commodity futures exposure and physical gold,&rdquo; according to VanEck.
<h3>
	Income And Adventure</h3>
RAXX provides some income-generating potential with modest exposure to master limited partnerships via an almost 5-percent weight to the Global X MLP&amp;Energy Infrastructure ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mlpx#NYSE">MLPX</a>).
The new ETF also debuted with some higher beta sector and industry plays, including the VanEck Vectors Oil Services ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/oih#NYSE">OIH</a>) and the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gdx#NYSE">GDX</a>).
&ldquo;RAAX performance is dependent on the performance of underlying funds and is subject to the risks of the underlying funds&rsquo; investments,&rdquo; according to the issuer.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/18/04/11492715/the-place-to-go-for-700-commission-free-etfs">700 Commission-Free ETFs Right Here</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/18/04/11492713/mergers-acquisitions-and-a-tax-cut-why-this-biotech-etf-can-rebound">Why This Biotech ETF Can Rally</a>
Todd Shriber owns shares of IAU.

MLPX

PDBC

A New ETF Of ETFs For Diverse Asset Allocation

USDA Says '16/'17 World End Stocks: 255.83M Tonnes For Wheat, 226.96M Tonnes for Corn, 95.96M Tonnes For Soybeans

USDA Forecasts US '17/'18 End Stocks For Wheat 933M Bushels, For Corn 2.335B Bushels, For Soybean 475M Bushels

UPDATE: USDA Reports '17/'18 Global End Stocks: 260.6M Tonnes Of Wheat, 200.81M Tonnes Of corn, 93.53M Tonnes Of Soybeans

USDA Reports '16/'17 Global Endstocks: 258.05M Tonnes Of Wheat, 227.51M Tonnes Of Corn, 94.78M Tonnes Of Soybeans

The West Coast/California drought has finally ended, with Gov. Jerry Brown lifting the drought emergency in most parts of California, barring a few San Joaquin Valley counties. Does this mark the all clear for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/14/09/4830201/how-droughts-affect-the-stock-market">investors</a> in the agriculture sector?
Not necessarily.
Let's take a look at performance of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/07/8201485/down-on-the-farm-looking-at-the-agribusiness-etf">agriculture-related stocks </a> over cycles of drought.
<h3>Driest Ever Drought In California</h3>
The most recent drought in California spanned from December 2011 to April 2017 and has the distinction of being the driest in the history of the state. The state has ordered a 25 percent cut in urban water use in June 2015, as a countermeasure to tackle the drought. The worst affected of all are the farmers, as they use about 80 percent of all water consumed. 
California is the pivot in the nation's agricultural fabric, as it has been topping the states in agricultural production since 1948, producing almost all of domestic fruits, nuts and vegetables, according to a <a href="http://wire.kapitall.com/investment-idea/highly-profitable-agriculture-stocks-californias-drought/"> report</a> in Kapitallwire.
Droughts would have a telling impact on industries exposed to agriculture and allied activities. Agri-input companies such as seed companies and manufacturers of fertilizers and pesticides and farm machinery and equipment makers are among the worst hit.
However, comparing droughts is a tough assignment, given that a drought can be defined in terms of a host of metrics such as rainfall, condition of vegetation, agricultural productivity, soil moisture, levels of reservoir and stream flow, economic impact etc., a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2015/05/13/forget-california-north-america-has-faced-far-worst-droughts/#2e593bc632dd"> Forbes article </a> said quoting scientists at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.
The Forbes article delved on some of the worst droughts in the history of the United States:
<ul>
<li>Dust Bowl of 1930s.</li>
<li>Great Plains/Southwest Drought: 1950&ndash;1957.</li>
<li>Californian Drought: 1977&ndash;1978.</li>
<li>Californian Drought: 1987&ndash;1989.</li>
<li>Turn-of-the-century Drought: 1999&ndash;2008.</li>
<li>Californian Drought of 2011&ndash;2016.</li>
</ul>
<h3>How Agricultural Stocks Fared Through Recent Californian Drought</h3>
 PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dba#NYSE">DBA</a>), the iPath Bloomberg Grains Total Return Sub-Index ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/jjg#NYSE">JJG</a>) and the ELEMENTS Rogers Intl Cmdty Agri TR ETN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/rja#NYSE">RJA</a>) all fared badly during this six year period.
The DBA has lost 39 percent since 2011; the JJG, 46.9 percent; and the RJA, 41.2 percent.
<a href="https://ycharts.com/companies/JJG/chart/#/?zoom=custom&amp;startDate=01/01/2011&amp;calcs=include:true,id:price,,&amp;format=indexed&amp;title=&amp;maxPoints=850&amp;splitType=single&amp;quotes=true&amp;legendOnChart=&amp;securitylistName=&amp;recessions=&amp;partner=&amp;note=&amp;correlations=&amp;endDate=04/13/2017&amp;securityGroup=&amp;quoteLegend=&amp;securities=include:true,id:JJG,,include:true,id:RJA,,include:true,id:DBA&amp;source=&amp;displayTicker=false&amp;securitylistSecurityId=&amp;units=&amp;scaleType="><img src="https://media.ycharts.com/charts/60e62eda60b2bf6b1ae56d9af5bc98ef.png" alt="JJG Chart" /></a> 
Source: Y Charts
The Market Vectors Agribusiness (ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/moo#NYSE">MOO</a>), which has companies deriving at least 50 percent of their revenues from agricultural business, including fertilizer, seed and food companies, was largely on a consolidation mode, in a broad range, for most part of the drought.
After declining steeply in late 2015, the index has staged a nice recovery, advancing about 16.41 percent since 2016.
The index is down about 0.9 percent over the period between 2011 and 2016.
Looking at individual stocks:
Agricultural Produce Companies
<ul>
<li>Limoneira Company (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lmnr#NASDAQ">LMNR</a>): -32.1 percent since 2011.</li>
<li>Calavo Growers, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cvgw#NASDAQ">CVGW</a>): +168.2 percent since 2011.</li>
</ul>
Agri-Input Companies &mdash; Seeds/ Fertilizers/Pesticides Manufacturers
<ul>
<li>Monsanto Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mon#NYSE">MON</a>): +68.82 percent since 2011.</li>
<li>Syngenta AG (ADR) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/syt#NYSE">SYT</a>): +56.26 percent since 2011.</li>
<li>Mosaic Co (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mos#NYSE">MOS</a>): -63.1 percent since 2011.</li>
<li>Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (USA) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pot#NYSE">POT</a>): -67.8 percent since 2011.</li>
<li>CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cf#NYSE">CF</a>): +5.04 percent since 2011.</li>
<li>Agrium Inc. (USA) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/agu#NYSE">AGU</a>): +1.10 percent since 2011.</li>
</ul>
Agri-Finance Companies
<ul>
<li>Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/agm#NYSE">AGM</a>): +233 percent since 2011.</li>
</ul>
Notwithstanding the drought, seed companies and agri-produce companies have fared well. The performance of pesticide and fertilizer companies were mixed during the period.
There is an argument that droughts serve to support stocks of companies that supply drought-resistant seeds. 
Monsanto, Syngenta and E I Du Pont De Nemours And Co (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dd#NYSE">DD</a>) are all said to have genetically modified seeds that can withstand drought.
There is another class of companies that boom during droughts, the ones that sell technology related to water efficiency and moisture monitoring systems.
<h3>Agri Stocks And Previous Droughts</h3>
During the Turn-of-the-century Drought of 1999&ndash;2008, these stocks turned in a lackluster showing only to launch into a strong rally toward the end of the drought.
<a href="https://ycharts.com/companies/LMNR/chart/#/?recessions=&amp;quoteLegend=&amp;displayTicker=false&amp;securitylistName=&amp;maxPoints=850&amp;title=&amp;startDate=01/01/1999&amp;legendOnChart=&amp;partner=&amp;format=indexed&amp;securityGroup=&amp;correlations=&amp;quotes=true&amp;calcs=include:true,id:price,,&amp;endDate=12/31/2008&amp;zoom=custom&amp;securities=include:true,id:LMNR,,include:true,id:CVGW,,include:true,id:MON,,include:true,id:MOS,,include:true,id:POT,,include:true,id:CF,,include:true,id:AGU,,include:true,id:SYT&amp;splitType=single&amp;scaleType=&amp;source=&amp;units=&amp;note=&amp;securitylistSecurityId="><img src="https://media.ycharts.com/charts/7799ea8a541a75af832292a92f08e349.png" alt="LMNR Chart" /></a> 
Source: Y Charts
Agricultural stocks could get a psychological boost from the news that the drought has abated, returning agricultural activity to their historic norms. Droughts, like an economic cycle, keep repeating, especially amid the global warning triggered by climate change. Therefore, one might be well advised to tread with caution when investing in agricultural stocks. As seen earlier, there are some sub-classes among this sector, which are relatively less immune to adverse weather conditions such as droughts and floods.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/16/11/8686835/specter-of-trumps-agriculture-policies-prompt-jpmorgan-t"> Specter Of Trump's Agriculture Policies Prompt JPMorgan To Downgrade Archer Daniels </a> 
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/15/01/5130159/chinas-approval-could-make-agriculture-more-appealing"> China's Approval Could Make Agriculture More Appealing </a>

Education

Media

CVGW

LMNR

Will Ag Stocks Flourish Now That California's 5-Year Drought Is Officially Over?

Analyst Color

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UPDATE: BMO Says Sell Fertilizer Stocks, Believes Recent Comments Made by Belarus Pres Being Interpreted as Positive by Investors Include Nothing New

Technicals

iShares Trust Dow Jones US Basic Materials Sector Index Fund


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Thomas R. CarperSenate (D-DE)	$1K - $15K	Purchase	Feb 03, 2022	Jan 31, 2022	Senate
Thomas R. CarperSenate (D-DE)	$1K - $15K	Purchase	Feb 03, 2022	Jan 26, 2022	Senate

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