With China’s big data dump grabbing headlines at week’s end, investors might be looking for ways to invest in the world’s No. 2 economy.
Yes, the biggest China ETF, the iShares China Large-Cap ETF , has slumped 15% in 2013 to date and remains well off its all-time peak. But strategists like iShares’ Russ Koesterich have suggested China could now be seen as a promising value play.

“When you view Chinese stocks from the value perspective, they look cheap relative to other emerging markets and the broader market,” he wrote in a recent note.

Beyond FXI, investors should consider the China SPDR .

With exposure to more than 200 Chinese companies, it’s more diversified than FXI, which just holds 25 companies and has more exposure to financials. That helps make GXC Morningstar’s favorite ETF, as the Wall Street Journal noted in a recent column. GXC is down 7% in 2013 to date, but up 6% over the past 12 months.

Or if you really want to get away from financials, perhaps because you’re worried about a big bank conspiracy, research the WisdomTree China Dividend Ex-Financials Fund , which is down 13% so far this year. This ETF, not quite a year old, is relatively heavy on energy companies, as an ETF Trends article pointed out earlier this week.

An idea for growth-minded investors is the PowerShares Golden Dragon China ETF. It’s up 30% so far this year, helped by its exposure to Chinese tech and consumer names. IndexUniverse has argued that PGJ’s holdings line up well “with the stated policy of China to de-emphasize credit and investment and instead start leaning on consumers and technology.”
The Chinese data out overnight will include fresh readings on inflation, retail sales and industrial production. On Thursday, Chinese trade data surpassed expectations, although keep in mind the trade numbers often draw especially strong doubt from foreign analysts.
Here are a couple of other points for the next 24 hours in the financial markets:
1) Priceline, Tableau jump: Priceline.com jumped in extended trading late Thursday after its better-than-expected earnings report.

The online travel broker was recommended by J.P. Morgan analysts two weeks ago for investors who want to bet on a recovery in Europe.
While Priceline is part of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, Tableau Software isn’t that well known. But the maker of software for analytics and data visualization also was up after hours on its quarterly earnings report.
The company posted a profit, surprising analysts who had forecasts quarterly losses for the second quarter and at least through 2014′s third quarter, according to FactSet data. Tableau came public in May, pricing at $31 a share, and it had roughly doubled from that price as of Thursday’s close. It’s viewed as benefiting from the Big Data trend, as noted in this MarketWatch slideshow based on a Goldman Sachs note titled “The Search for Creative Destruction.”

2) WhiteWave reports: The earnings calendar is light on Friday, but WhiteWave Foods will report its results. Analysts expect EPS of 16 cents on revenue of $608 million.
The maker of Silk soy milk and Horizon Organic products is getting a lift from growing interest in natural and organic foods. Analysts also have said the Dean Foods spinoff could be a takeover target, as companies like General Mills might want more exposure to the natural foods trend.
For a discussion of these points, check out the video above.
–Victor Reklaitis