energy select sector spdr

Gainers

• iShares MSCI Japan Index (NYSE: EWJ) up 1.52 percent to $9.69. Japan is trending higher today, as Democratic Party leader Seiji Maehara suggested that Japan set up a sovereign wealth fund to help stem high yen and sell assets in order to reduce tax increases on it's quake reconstruction fund.
  
  According to the WSJ, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said he'd consider it.
• Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE) up 0.45 percent to $62.01.

Gainers

• iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (NYSE: VXX) up 2.57 percent to $23.15. The CBOE VIX recently turned positive as Italy passes a key austerity package.
  
  Further, Fed Chair Ben Bernanke is also emphasizing that the Fed will step in should the U.S. recovery falter.
• Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE) up 0.15 percent to $75.46.

Gainers

• Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE) up 3.19% to $55.56. Led higher today by Anadarko (NYSE: APC), which sold assets located in the DJ Basin of northeastern Colorado to Western Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) for a $498 million consideration.
  
  Prices of crude oil are also north of $80 today, its highest level since May 2010, pushing the United States Oil (NYSE: USO) ETF up 3.2% to $36.46.
• SPDRs (NYSE: SPY) up 2.1% to $112.58.
  
  U.S.

Notable ETF Movers of the Day : Gainers

• SPDR SP Metals & Mining (NYSE: XME) up 3.05% to $57.42.
  
  Copper is getting yet another boost on falling inventories and stabilization in Europe. Both are positive indicators of increasing demand.
• United States Oil (NYSE: USO) up 2.91% to $39.96.
  
  Weakness in the U.S. dollar tied to stronger conditions in Europe is driving investors to oil for a little more appreciation.
  
  Commodities as a whole are seeing some upside in the U.S. market today.

StreetInsider.com Notable ETF Movers: HIGHER;

• United States Natural Gas (NYSE: UNG) up 4.46% to $10.53.
  
  Natural gas is on the rise as colder-than-normal temperatures across much of the northern hemisphere are expected to hang around for a few weeks.
• Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE) up 2.79% to $58.60.
  
  Shares are rising as energy companies, like ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB), are benefitting from oil prices rising above $81 per barrel.
  
  In addition, Deutsche Bank upgraded the refiners today.
• SPDRs (NYSE: SPY) up 1.70% to $113.33.

StreetInsider.com Notable ETF Movers: HIGHER;

• PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish (NYSE: UUP) rising, up 1.16 to $22.74, on lower than expected initial jobless claims.

LOWER:

• United States Oil Fund LP (NYSE: USO) down about 2.64% to $39.48.
  
  News that crude oil inventories gained by 1.76 million barrels, showing a wider gap between supply and demand.
• Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE) also down 1.84% to $57.12.
  
  The fund is reacting on the crude inventory data, as many of its holdings are oil related (XOM, COP, OXY, HAL, and more).