Throw Out an ETF, See What Sticks

Despite a lot of talk about how tough it is to get ETFs off the ground, there are still plenty of new offerings in the pipeline.

At least 363 ETFs and exchange-traded notes are currently in registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to IndexUniverse.com. That's more than half as much as the 561 on the market right now, according to Morningstar.

And while many of the more specialized products introduced this year have been slow to gain traction with investors, a review of registration statements indicates that ETF sponsors are planning more of the same. Among the products that could be coming your way: The Claymore Robb Report Global Luxury ETF, the IndexIQ Customer Loyalty Leaders Large-Cap ETF and the Wilder Healthy Lifestyle ETF.

No doubt, exchange-traded funds, which are baskets of securities that trade on an exchange, have been on a tear this year. The first half of 2007 saw 170 new ETFs hit the market, a 133% increase over the 73 issued in the same period last year, according to Morningstar. Assets under management have surged 45% to $500.8 billion through June 30.

PowerShares launched nine new ETFs, including PowerShares Global Water(PIO Quote), which posted volume of 240,000 shares on Thursday, and the PowerShares FTSE RAFI Europe ETF(PEF Quote), which traded only 1,500 shares.

Ameristock listed five new fixed-income ETFs, including the Ameristock/Ryan 2 Year U.S. Treasury ETF(GKB Quote). All five have an average daily trading volume of less than 1,000 shares a day.