Online Shopping

According to surveys conducted in March and April by Engine Insights, online shopping has increased 74% since Mar 13 in response to the coronavirus. Per Emarsys/GoodData tracker, the number of online orders for web-only online retailers was up 56% year over year in the United States and Canada for the two weeks from Mar 22 through Apr 4. The surge in investors’ interest has made Amplify Online Retail ETF IBUY, ProShares Online Retail ETF ONLN and ProShares Long Online/Short Stores ETF CLIX popular in the retail space. These funds are up 22.5%, 26.3% and 23.9%, respectively, in the past month.

Cloud Computing

As companies across sectors and many individuals are dependent on remote working during quarantine, cloud-computing services have become essential. Microsoft (MSFT) last month said that it saw a whopping 775% increase in use of its cloud services in areas with social distancing or shelter-in-place orders. Zoom Video Communications’ teleconferencing software has become the most downloaded app on android and iOS stores. The number of people using video-conferencing app Zoom ZM ballooned in March to more than 200 million daily users from 10 million at the end of December.

Global X Cloud Computing ETF CLOU, First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index Fund SKYY and WisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund WCLD could be exciting plays in this area and have gained 15.6%, 13.8% and 14.1%, respectively, over the past month (read: What Will Earnings Bring for Cloud ETFs?).

Video Streaming

Global streaming services are witnessing a huge surge in online viewership with Netflix NFLX leading the way as the pandemic has turned people toward movies and TV series to pass the time. Per a report from Conviva, video streaming around the world grew 20% in March, including a 26% increase in the United States. As of Mar 31, about 64% of viewers watched Netflix, 48% watched Amazon AMZN Prime Video, 37% viewed Hulu, and 29% saw Disney DIS +, according to the latest report from eMarketer. Investors could tap these surging activities through iShares Evolved U.S. Media and Entertainment ETF IEME and ARK Web x.0 ETF ARKW. IEME is up 9.2% while ARKW has gained 17.5% in the past month.

Video Gaming

Video game sales exploded last month to the highest level since March 2008, per the industry-tracking firm NPD Group. Total spending on video game hardware, software and accessories jumped 35% from a year earlier to $1.6 billion. Nintendo’s NTDOY Switch was the best-selling console in March while “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” topped the best-selling games (read: Stay-at-Home Trend Boosts Video Games Sales: ETFs to Gain).

According to Nielsen’s SuperData, digital video game revenues spiked to $10 billion in March, representing the best month ever for digital spending. Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons, id Software’s Doom Eternal, Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Half-Life: Alyx have been the biggest hit games in this period.

Further, with traditional sport events canceled due to the coronavirus crisis, professional gaming leagues for Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends, and Overwatch are all moving online. Investors could tap the booming gaming trend through VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF ESPO, Wedbush ETFMG Video Game Tech ETF GAMR and Global X Video Games & Esports ETF HERO. The trio has gained more than 10% each in a month.

Internet: A Combination of All

Investors could capitalize the boom from different corners of the e-commerce world under one roof through SPDR S&P Internet ETF XWEB, O’Shares Global Internet Giants ETF (OGIG), Invesco NASDAQ Internet ETF PNQI and First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index FDN. The funds XWEB OGIG PNQI and FDN are up 16.8%, 12.4%, 12.2% and 11.9%, respectively.