Except for Japan, the growth in ETF assets is looking a little stale compared to the rest of the world. But on the plus side, U.S. investors still enjoy some of the best bargains to be found.

At least that’s what a new Barclays Global Investors study reveals. The research team led by Deborah Fuhr found that total U.S. assets in the ETF market hit an all-time high of $582 billion at the end of the second quarter, its highest mark since December 2007.

Interestingly, however, the number of U.S. ETFs, pegged at 706 from some 22 providers on three exchanges, is smaller than its European counterparts, which account for 753 ETFs for assets estimated at $183 billion.

According to Barclays, U.S. ETF assets have risen by more than 17 percent on the year – which is more than the 10 percent rise seen in the MSCI U.S. Index in dollar terms in