Notable ETF Movers of the Day 03/18: (XLF) (GLD) (EWA) Higher; (TAN) (VXX) (UNG) Lower

• Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLF) up 1.81% to $16.33. Midday surge following the Fed giving the nod for banks to increase dividends. Several banks increased their dividends today, including J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM), BB&T (NYSE: BBT), and US Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with stock buybacks also announced.
  
  
• SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) up 1.09% to $138.46. Gold getting some attention today, as investors are looking for a little insulation amid fluctuating world currencies. The Group of Seven (G-7) announced that they would be stepping in to end the surge in the Japanese yen, the first time that the Group has made a move on currencies since 2000, when they curbed the slump of the euro in its second year. April 11 contracts are up $15.9 to $1,420.1/ounce on the Comex today.
  
  
• iShares MSCI Australia Index (NYSE: EWA) up 2.70% to $24.38. Australian shares bouncing back yesterday and today as investors are more comfortable putting their money to work in one of the world's largest coal exporting countries. Shares in the ASX took a little bit of a hit on the prospect that uranium and other minerals would see reduced demand from Japan and other major world economies. The G-7 stepping in and helping the yen is certainly a positive for Australia.

• Claymore/MAC Global Solar Index (NYSE: TAN) down 0.97% to $8.14. Lower today following earnings out of LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) after the market yesterday. LDK beat Street views, but guidance failed to inspire investors into the stock. Shares of LDK are 7.5% lower today.
  
  
• iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (NYSE: VXX) down 2.19% to $35.68. The CBOE VIX is trading lower again today, as market volatility is cooling off following a tumultuous week of environmental damage and geopolitical concerns. After rocketing up earlier in the week following the massive earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan, and heightened tensions in Libya, some resolutions reached yesterday and today have investors putting their money back to work. The VIX near-term index is down about 9.6% today.
  
  
• United States Natural Gas (NYSE: UNG) down 0.18% to $11.07. Adjusting for the seasonal change of reduced demand for natural gas, following a brief run earlier in the week on the increased prospect of Japan importing more nat gas as an alternative energy source upon concerns over the future of their nuclear power plants. Nat gas futures are just about flat on the Comex for the front contracts.

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