How to Track ETFs
As with any securities investment, trading exchange-traded funds (ETFs) requires that the investor pay attention to their changing value. As ETFs can be traded whenever the stock exchange is open, investors must be vigilant to prevent losses and capitalize on opportunities. There are a few things you can do to help you track your ETFs.
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Instructions
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Find a media or financial website that provides up-to-the-minute ETF prices. Almost all major news sites will post this data in their business sections, but be sure to look for the source of the quotes. Newspaper listings can give you information to track your ETF's value from the previous day, but that often isn't as useful as current price quotes.
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Consider joining a financial website or buying software that lets you track ETFs in both domestic and foreign markets, like FastTrack (see Resources below). The ideal service will provide you with ETF analysis in addition to raw data. Look for sites and software that give you a free trial period before you commit to paying fees.
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Pay attention to the performance of the index related to your ETF. For example, if you have shares of the SPY ETF, you should know that it tracks the S&P 500 Index. ETFs may not perform exactly the same way as the related security, but they often mirror large gains or losses.
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Talk to your broker about receiving updates as new ETFs go on the market. ETFs are gaining popularity, and financial institutions often introduce new ones that track industries or index funds. You have to devote time to track your own investments, but you should always be looking for new opportunities.
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Set up sell orders on your ETFs with the help of your broker. Investors must realize that they often cannot track their funds every hour of each business day. You can put an automatic sell order on your ETFs that tells your broker to sell them when they drop below a certain value, like 5 or 10 percent.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure you understand exactly what your ETF tracks. For example, if you have an ETF that follows European energy companies, it may actually track companies in only two or three countries.
Be wary of any financial data that doesn't cite a source for the information. Most news sites will credit a large financial institution at the bottom of the ETF prices.
