Top-Performing ETF Stories of January: Winning Investing Areas

Wall Street has delivered a moderate performance over the past month (as of Feb. 2, 2026). The S&P 500 has gained 1.1%, the Dow Jones has added 0.9%, the Nasdaq Composite has advanced 0.8%, while the Russell 2000 has lost 0.7%.

The key event of January was President Trump’s announcement of former Fed governor Kevin Warsh’s nomination as the next Fed chair. If he makes it through the Senate, Warsh would take over when Powell's term ends in May.Appointed by former President George W. Bush, Warsh served as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, a tenure that earned him the status of an inflation hawk.

Other important events that shaped January’s performance in the investing world were heightened geopolitical tensions, the rebound in the U.S. dollar, a roller-coaster ride of precious metals, winter storm Fern and its impact on natural gas prices, and election speculation in Japan.

Geopolitical Tensions

Geopolitical worries rose at the start of the year following the U.S. move to oust and capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Moreover, Trump indicated that he was considering potential actions on Iran, while threatening to take Greenland and questioning the value of the NATO alliance — remarks that added to market unease.

President Donald Trump threatened new protectionist measures against Europe over the “Greenland row,” but later eased trade war fears after announcing an Arctic security framework deal at Davos (read: European ETFs in Spotlight Following Trump's Tariff Retreat at Davos).

Japanese Stocks Hit Record Highs

Japanese stocks surged to record highs in mid-January on reports that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may call snap elections soon. Takaichi is hoping to convert her high approval ratings into a parliamentary majority for her party.Investors expect Takaichi to introduce aggressive fiscal spending, including increased defense outlays and tax cuts to support economic growth.

U.S. Consumer Confidence Slumps to Decade Low

U.S. consumer confidence fell sharply in January, sinking to its lowest level since 2014 as worries about personal finances and the broader economy intensified, per Associated Press, as quoted on Yahoo Finance.

Survey respondents continued to cite inflation pressures. Other dampening factors included tariffs, trade, politics, jobs and health insurance (read: U.S. Consumer Confidence Slumps to Decade Low: ETF Areas to Play).

Natural Gas: A Winner From Winter Storm Fern

A powerful winter storm, namely Fern, swept across much of the United States in late January. Bank of America economist Aditya Bhave projects that Fern will cut first-quarter 2026 GDP by 0.5-1.5pp  [at a quarter-over-quarter seasonally adjusted annual rate], as quoted on Yahoo Finance.

Meanwhile, analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate that the storm could reduce 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points from first-quarter GDP, as mentioned on MarketWatch. However, some sectors may face pressure in the coming days due to the activity loss. Natural gas prices jumped in January, as the storm boosted heating demand. United States Natural Gas Fund LP UNG has added 9.2% over the past month (as of Feb. 2, 2026).

Precious Metal: A Rapid Roller-Coaster Ride

SPDR Gold Trust GLD is up 7.2% this year but slumped 8.2% past week. iShares Silver Trust SLV has gained 10.2% this year but plunged 26.1% past week (as of Feb. 2, 2026). The dollar strengthened amid the Warsh nomination. Warsh is viewed as a hawkish central banker, which has probably played spoilsport for the commodity segment.

Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund UUP is off 0.4% this year (as of Feb. 2, 2026) while the ETF gained 1.1% past week. Note that commodities are priced in the U.S. dollar. Hence, any strength in the greenback is bad news for gold and silver. Gold’s start to 2026 was great as the metal is viewed as a market hedge. Heightened geopolitics made it a winner in early 2026.

Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few winning ETF investing areas of the past one month (as of Feb. 2, 2026).

Shipping

Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF BWET – Up 92.5% over the past month (as of Feb. 2, 2026)

Global shipping stocks have been steady, mainly due to firm freight rates caused by ongoing geopolitical tensions. Many companies are benefiting from increased ton-mile demand as ships take longer routes to avoid conflict zones.

Strong demand for commodities is another reason. The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk index, which tracks rates for vessels transporting dry commodities, jumped about 7.3% to the highest since mid-December on Jan. 30, 2026, per Trading Economics.

Robotics

Themes Humanoid Robotics ETF BOTT – Up 25.1%

The American robotics industry entered 2026 riding an amazing wave of commercial breakthroughs, venture capital and FDA approvals that position the United States at the forefront of global automation. From surgical suites to factory floors to the lunar surface, recent developments signal an upbeat phase for the industry ahead.

ASML Holding-Heavy ETF

ASML Holding NV ADRhedged ASMH – Up 16.6%

ASML Holding NV ASML stock has gained 17.4% over the past month (as of Feb. 2, 2026).In late January, ASML reported orders that topped expectations, while the 2026 sales guidance was also ahead of estimates, as AI demand continues to support the company, as quoted on CNBC.

South Korea

Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF FLKR – Up 15.5%

South Korea's KOSPI index has surged impressively in early 2026, reaching record highs. The strong chip rally can be held responsible for this jump. Booming AI chip demand, December export surges, and optimism around HBM4 technology mainly led to the gains (read: 4 Country ETFs Hovering Around a 52-Week High).

Uranium Miners

Sprott Uranium Miners ETF URNM – Up 15.4%

Uranium futures in the United States rose in January, the highest since February 2024, on speculation of high demand in the long term. Bets of higher investment in the sector due to government efforts to boost energy security and rising demand from power-hungry data centers, supported uranium funds, as quoted on Trading Economics.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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