Barclays Launches Eight Bond ETFs

Ameristock Funds also has five fixed-income ETFs in registration with the SEC that are designed to track U.S. Treasury indices from Ryan ALM. Other companies believed to be developing bond ETFs include State Street's(STT Quote) Global Advisors unit, PowerShares Capital Management and Wisdom Tree.

When it comes to bond ETFs, however, there may be a first-mover advantage.

In 2002, not long after Barclays launched its first fixed-income ETF, New York investment firm ETF Advisors launched a group of Fixed-Income Trust Receipts, or FITRS, based on Ryan Labs' Treasury indices, but they were unable to attract enough money and were shuttered after a few months.