dailyloe.com – In April 2026, several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) showed outstanding performance. The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) rose by approximately 9.4%. Meanwhile, the State Street SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) gained about 6%.
The Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ), which focuses on the Nasdaq-100, increased by about 14.6%. Various factors influenced these market movements, including the Iran war, rising oil prices, and tariff tensions.
In terms of economic growth, the U.S. economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.0% in the first quarter of 2026. This was an increase from 0.5% in the previous quarter, although it fell short of the expected 2.3%, as noted by tradingeconomics.
Government spending saw a growth of 4.4%, rebounding from a contraction of 5.6% in the fourth quarter of 2025. This recovery followed the conclusion of a government shutdown.
Inflation in the U.S. also saw a notable rise, reaching an annual rate of 3.3% in March 2026. This marked the highest inflation level since May 2024, up from 2.4% in both February and January.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased by 0.9%, the largest monthly rise since June 2022. This followed a 0.3% gain in February.
Oil prices surged due to former President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to maintain a prolonged naval blockade on Iran. Negotiations have stalled, with Iran refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the blockade ends, causing global supply concerns.
The United States Oil Fund LP (USO) reported an 18.4% increase over the past month as of April 30, 2026. The Q1 earnings season has shown strong momentum, with companies surpassing consensus estimates.
This resilience occurs despite high energy costs and ongoing geopolitical risks, according to the Earnings Trends report from April 22, 2026. Notably, revenue growth and beat percentages have been strong.
Looking forward, Q2 earnings are expected to grow by 19.8% year over year, accompanied by a 9.2% increase in revenues. This projection is an improvement from the 17.1% growth expected at the end of March.
In this environment, we spotlight several standout ETFs that have performed well during April.
