Losing money on a gaining ETF?

Question

I have been investing in ETFs and the ETFs I have purchased have gone up in trade value, but I am losing money. Why is this?

They are normal ETFs I purchased through E*TRADE, one of them is ISHARES INC MSCI CDA INDEX (EWC: NYSE Arca)

I have been letting them ride, but maybe not long enough to account for the trading fees...

Answer 1

Good investment choice, nice growth, good steep climb in recent months.

Maybe your brokerage choice stinks, or as someone else suggested, you are trading too much and commissions eat everything you gain.

If I had bought it in January at, say, $24-ish and held it until today, where it is over $35, then even if I had only bought one share, the $7 Scottrade commission would have been recouped. I can only see about four or five trading places, looking technically, and they would have not made you much (depending on how quick you are to make a turn). Then again, it has been a wild year with several sudden melt-downs followed by similarly strong surges. If you have a good position, plant it and let it grow. If you lost money trying to finesse EWC then you need to reexamine your methods.

Answer 2

Are you "letting them ride" or doing a lot of buying and selling of ETF shares? The trading fees can eat up your gains.