ETF NEWS

If you weren’t with us last week, or if you somehow didn’t get a chance to read last week’s issue, you missed my mention of a great web site for exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The site is ETFTrends.com and it’s run by my friend and fellow ETF specialist Tom Lydon. Here are some of the highlights gathered from Tom’s site that I thought would be of great interest to many Alert readers.

More Fixed Income ETFs

Banking and investment giant Barclays has just added eight new fixed income ETFs to the company’s offerings. Investors now have a total of 14 fixed income ETFs that cover a variety of income classes and maturities to use for their investment portfolio. The new ETFs include:

• iShares Lehman Short Treasury Bond Fund (SHV)
• iShares Lehman 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Fund (IEI)
• iShares Lehman 10-20 Year Treasury Bond Fund (TLH)
• iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund (CSJ)
• iShares Lehman Intermediate Credit Bond Fund (CIU)
• iShares Lehman Credit Bond Fund (CFT)
• iShares Lehman Intermediate Government/Credit Bond Fund (GVI)
• iShares Lehman Lehman Government/Credit Bond Fund (GBF)

More Metals, Oil and Gas Commodity ETFs for 2007

Deutsche Bank and PowerShares recently added seven new commodities ETFs to their offerings. These new commodities ETFs will enter into long commodity futures positions and will generate interest on cash and U.S. Treasuries.

• PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA)
• PowerShares DB Base Metals Fund (DBB)
• PowerShares DB Energy Fund (DBE)
• PowerShares DB Oil Fund (DBO)
• PowerShares DB Precious Metals Fund (DBP)
• PowerShares DB Silver Fund (DBS)
• PowerShares DB Gold Fund (DGL)

ETF providers are banking on demand for commodity ETFs increasing in the coming year. With global economies booming, we’ve already seen an increased need for oil and gas. Metals demand, especially in emerging markets, has helped to push the prices of gold, silver and copper higher.

Number of ETFs Continue Growing in 2007

There will be no slow down when it comes to new ETFs for 2007. There already are 92 ETFs in the pipeline slated to come to market this year and that expansion is probably just the beginning. In 2006, there were 144 new ETFs launched.

My friends, the ETF tide is still rising rapidly. This year, more than ever, turn to the Alert to keep up with the latest and greatest of all things ETF.