ETF Focus  A Fleeting Boost for Oil ETFs  Oil ETFs use futures
to track the price of oil, since fund companies can't hold oil
directly. That generally puts investors at a disadvantage—an
issue that has recently reversed itself, though not for long.
August 10, 2013  As oil prices surged above $100 a barrel,
yesteryear's underperforming oil exchange-traded funds have
found themselves on top. But it doesn't make commodity ETFs any
better for long-term investors. On the contrary, they appear to
be temporary beneficiaries of a quirk in the futures market.
For years, high costs and practical concerns have thwarted
investors' ability to own "physical" oil instead of oil-producer
stocks. Fund managers who squirrel away bars of silver or gold
for investors can't do the same with...