Dion's Thursday ETF Winners and Losers

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Welcome to Don Dion's "ETF Winners and Losers." Be sure to stop by throughout the week to find out which ETFs are gaining or losing.

Winners

iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) 2.4%

A mixed earnings showing from Best Buy (BBY) and a string of uninspiring economic reports has helped to muddle investor confidence. As indices head lower, the fear index and ETNs like VXX are seeing a bounce. The past three days of upward action marks VXX's longest winning streak since early February.

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Healthcare Providers Index Fund (IHF) 1.2%

Since bottoming in October 2011, IHF has staged a multi-month rally that has helped it recover toward all-time highs. On Thursday, top holdings including UnitedHealth Group (UNH) , Aetna (AET) and Cigna (CI) were leading the pack.

Despite targeting a noncyclical sector like health care, IHF's top-heavy portfolio may leave it vulnerable to a shakeup. UNH alone accounts for more than 12% of its assets.

Currency Shares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) 0.6%

The Japanese yen and long-term U.S. treasuries stand out as some of the few winners to come from this choppy trading session. The iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund (TLT) has managed to stage a nice bounce off its 200-day moving average. In the near term, it will be interesting to see if the strong spell continues.

Losers

iPath Dow Jones UBS Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN (GAZ) -6.9%

The GAZ bubble continues to deflate as the weekend approaches. The ETN's recent string of losses has caused it to retreat to levels last seen prior to its February run-up. Despite this selloff, GAZ's premium still stands at more than 60%.

The futures-tracking United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) is also taking lumps. Today's losses have pushed the fund to all-time lows.

Global X Uranium ETF (URA) -3.6%

A three-day string of losses has pushed the URA to its lowest level since mid-January. The nuclear industry isn't the only corner of the alternative energy sector that is taking a hit, though. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) is following up yesterday's steep decline with another round of losses.

iShares MSCI Italy Index Fund (EWI) -2.8%