6 Best-Performing ETFs of Last Week

Wall Street delivered a mixed-to-downbeat performance last week. The S&P 500 gained 0.3%, while the Dow Jones lost 1.14% and the Nasdaq Composite retreated 0.6%. The week was marked by events like Powell’s remarks about a possible stagflation in the U.S. economy, speculation over an administrative windfall for auto stocks following Trump’s similar moves in the electronics sector, upbeat retail due to possible front-loading and NVIDIA’s $5.5 billion setback due to the U.S. government’s export restrictions on China.

Fed Pauses Rate Hike Amid Stagflation Risks

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said last week that the central bank will "wait for greater clarity" before making any interest rate changes. This cautious approach comes as President Trump’s newly announced tariffs are expected to lead to "higher inflation and slower growth" — an economic condition known as stagflation (read: Fed Pause Amid Stagflation Risks? Smart ETF Moves to Follow).

Auto ETFs Rise on Hopes of Tariff Exemptions

After electronics, the windfall is now shifting to autos. Shares of major automakers rose on April 14, 2025, after President Donald Trump signaled potential relief for car companies impacted by the recent 25% tariffs on imported vehicles. Before this, the government indicated some temporary tariff relief for electronic products (read: Auto ETFs Rise on Hopes of Tariff Exemptions).

Upbeat March Retail Sales

The advanced estimate of retail sales showed an increase of 1.4% in the month, better than the 1.2% Dow Jones estimate and higher than the 0.2% increase in February. The year-over-year rise was 4.6%, while the monthly increase was the biggest since January 2023. Excluding autos, the numbers also were stronger than expected, with sales up 0.5% compared with the 0.3% increase forecast.

NVIDIA’s $5.5 Billion Hit

Shares in NVIDIA lost 6.7% last week after the computer chip giant said it would be hit by $5.5 billion (£4.2bn) in costs due to the U.S. government’s tightening of rules for export to China. The news weighed on the broader tech sector, causing the Nasdaq-100 ETF QQQ to lose 0.3% last week.

Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few winning exchange-traded funds (ETFs) of last week.

ETFs in Focus

Roundhill Cannabis ETF WEED – Up 18.7%

The Roundhill Cannabis ETF is designed to offer investors exposure to the cannabis sector. A recent survey conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates—a GOP-aligned polling firm with ties to President Donald Trump—reveals that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms. Notably, GOP voters are even more likely than the average voter to support letting states legalize marijuana without federal interference.

STKd 100% MSTR & 100% COIN ETF APED – Up 18.6%

The STKd 100% MSTR & 100% COIN ETF seeks to achieve its investment objective by employing derivatives, namely swap agreements and listed options contracts, to gain long exposure to two underlying securities, MicroStrategy Incorporated and Coinbase Global, Inc. The expense ratio of the fund is APED.

PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF KDEF – Up 16.6%

The Korea Defense Industry Index is designed to track the performance of South Korean companies that have demonstrated high relevance to defense. The ETF charges 65 bps in fees.

Bitwise MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF IMST – Up 15.2%

The Bitwise MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF seeks to provide current income and exposure to the price return of common shares of MicroStrategy Incorporated, subject to a limit on potential investment gains. The fund charges 98 bps in fees.

Global X MSCI Argentina ETF ARGT – Up 15.1%

Officials in Buenos Aires lifted critical elements of their currency controls and loosened restrictions on the Argentine currency, as quoted on Investor's Business Daily. The MSCI All Argentina 25/50 Index is designed to measure equity performance of the top 20 companies within the investable universe of Argentina domiciled companies or companies that have substantial revenues or assets in Argentina. The fund charges 59 bps in fees.

Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF BBC – Up 12.1%

The unerlying LifeSci Biotechnology Clinical Trials Index is an equal weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of the common stock of U.S. exchange-listed biotechnology companies with a primary product offering that is in a Phase 1, Phase 2 or Phase 3 clinical trial stage of development. The fund charges 79 bps in fees.

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