Notable ETF Movers of the Day 12/16: (GLD) (FXI) (OIH) Higher; (VXX) (USO) (XLU) Lower

• SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) up 1.48 percent to $154.59. Is gold back? With February contracts dipping to around $1,560 recently, maybe not. But with complacency returning to the market, investors might still be bullish on the metal and looking to get back in as other equities flatten. Today, those February contracts are $14.2 better to $1,591.4 per ounce on the Comex.
  
  
• iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund (NYSE: FXI) up 1.67 percent to $34.66. China socks making a move higher Friday on speculation that the government could lower banks' reserve-requirement ratios and ease credit. According to Bloomberg, companies like China Vanke and Huaxia Bank ripped higher after advertising lower mortgage rates for first-time homebuyers. It wasn't clear when the last time a drop in mortgage rates was offered.
  
  
• Oil Services HOLDRS (NYSE: OIH) up 1.01 percent to $109.96. Cameron International Corp. (NYSE: CAM) is leading the move today, up 6 percent on the session. Earlier, BP plc (NYSE: BP) and Cameron announced entering a settlement over the Deepwater Horizon accident and spill. Click here for more color on the deal.

• iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (NYSE: VXX) down 0.74 percent to $38.85. The CBOE VIX is down about 3.2 percent Friday, as investors keep European issues on hold while CPI came in flat and Congress is expected to vote on a $1.043 trillion spending bill to avert a government shutdown.
  
  
• United States Oil (NYSE: USO) down 0.91 percent to $35.80. Crude prices appear to be flattening following a rough week, as OPEC kept caps flat for 2012 and European issues caused worry the demand would sag. Crude is down just $0.94 to $92.93 per barrel on the Comex.
  
  
• Utilities Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLU) down 0.38 percent to $34.51. Utilities sneaking into negative territory Friday afternoon, led by FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE). Earlier in the session, FirstEnergy announced that employees of its Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec) represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 459 ratified a new four-year contract agreement. The new contract takes effect May 15, 2012, and expires May 14, 2016. There will be a 3 percent wage increase for all Local 459 employees each year of the contract. The contract also provides an equity adjustment of 40 cents per hour for line and substation personnel. FirstEnergy is down 1.8 percent on the session.

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