Investment researcher Morningstar has said that the SPDR S&P 500 topped the list of most searched ETFs on Morningstar.co.uk.

The Morningstar research revealed that the only new addition to the top-10 list - the SPDR S&P US Dividend Aristocrats ETF – is an indicator that UK investors are particularly interested in profiting from the “good performance” of the US market.

Morningstar said that the fall of the Vanguard FTSE emerging markets ETF, from sixth place to ninth, reflects investors' concerns about the downgrading of growth prospects for these economies, and particular concerns about political instability in countries like Turkey and Brazil.

Meanwhile, gold ETCs appear to be at the top of the most searched list, however, given that precious metals have seen a steady decline in 2013, Morningstar questions why investors are searching for gold ETCs on Morningstar.co.uk. The investment researcher said that investors are either doing so in order to unwind (i.e. sell) long-held positions in their portfolios, extend those positions at cheaper prices on the belief that the price of gold would bounce back, or that perhaps they are a new breed of investor - interested in profiting from the fall in gold prices by setting short positions in these ETCs.

In other related news, ETF Securities said that gold ETP outflows continue despite the Fed’s assurances that quantitative easing may be enlarged as well as tapered. Although the gold price rose following Bernanke’s testimony, investors trimmed S$63 million of long gold ETPs, apparently waiting for more conclusive signals of the Fed’s intentions and the impact on real rates.

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