Microsoft Vs. Google: Will Tech ETFs Come Out On Top?

Call it a “Clash of the Titans.” A heated battle for search engine dominance will only leave one company victorious, but the technology sector and related exchange trade funds (ETFs) may be the ultimate winners from the flurry of activity.

Microsoft (MSFT) has been testing its re-envisioned search under the moniker “Kumo” but it may launch it as “Bing,” reports Renai LeMay for CNET News. The software giant has already registered domain names “bing.com.au,” “bing.co.nz” and “bing.co.uk.”

In the search engine industry, the most formidable competition that Microsoft faces is from Google (GOOG), whose search engine has become a verb of its own. Microsoft is planning to grab its fair share of the search engine market by spending $100 million ad dollars on Bing, says Bob Moon for Marketplace.

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO, says he’s optimistic despite the troubles they’ve had launching the search engine. This time, according to Miguel Helft for The New York Times, Microsoft will take a more specific approach with a search engine intended to help investors with specific online tasks.

• iShares Dow Jones U.S. Technology (IYW): up 19.8% year-to-date; GOOG is 6.3%, MSFT is 11.1%

• Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT): up 17.4% year-to-date; GOOG is 5.0%, MSFT is 10.8%

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