There's something about a brand new year that inspires us to strike out in
bold new directions, seeking out whatever future fortune awaits us. For example,
this could be the year when you break out of your conservative investing
strategy and sample some of those enticing unconventional instruments that bet
on volatility, commodities, or even your personal interests. While boldness can
have its rewards most notably, potentially hefty yields investments such as
precious metals, futures, or hot technology niches often aren't well-suited to
the goals of income investors. Enter a wild new array of exchange-traded funds
(ETFs) that boast a diversified play in some of the more exotic sectors while
still providing liquidity since they trade over a major exchange. ETFs typically
track a basket of equities or seek to replicate the price and performance of a
specific index, such as the S&P 500. These investments have become increasingly
popular because many have the tax advantages of index mutual funds, and often
with lower fees. That growing popularity has resulted in a widening array of
flavors: funds for volatility, managed futures, commodities, niche markets and
the like. These five ETFs may be just the thing for investors seeking to walk on
the wild side: ETRACS Daily Short 1-Month S&P 500 VIX Futures ETN (NYSEArca:
AAVX ). Europe triggered a lot of volatility in the market last year. Since the
region's myriad woes are far from resolved and other challenges loom don't
be surprised to see volatility continue at least through the first half. AAVX,
which launched last September, aims to reflect potential returns of an
unleveraged investment in short-term futures contracts on the CBOE Volatility
Index. With a market cap of just under $10 million, its up 49% in the past
month. At about $97, the ETF has a 13-week yield of 26% and a one-month yield of
32%. Its expense ratio is on the high side at nearly 1.4. VIX Short-Term Futures
ETF (NYSEArca: VIXY ). Although volatility funds have dropped substantially in
the past six weeks, they're far from skunks at the garden party. European debt
concerns persist, and there are plenty of other challenges that could trigger
more market volatility especially the West's worsening relations with Iran
and the possible interruption of oil shipments through the Straight of Hormuz.
VIXY measures the movements of a combination of VIX futures and aims to track
VIX fluctuations over a specific, future time horizon. With a market cap of
$26.6 million, VIXY is still up 55% over its July low, even after dropping about
33% last month. At about $66.50, VIXY's six-month return of more than 55%
offsets its –21.7% one-month yield. Its expense ratio is 0.9. 2x Gold Bull/S&P
500 Bear Profile (NYSEArca: FSG ). Fluctuations in the price of gold have made
and lost fortunes. FSG is one fund that allows investors to play the spread. The
index tracks the difference in daily returns between the gold and U.S. equity
markets. This is another ETF that has swung radically over the past six months,
which is not surprising given the traditional relationship between stocks and
precious-metal prices. With about $11 million in assets under management, FSG
fell about 50% from September to December. It has regained about 15% since then.
At about $27, FSG's six-month return of 3% to 5% looks a lot better than its
one-month –14% return. Its expense ratio is 0.75. NASDAQ Global Auto Index
Fund Profile (NYSEArca: CARZ ). Car lovers looking for broader diversification
in the sector might find this ETF appealing. It's based on the Nasdaq OMX
Global Auto Index, a modified market-cap-weighted index that tracks the
performance of the largest and most liquid global automakers. With a market cap
of $3.5 million, CARZ is up about 12% from its low in September and could get
back on track depending on the health of the global auto market in 2012. At
about $23, the ETF has a three-month return of 3.9% and a one-month return of
–3%. Its expense ratio is 0.7%. ISE Cloud Computing Index Fund Profile
(NYSEArca: SKYY ). If hot new information technologies are your thing, SKYY
might be worth a look. Cloud computing is one of the hottest
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