Flurry of New ETF Debuts Expected on Wednesday

The pace of new product introductions from ETF issuers has been impressive to start 2012 and if Wednesday February 15 is any indication, that pace isn't slowing anytime soon. At least seven new funds from two different major ETF sponsors are scheduled to make their debuts tomorrow and six of those funds will be country-specific offerings. Van Eck, the fifth-largest U.S. ETF issuer by assets, will roll out the Market Vectors Unconventional Oil & Gas ETF FRAK. That ETF will track the Market Vectors Unconventional Oil & Gas Index, which was home to 43 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of between approximately $1.4 billion to $80.6 billion and an average market capitalization of $10.4 billion as of January 31, according to a statement. FRAK is designed to give investors exposure to companies involved in the production of coalbed methane, coal seam gas, shale oil, shale gas and firms operating in oil sands properties. The new ETF will have an expense ratio of 0.54%. As Benzinga previously reported First Trust, the eleventh-largest U.S. ETF issuer, has plans to roll out seven new country-specific funds and it looks like six members of that group will debut on Wednesday. Those new ETFs are the First Trust Australia AlphaDEX Fund FAUS, the the First Trust United Kingdom AlphaDEX Fund FKU, the First Trust Taiwan AlphaDEX Fund FTW, the First Trust Hong Kong AlphaDEX Fund FHK, the the First Trust Switzerland AlphaDEX Fund FSZ and the the First Trust Germany AlphaDEX Fund FGM. All of the new First Trust offerings will have expense ratios 0.8% and all will compete with previously existing funds issued by BlackRock's BLK iShares unit, the world's largest ETF sponsor.