Wall Street has been on a scary ride with wild swings over the past month. Escalating trade disputes, concerns over a slowing economy and intensifying geopolitical tensions are taking a toll on the stock market. The S&P 500 entered correction (down 10% from its recent high in February) territory last week. The index has recovered a bit this week but teetered on the edge of a correction on March 20. The S&P 500 has dropped about 5% so far in 2025. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index plummeted 8.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.4%.

Despite the broad indices’ losses, a few ETFs survived the recent turmoil and have gained in double digits over the past month. These include Global X Wind Energy ETF WNDY, Global X Defense Tech ETF SHLD, iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF SLVP, and VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF GDXJ. 

The stock market has been marred by pessimism, with the Trump administration imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and other countries in preparation for a trade war. The rounds of tariffs will hurt U.S. consumers, driving the prices of goods, thereby curtailing spending. It will further impact the worldwide economy and corporate profits, particularly for big U.S. exporters. All these will continue to weigh on the stock market and can disrupt global supply chains (read: Ride Out the Market Storm with Low-Volatility ETF Strategies).

The barrage of recent data, including surveys and sentiment indicators, suggests a downturn in the economy. Per the latest BofA survey, the fund managers, who were bullish on the U.S. markets till last month, are now 23% underweight on U.S. equities, down 40 percentage points from the previous survey. The allocation to US equities has hit the lowest level since June 2023.

However, the Fed has lifted market confidence by keeping interest rates steady in its latest meeting and signaling two rate cuts for this year. The Fed chair reassured investors that the potential effect of tariffs on inflation is likely to be short-lived or “transitory,” and recession risks remain low, though the central bank expects higher inflation and slower economic growth. But the relief seems temporary. 

We have highlighted the ETFs in detail below:

Global X Wind Energy ETF (WNDY) – Up 13.8%

With a growing global emphasis on transitioning to clean energy sources, wind energy is playing a pivotal role. This shift has led to increased investments and favorable market conditions for companies involved in wind energy production and technology. Global X Wind Energy ETF seeks to invest in companies positioned to benefit from the advancement of the global wind energy industry. It holds 25 stocks in its basket and charges 51 bps in annual fees. 
Global X Wind Energy ETF has accumulated $1.5 million in its asset base and trades in an average daily volume of 2,000 shares.

Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) – Up 12.8%

Defense companies have been among the best-performing stocks in global markets this year. The unprecedented military spending spree by European leaders has fueled a blistering rally in defense stocks, with Germany leading the way higher. Global X Defense Tech ETF seeks to invest in companies positioned to benefit from the increased adoption and utilization of defense technology. It tracks the Global X Defense Tech Index and holds 37 stocks in its basket. Global X Defense Tech ETF charges 50 bps in annual fees and trades in an average daily volume of 511,000 shares (read: 5 International ETFs Beating the S&P 500 in 2025).

iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (SLVP) – Up 11.4%

Trade war worries and geopolitical tensions enhance silver attractiveness to investors. The grey metal is often used as a means of preserving wealth during times of financial and political uncertainty and usually does well when other asset classes struggle. iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF follows the MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index, providing investors exposure to 27 companies that derive the majority of revenues from silver exploration or metals mining. iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF has an AUM of $264.4 million and an average daily volume of about 163,000 shares. It charges 39 bps in annual fees. 

VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) – Up 10.4%

Strong safe-haven demand has been bolstering gold prices. Gold miners often outperform physical gold during bull markets due to their operating leverage. A small increase in gold prices can significantly boost miners’ profits. VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF offers exposure to 90 small-capitalization companies that are involved primarily in the mining of gold and/or silver and tracks the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index. It has AUM of $5.4 billion and charges 52 bps in annual fees. It trades in a heavy volume of around 4 million shares a day on average (read: Gold or Gold Mining: Which ETF is Better?).

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Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD): ETF Research Reports

VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ): ETF Research Reports

iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (SLVP): ETF Research Reports

Global X Wind Energy ETF (WNDY): ETF Research Reports

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

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