Notable ETF Movers of the Day 08/18: GLD, XRT, EWJ Higher; XLE, USO, VXX Lower (XOM, POT, BHP, TGT)

• SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) up 0.55% to $120.41. Investors trading in their U.S. dollars for gold again, though not as en masse as in previous sessions, as some may be weary of more uncertainty in the markets. December contracts are up about $4.8 to $123.1/ounce today.
  
  
• SPDR S&P Retail (NYSE: XRT) up 1.23% to $37.90. Initially lower today, many are jumping back in after many companies have ended their quarterly conference calls this morning. Target (NYSE: TGT), which reported an in-line Q2 EPS of $0.92, got a boost after exec's offered Q3 and Q4 guidance on their call.
  
  
• iShares MSCI Japan Index (NYSE: EWJ) up 0.58% to $9.61. Stocks jumping on U.S. industrial production data yesterday, as many Japanese companies receive a large portion of their revenues from the U.S.

• Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLE) down 1.24% to $53.56. Falling today, led by Exxon (NYSE: XOM), whose $4 billion Jubilee field acquisition deal was cancelled by Kosmos Energy. Additionally, BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) is getting more hostile in its takeover hopes with Potash Corp. (NYSE: POT), now going directly to shareholders.
  
  
• United States Oil (NYSE: USO) down 1.30% to $33.43. Short-term energy improvement speculation is looming, causing oil prices to fall below $74 today, despite the EIA showing a modest 0.818 million barrel drop in inventories today, compared to a 1 million barrel decrease expected from analysts.
  
  
• iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (NYSE: VXX) down 1.41% to $22.38. Mixed markets today are being thinly traded as investors are settling down a little after yesterday’s strong up-day, and no real news it out that would incentivize investors to continues the rally. The CBOE VIX is down just about 0.74% today.

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