Notable ETF Movers of the Day 01/14: XLF, SMH, SPY/QQQQ Higher; GLD, VXX, TAN Lower

• Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLF) up 1.33% to $16.67. Led by J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM) today, following a solid fourth quarter report out of the company that is instilling positive sentiment in the financials. JPM shares are up 2.5% today.
  
  
• Semiconductor HOLDRs (NYSE: SMH) up 2.03% to $34.21. A few upgrades in the sector are helping to offset a slumping day from Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) despite a solid fourth quarter, as investors weigh long-term prospects based on a consumer shift to mobile devices, where Intel doesn't quite have a solid showing in. Gleecher & Co. upgraded Altera (Nasdaq: ALTR) from Neutral to Buy, boosting their price target from $32 to $44. ALTR is trading 4.9% higher today. KLA-Tencor Corporation (Nasdaq: KLAC) is also making a strong showing for the ETF, up 6.6%% this afternoon, on a Deutsche price target boost from $26 to $48.
  
  
• SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) up 0.29% to
  $128.74 and PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQQ) up 0.3% to $56.76. Indices up today on a rather tepid inflation report, as industrial production saw a sequential increase to 0.8%, and capacity utilization gains were offset by a drop in retail sales to 0.6% and a lower than expected University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index.

• SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) down 1.10% to $132.57. Gold dropping from a combination of the People's Bank of China has requesting that banks retain higher levels of reserves upon inflation increasing and continued belief that stabilization is approaching in Europe. The duo is sending confidence to investors, causing them to move from the safe haven of precious metals to riskier equities. February 11 contracts are down $29.3/ounce to $1357.7/ounce, a 2.1% move.
  
  
• iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (NYSE: VXX) down 2.70% to $32.09. As markets move higher, and gold moves lower, it appears that investors are seeking a little more risk today, sending volatility in the dumpster. The CBOE VIX index is down 3.5% this afternoon.
  
  
• Guggenheim Solar (NYSE: TAN) down 1.39% to $7.78. Lower today as Jefferies makes price target cuts across the sector. JA Solar (Nasdaq: JASO) is leading the pack lower, down 5.7% as Needham & Company cut the stock from Hold to Sell.

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