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Our Index / ETF Compilation List is adjusted to, once again, reflect the top 111 trade volume ETFs.  Subject to our inclusion criteria, this list is revised quarterly to reflect the most highly traded, liquid US listed stock Exchange Traded Funds.

Frankly, I am cheating a little bit, because I should be doing this on the first weekend of the new quarter.  But, the Direxion ETFs have captured so much attention, I don’t think anyone will complain too much about updating our list and thereby including four Direxion ETFs two days before the end of the quarter. 

Speaking of Direxion ETFs, there would have been four more of this sponsor’s ETFs except for a problem in obtaining constituent lists.  I do not blame Direxion.  First, they do publish their current constituent lists every day on their website.  But, their ETFs are leveraged and, as a result, contain things other than stocks such as swaps.  In other words, the actual constituent list is not very useful for compiling composite breadth data.  For this type of ETF, we utilize the constituent list of the index upon which the ETF is based.  Both ProShares and some Rydex funds are similar in this respect.  In the case of the Direxion ETFs I so far cannot locate a constituent list for either the Russell 1000 Financial or Russell 1000 Energy indexes.   Both are sponsored by the AMEX and while the AMEX freely provides constituent lists on their other indexes, they do not, as yet, provide lists for these two indexes (at least not in the “normal” location).  If anyone knows where these constituent lists are hiding out, please let me know and we will add four more Direxion ETFs immediately.

That does bring me to a sore point, Indexes and ETFs that do not provide investors with readily available constituent lists.  Currently the worst offender is Vanguard.  Vanguard has been around forever and is pretty arrogant about what you, the individual investor, really need.  My last correspondence with them ended with their comment “Yes, current constituent lists would be a good for investors.  No, we are not going to provide current constituent lists.”  I am paraphrasing a somewhat, but not much.

So with this revision, it gave me a degree of pleasure to drop seven of Vanguard’s ETFs as their trade volume declined sufficiently to knock them out of the top 111 trade volume ETFs.  I would like to think that you investors recognised their less than “user friendly” position.  On the other hand, in all fairness, the MSCI indexes upon which most of their funds are based, provide no current constituent lists electing to sell them instead to institutional resources such as Bloomberg.  In the interest of leveling the playing field, I feel this is just wrong in today’s market environment.  If enough investors voice a complaint, this will probably be resolved one day.  MSCI can be contacted at http://ir.msci.com/contactus.cfm  and Vanguard at https://personal.vanguard.com/us/home?fromPage=portal.  What really disturbs me most about these guys is their incredible “we know better than the individual investor” arrogance.

OK, back to the business at hand.  To review all of the additions / deletions to MasterDATA’s Compilation List since the beginning, click here or on “Compilation List Revisions” in the left column under “Categories”.

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For the current MasterDATA Compilation List, please click here.
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Subscribers may click on the Index or ETF names below to see breadth charts on that issue.  These charts and indicators are available nowhere else on the Internet.

______________________________________________________________________

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New ETF Additions
These new additions ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs on March 29, 2009:

• Direxion Large Cap Bull 3x Shares (BGU)
• Direxion Small Cap Bull 3x Shares (TNA)
• Direxion Large Cap Bear 3x Shares (BGZ)
• Direxion Small Cap Bear 3x Shares (TZA)
• SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY)

Deleted ETFs:
The deleted ETFs below experienced trade volume less than the top 111 ETFs at the end of the quarter.

• iShares Dow Jones U.S. Oil Equipment & Services Index Fund (IEZ)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Semiconductor Index Fund (IGW)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Software Index Fund (IGV)
• iShares Russell 3000 Growth (IWZ)
• iShares Russell Microcap Index Fund (IWC)
• PowerShares BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund (ADRE)
• PowerShares Dynamic LargeCap Growth (PWB)
• PowerShares Dynamic LargeCap Value (PWV)
• PowerShares Dynamic Mid Cap Growth (PWJ)
• PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 Portfolio (PRF)
• Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF - DNQ (VCR)
• Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE)
• Vanguard Materials ETF - DNQ (VAW)
• Vanguard Mega Cap 300 ETF (MGC)
• Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF - DNQ (VOE)
• Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF - DNQ (VBR)
• Vanguard Utilities ETF - DNQ (VPU)

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Details will be posted here shortly. Subscriber downloader programs willl be updated sutomatically.
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The number of constituents above, equal to and below the 50 day moving average has been added to the historical datafiles (also for weekly, monthly and quarterly data periods).   This addition brings to six statistics for the number of constituents above and below the 4, 9, 18, 30, 50 and 200 day moving averages.

MasterDATACSV Users (download historical .csv format datafiles):

Look for these new statistics in the four datafile columns to the furthest right (formerly called fv2, fv3, fv4, and fv5).

MasterDATA Composite Plug-in Users (use our historical data directly in MetaStock):

In order to use this new statistic with the plug-in, you need to download a new “StatisticTitles.csv” file.  To download this new file now, click here.  Save it to the same directory as the old file.  If you used all the default locations, that directory is “C:\MasterDATA\CSVFiles”.  Rename or overwrite the old file.

This addition should not affect any of your previous work.

Cycling charts.  With just a single mouse click, you can now display all of the stock indexes and ETFs in the MasterDATA Compilation List in sorted order based upon percentage net change.  While this new function will not necessarily give you a final trade decision, I find it extremely useful for quickly cycling through our list to find those that look like they have potential.  Then I take a further, more detailed look at those of potential interest using my normal analysis process.  Here is how its done:

• Start at the masterdata.com home page
• A report displayed toward the top of that page is titled “Index/ETF Net Daily Percentage Change”
• You can click on any index/ETF name listed in this report and go to its charts.  On Friday, January 16, 2009, the Amex Gold Bugs Index ($HUI) was listed number one, up 5.55%.  Click on it.
• The statistical report now appears at the very top of this page with numerous charts available in the body (click on the buttons in the left column to select your indicator)

• There is something new in the left column.  In this case, you see “$HUI Daily Charts” and under it a green up arrow, $HUI’s percentage change for the day, and a red down arrow.  Notice that if you change the data period by clicking on one of the buttons at the very bottom of the left column, you will see the percentage change for that data period.
• With the data period set to daily, click once on the red arrow.  On this particular day, the index with the next highest daily percentage change is the PHLX Gold & Silver Sector ($XAU).  By clicking on the red arrow, that chart report page appears.
• Click on the red down arrow repeatedly and cycle through MasterDATA’s entire compilation list.  Reciprocally, click on the green arrow to go up to the next higher daily percentage change.

For me, I love it.  I have found, the more cumbersome the process for getting from one chart to the next, the less likely it will be done.  I can deal with one click I think.

By the way, those of you with a revenue generating web site, if you are not doing search engine optimization (SEO) you are leaving a lot of business on the table.  Properly done, SEO will get you on page one of the major search engine result page.  To exist profitably on the Internet, you must get on page one.  This is not pay-per-click sponsored advertising (PPC), but the “organic” section that gets clicked on 3 to 4 times more than sponsored ads in the right column of the page.  I am not saying its free, but in the long haul, it is much cheaper than PPC and always much more cost effective than PPC.  SEO is not just putting keywords in your web site.  It involves a lot of skilled, tedious effort over the long term.  But believe me, it does work.  For more information, click here.

Our Index / ETF Compilation List is adjusted to, once again, reflect the top 111 trade volume ETFs.  Subject to our inclusion criteria, this list is revised quarterly to reflect the most highly traded, liquid US listed Exchange Traded Funds.

To review all of the additions / deletions to MasterDATA’s Compilation List since the beginning, click here or on “Compilation List Revisions” in the left column under “Categories”.

ETFs falling out of the top 111 top trade volume ETFs for two consecutive quarters are deleted. This means that an ETF on MasterDATA’s Compilation List will remain on the list for a minimum of six months. This also means that our compilation list will always number in excess of 111 ETFs on a continual basis.

______________________________________________________________________
-
For the current MasterDATA Compilation List, please click here.
______________________________________________________________________

Subscribers may click on the Index or ETF names below to see numerous composite breadth charts on that issue.  These charts and indicators are available nowhere else on the Internet.

______________________________________________________________________

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New ETF Additions
These new additions ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs on January 2, 2009 (revisions are done the first weekend of each quarter).:

• iShares Russell 3000 Growth (IWZ)
• PowerShares Dynamic LargeCap Value (PWV)
• ProShares Short QQQ (PSQ)
• ProShares Short Russell2000 (RWM)
• Rydex 2x S&P 500 ETF (RSU)
• Rydex Russell Top 50 ETF (XLG)
• Vanguard Div Appreciation ETF (VIG)

Potential Cut List:
The ETFs listed below previously ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs. Two consecutive quarters out of a top 111 ranking will result in the ETF being deleted from MasterDATA’s Compilation List. Charts, reports and datafiles continue to be generated for these ETFs until they fall below the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive quarters.

• iShares Dow Jones U.S. Broker-Dealers Index Fund (IAI)
• iShares Dow Jones U.S. Regional Banks Index Fund (IAT)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Semiconductor Index Fund (IGW)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Software Index Fund (IGV)
• Market Vectors Steel Index ETF Fund (SLX)
• PowerShares Dynamic Mid Cap Growth (PWJ)
• ProShares Ultra Technology (ROM)
• SPDR KBW Capital Markets ETF (KCE)
• SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI)
• Vanguard Consumer Discretion ETF - DNQ (VCR)
• Vanguard Materials ETF - DNQ (VAW)
• Vanguard Mega Cap 300 ETF (MGC)

Deleted ETFs:
The deleted ETFs below experienced trade volume less than the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive quarters.

• HOLDRS Biotech (BBH)
• PowerShares DWA Technical Leaders Portfolio (PDP)

_

Our Index / ETF Compilation List is adjusted to, once again, reflect the top 111 trade volume ETFs.  Subject to our inclusion criteria, this list will now be revised quarterly to reflect the most highly traded, liquid US listed Exchange Traded Funds.

To review all of the additions / deletions to MasterDATA’s Compilation List since the beginning, click here or on “Compilation List Revisions” in the left column under “Categories”.

ETFs falling out of the top 111 top trade volume ETFs for two consecutive quarters are deleted. This means that an ETF on MasterDATA’s Compilation List will remain on the list for a minimum of six months. This also means that our compilation list will always number in excess of 111 ETFs on a continual basis.

______________________________________________________________________
-
For the current MasterDATA Compilation List, please click here.
______________________________________________________________________

Subscribers may click on the Index or ETF names below to see several charts on that issue.  If you are not yet a subscriber, click here for your free, no obligation subscription to our Charts and Reports section.
______________________________________________________________________

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New ETF Additions
These new additions ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs on October 3, 2008 (revisions are done the first weekend of each quarter).:

• ProShares Ultra Basic Materials (UYM)
• iShares S&P Small Cap 600 Value Index Fund (IJS)
• Vanguard Mega Cap 300 ETF (MGC)
• Vanguard Energy VIPERs (VDE)

Potential Cut List:
The ETFs listed below previously ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs. Two consecutive quarters out of a top 111 ranking will result in the ETF being deleted from MasterDATA’s Compilation List. Charts, reports and datafiles continue to be generated for these ETFs until they fall below the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive quarters.

• PowerShares DWA Technical Leaders Portfolio (PDP)
• iShares Russell Micro Cap Index Fund (IWC)
• Vanguard Utilities VIPERs (VPU)
• Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth VIPERs (VOT)
• Vanguard Small-Cap Value VIPERs (VBR)
• HOLDRS Biotech (BBH)
• PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 Portfolio (PRF)

Deleted ETFs:
The deleted ETFs below experienced trade volume less than the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive quarters.

• Vanguard Industrials VIPERs (VIS)
• Vanguard Telecommunication Services VIPERs (VOX)

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One of the most difficult leaps when digesting composite breadth data is “What do I do with it?”  Most people get the fact that data on the constituents of an index or ETF makes sense and must, somehow, be useful.  But no matter how many times I repeat the mantra “composite data is good, composite data will help you trade better, composite data is the best thing since sliced bread” it is hard to see the next step.  Using it.

Introducing, Trade.MasterDATA.com.  This new site, or actually, new section of the MasterDATA.com site, is dedicated to helping bridge the gap between “I believe the data is of value” and basing a trade on composite breadth data.  As a beginning, it provides an up to date filter of some commonly followed applications of composite breadth data.  But just because I say “commonly” don’t relegate the reports to the scrap heap without looking at them first. 

First, there is the current day’s reports.  This one is a gimme for anyone presenting trade indications.  Several reports list indexes and ETFs matching certain criteria like 50% of constituents in an up trend or composites with more than 70% (or less than 30%) of constituents trading above their 200 day moving average (this one is a long used institutional grade trade indicator).  Current day filters like this are good, but we then go one step beyond.  We go back for the previous 20 trade sessions providing the same reports and updating with current profit/loss, maximum gain and maximum loss.  Go there and explore a bit.  You’ll see what I mean (I hope).

If you have your own ideas for filters, let me know.  If it makes sense, we’ll add them on.  For now, all this is free and no subscription required.  An RSS feed is also in the works.

Once again, here is the new URL:

Trade.MasterDATA.com

Thank for your support.  Enjoy.

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Our Index / ETF Compilation List is adjusted to, once again, reflect the top 111 trade volume ETFs.  Subject to our inclusion criteria, this list is revised monthly to continually contain the most highly traded, liquid US listed Exchange Traded Funds.

To review all of the additions / deletions to MasterDATA’s Compilation List since the beginning, click here or on “Compilation List Revisions” in the left column under “Categories”.

ETFs falling out of the top 111 top trade volume ETFs for two consecutive months are deleted. This means that an ETF on MasterDATA’s Compilation List will remain on the list for a minimum of two months. This also means that our compilation list will always number in excess of 111 ETFs on a continual basis.

______________________________________________________________________
-
For the current MasterDATA Compilation List, please click here.
______________________________________________________________________

Subscribers may click on the Index or ETF names below to see several charts on that issue.  If you are not yet a subscriber, click here for your free, no obligation subscription to our Charts and Reports section.
______________________________________________________________________

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New ETF Additions
These new additions ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs on August 2, 2008 (revisions are done the first weekend of each month).:

• iShares DJ Oil Equipment & Services Index Fund (IEZ)
• iShares Russell Micro Cap Index Fund (IWC)
• Vanguard Utilities VIPERs (VPU)

Potential Cut List:
The ETFs listed below previously ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs. Two consecutive months out of a top 111 ranking will result in the ETF being deleted from MasterDATA’s Compilation List. Charts, reports and datafiles continue to be generated for these ETFs until they fall below the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive months.

• iShares S&P Mid Cap 400 Value Index Fund (IJJ)
• PowerShares Dynamic Mid Cap Growth Portfolio (PWJ)
• ProShares Ultra Technology (ROM)
• Vanguard Industrials VIPERs (VIS)
• Vanguard Telecommunication Services VIPERs (VOX)

Deleted ETFs:
The deleted ETFs below experienced trade volume less than the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive months.

• HOLDRS Internet (HHH)
• HOLDRS Merrill Lynch Broadband (BDH)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Networking Index Fund (IGN)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Technology Index Fund (IGM)
• iShares S&P Small Cap 600 Value Index Fund (IJS)
• PowerShares Dynamic Oil & Gas Services Portfolio (PXJ)
• Vanguard Small-Cap Growth VIPERs (VBK)

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Our Index / ETF Compilation List is adjusted to, once again, reflect the top 111 trade volume ETFs.  Subject to our inclusion criteria, this list is revised monthly to continually contain the most highly traded, liquid US listed Exchange Traded Funds.

This month its in with consumer and mid-caps and out with  small cap and network oriented issues.

To review all of the additions / deletions to MasterDATA’s Compilation List since the beginning, click here or on “Monthly List Revisions” in the left column under “Categories”.

ETFs falling out of the top 111 top trade volume ETFs for two consecutive months are deleted. This means that an ETF on MasterDATA’s Compilation List will remain on the list for a minimum of two months. This also means that our compilation list will always number in excess of 111 ETFs on a continual basis.

______________________________________________________________________
-
For the current MasterDATA Compilation List, please click here.
______________________________________________________________________

Subscribers may click on the Index or ETF names below to see several charts on that issue.  If you are not yet a subscriber, click here for your free, no obligation subscription to our Charts and Reports section.
______________________________________________________________________

-

New ETF Additions
These new additions ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs on July 3, 2008 (revisions are done the first weekend of each month).:

• iShares DJ Regional Banks Index Fund (IAT)
• iShares S&P Mid Cap 400 Value Index Fund (IJJ)
• PowerShares Dynamic Mid Cap Growth Portfolio (PWJ)
• PowerShares FTSE RAFI US 1000 Portfolio (PRF)
• Vanguard Consumer Discret VIPERs (VCR)
• Vanguard Industrials VIPERs (VIS)
• Vanguard Mid-Cap Value VIPERs (VOE)
• Vanguard Telecommunication Services VIPERs (VOX)

Potential Cut List:
The ETFs listed below previously ranked in the top 111 trade volume ETFs. Two consecutive months out of a top 111 ranking will result in the ETF being deleted from MasterDATA’s Compilation List. Charts, reports and datafiles continue to be generated for these ETFs until they fall below the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive months.

• HOLDRS Internet (HHH)
• HOLDRS Merrill Lynch Broadband (BDH)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Networking Index Fund (IGN)
• iShares Goldman Sachs Technology Index Fund (IGM)
• iShares S&P Small Cap 600 Value Index Fund (IJS)
• PowerShares Dynamic Oil & Gas Services Portfolio (PXJ)
• Vanguard Small-Cap Growth VIPERs (VBK)
• Vanguard Small-Cap Value VIPERs (VBR)
• Vanguard Small-Cap VIPERs (VB)

Deleted ETFs:
The deleted ETFs below experienced trade volume less than the top 111 ETFs for two consecutive months.

• Market Vectors Coal ETF (KOL)
  This ETF was removed because it contains constituents that do not trade on a U.S. exchange.  Measured by trade volume, it remains among the higher volume issues.
• PowerShares Dynamic Banking Portfolio (PJB)
• PowerShares Dynamic Semiconductors Portfolio (PSI)
• Vanguard Information Tech VIPERs (VGT)

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This is a significant new release of MasterDATAlink.  MasterDATACSV.com and MasterDATACompositePlugin.com subscribers use MasterDATAlink to download any or all of MasterDATA’s historical composite / breadth datafiles.  Once configured to the user’s specifications, the program downloads, manually or with one click or automatically at times configured by the user.  I will present here the areas that have been changed and/or improved and/or added.

Before I do however, an observation or two.  In the financial industry, there is a tendency to work pretty much solo.  Things happen so fast, it is hard to tell who’s word you can trust or opinion has value.  Kind of funny really in that the basis of the financial markets is a handshake (or, at least, it used to be that way).  I have been doing this for more than 30 years now.  Still, as best I can, I try to really listen and when I do, often enough, the benefit to all is substantial.  This new revision is a good example.  Recently, a conversation with a subscriber started with him requesting additional features be added to MasterDATAlink.  The additions would facilitate his using our data in his day to day market analysis.  I gather his primary analysis was being done in Trade Station.  Although he had figured out his own method of getting the data from our .csv format datafiles, he also saw a way that would make it much easier and efficient.  Frankly, I would like to accommodate Trade Station users as much as possible.  I need their support too to get this ball rolling.  That combined with the credible way he came across ultimately led to this new significantly improved version of MasterDATAlink.  If you would like to read the full conversations with this and other users regarding the motivation for this new revision, go to the following two links in our User Forum:

http://www.masterdata.com/forum/bbpress/topic/individual-csv-statistic-files-for-tradestation

and more recently …

http://www.masterdata.com/forum/bbpress/topic/any-plans-on-providing-just-the-daily-updates

I do appreciate input from our users and, certainly, this user.  Anything that I can do to facilitate the use of MasterDATA’s composite / breadth data will be done, if I can possibly do it.  The needs of one user often parallel the needs of many.

Market breadth analysis is one of the oldest methods of technical analysis.  It was stifled, however, because such data was limited to the major exchange composites, NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ.  Although over my 30 years in the financial markets I heard much moaning and groaning from brokers that “breadth” data was non-existent on indexes and more recently ETFs, no one did anything about it.  That is, until MasterDATA.  It is a challenge, to say the least, getting the word out about composite / breadth data analysis and the fact that data is now available.  We are gaining ground albeit hard fought.

MasterDATAlink Version 3.00 now updates your datafiles significantly faster than ever before.
Previous to this version, the program downloaded individual “update” files for each index and ETF specified by the user.  The logic for doing it this way, was that these small 2 Kb files would be fast to download and by having separate files more flexibility could be built into the downloader.  It seemed to make sense and, in fact, it was substantially faster than previous approaches.  I knew it should be faster, but it did not occur to me where the bottleneck was.  A few choice words from our users, however, and it became quite clear.  The problem was not file size or Internet connection speed or even CPU speed.  The problem was that each file request had to make its own new connection with our servers.  When the previously mentioned user was recently in Eastern Asia, the problem became so exacerbated that a blind man could see it.  The solution?  Put all the updated statistics for all indexes and ETFs into one file.  This 200 Kb file takes only a few seconds to download and only one Internet connection to our severs.  Then MasterDATAlink simply divvies it up among the indexes and ETFs requested by the user.  End result?  Updates are fast!

MetaStock format price files can now be generated on any values in the historical .csv format datafiles
MetaStock and other financial analysis programs can only display bar and candlestick charts using MetaStock formatted price files.  MasterDATAlink has always generated price files containing traditional open, high, low, close and volume historical values.  The MasterDATA Composite Plug-in can display and use any value from our composite / breadth datafiles.  But what if you want a bar chart of say advancing issues, unchanged issues and declining issues?  I am not sure, at this early stage, what could be done with such a chart, but who knows until you work with it.  Unless you manually imported the data using the Equis Downloader or a few other not-so-easy methods this MetaStock format price file was not available.  All investors and traders are looking at the same thing.  One key to success is to to look at it in different ways.

Single statistic .csv format datafiles can now be generated with a click of the mouse or automatically.
This was the initial request from one of the users referred to previously.  Using a very straightforward interface, you can select any or all composite / breadth statistics in the full historical datafile and generate a new historical .csv datafile containing only that statistic and the date.  Data and files can be structured in many different ways and can be created with a mouse click and/or as part of the normal download process.  Since downloads can be easily automated, if you need this type of datafile structure, the entire process can happen automatically and in the background.

Help files are revised and expanded to cover the new MasterDATAlink functionality
I am truly amazed at how fast help files can become inaccurate.  A few code changes here and tweaks there apparently add up very quickly to out-of-date help files.  Also, one of my “theories of life” is that “if it ain’t easy, sooner or later it don’t get done“.  Because several variations of MasterDATAlink existed for various purposes, several variations of help files existed.  Updating help files meant updating numerous versions.  Rather than doing at least one, often, none of them got done.  All MasterDATAlink versions are now consolidated into one universal program with one set of help files.  I know I often did not assign a high enough priority to “Demo” help files.  This is fixed and should never happen again.  My particular apologies to “Demo” subscribers.

There are numerous additional changes both internal and cosmetic, but the bottom line is this is a very clean version of MasterDATAlink.  Its fast and easier than ever.  Maybe its even becoming intuitive, but read the new help files.  They will do just that … help.  I will never try to claim perfection, but the least we can do is try to keep moving in that general direction.

To download and for additional information go to the following URLs:

MasterDATACSV
http://www.masterdatacsv.com/

MasterDATA Composite Plug-in
http://www.masterdatacompositeplugin.com/

Thank you all for your continuing support.