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

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The author says forget about most of Europe and Japan. He also talks about his new ETF and the role of demographics in investing.

Harry Dent is founder and chief executive of Tampa, Fla.-based HS Dent Investment Management LLC. He is a best-selling author and money manager who has developed quantitative investment models based on demographic research.

He took time on Tuesday to discuss his latest views on the market with IndexUniverse.com Editor Murray Coleman. They also discussed Dent's new exchange-traded fund, the AdvisorShares Dent Tactical ETF (NYSEArca: DENT). It's scheduled to begin trading on Wednesday. Below are excerpts of that conversation.

IU.com: You’re fairly pessimistic about the market now, aren’t you?

Dent: We do think we’re at the end of this rally. This isn’t like past recessions. Consumer spending by baby boomers is peaking. It’s the end of a long surge that began in the 1980s. Clearly, baby boomers are

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A new type of ETF is becoming popular, offering alternatives to traditional sector funds in targeting different types of companies.

(Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from an article in the Exchange-Traded Funds Report in July. Subscribers to ETFR can read the complete piece here.)

Specialty-sector ETFs—also called “thematic” ETFs—have emerged as a major force in the ETF industry.

These ETFs run the gamut of investment possibilities, but have one thing in common: They look past traditional size and sector designations to carve out new investment areas, often driven by a single investment thesis.

Clean energy, infrastructure, nuclear power—by our count, there are now more than 40 of these unique ETFs on the market, with more than $10 billion in assets under management.

Investment manager Van Eck Global has been one of the most successful companies in carving out a foothold among specialty ETFs. Its Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE Arca:

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ETF Securities made a big splash with its new silver fund, SIVR. Next up on its wish list are funds focusing on gold, platinum and palladium.

 

William Rhind is head of sales and marketing at ETFS Marketing LLC, the U.S. arm of London-based ETF Securities. The U.S. unit opened operations in July with the launch of its first exchange-traded fund, the ETFS Silver Trust (NYSEArca: SIVR).

The former iShares executive for Barclays Global Investors’ European operations recently discussed with IndexUniverse.com’s Murray Coleman plans by ETFS to expand in the U.S. marketplace.

 

IU: Has a move into the U.S. been something that ETFS has been considering for awhile?

Rhind: Our chairman, Graham Tuckwell, invented the gold ETF in 2003 and launched the first gold ETF in Australia. The first ETF in the

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How broad of a following can a country-specific ETF garner? BGI's new EPU is about to get a $300 million shot in the arm.

 

How broad-based of an audience can an exchange-traded fund focused solely on companies based in Peru attract?

Since launching a little more than a month ago, the seemingly narrow-focused iShares MSCI All Peru Capped Index Fund (NYSEArca: EPU) has seen its assets top $33 million. That’s actually down a bit from a week ago when that number surpassed $35 million. (See related story here.)

So what’s driving such growth? Performance is one factor. In the past month, EPU’s returns have shot up by nearly 4 percentage points. More significantly to longer-term investors, the country has produced the best gross domestic product growth rate in the region—or near the top, depending on periods studied and data used—for more than a decade now.

And even more assets figure to start flowing

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XShares to close Carbon Allowances Fund at end of month.

 

XShares Advisors LLC has announced that it plans to close the AirShares EU Carbon Allowances Fund (NYSE Arca: ASO).

Entering July, the exchange-traded product had just $4 million in assets. ASO launched in December 2008 with nearly $5 million in seed money as an asset base.

ASO is actually a commodity pool that tracks a basket of exchange-traded futures contracts for European Union allowances (EUAs). Each contract provides for delivery of 1,000 EUAs at a specified price.

The ETF-like product, as AirShares refers to ASO, invests in futures contracts that expire each December beginning in 2009 and extending through 2012. As contracts approach their December expiration, the fund sells expiring contracts and replaces them with contracts of later expirations.

Since the commodities involved aren't physically deliverable, ASO can't be considered an ETF. But it acts like many exchange-traded commodities products that are popular in Europe.

Carbon exchange-traded

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Since early last year, stock EM ETFs have nearly doubled in popularity among fund investors, says global markets researcher Brad Durham.

 

Brad Durham is co-founder and managing director at EPFR Global. The Cambridge, Mass.-based research firm tracks global fund flows, both institutional as well as retail for financial institutions. It tracks an estimated $10 trillion in sector, country and asset class flows on a daily, weekly and monthly basis for both fixed income and equities.

Before helping to start EPFR 14 years ago, Durham was editor of publications focused on the economics and politics of emerging markets. That included launching and operating several Russian financial publications, including Kommersant and a joint venture with Hearst Corp. and Izvestia. Durham has earned a doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University.

On Monday, IndexUniverse.com Editor Murray Coleman caught up with the analyst for his views on changes

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Since early 2008, assets in emerging market stock ETFs have doubled in size to represent almost a third of the total market, says analyst.

Brad Durham is co-founder and managing director at EPFR Global. The Cambridge, Mass.-based research firm tracks global fund flows, both institutional as well as retail, for financial institutions. It tracks an estimated $10 trillion in sector, country and asset class flows on a daily, weekly and monthly basis both for fixed income and equities.

Before helping to start EPFR 14 years ago, Durham was editor of publications focused on the economics and politics of emerging markets. That included launching and operating several Russian financial publications, including Kommersant and a joint venture with Hearst Corp. and Izvestia. Durham has earned a doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University.

On Monday, IndexUniverse.com Editor Murray Coleman caught up with the analyst for his

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Of course they're more volatile. But can emerging markets sector ETFs offer diversification tools to cut overlap and limit overall portfolio risks?

 

Bob Holderith is chief executive of Emerging Global Advisors. Richard Kang is chief investment officer for the New York-based company, which recently launched the first exchange-traded funds focused on specific sectors in emerging markets. (See related story here.)

EGA is expected to launch soon a third ETF that will act as a composite of the 10 underlying sectors in the Dow Jones emerging markets indexing series it’s using for current and upcoming funds.

The company says that nine more are in the works focusing on emerging markets sectors. Those will join the May launches of the EGS Emerging Markets Energy Fund (NYSE Arca: EEO) and the  EGS Emerging Markets Metals & Mining Fund (NYSE Arca: EMT).

IndexUniverse.com’s Murray Coleman caught up with Holderith and Kang late Thursday to

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Of course they're more volatile than rival iShares and SPDRs. But international sector ETFs focused on developing markets can help diversify portfolios, say firm's managers.

 

Bob Holderith is chief executive of Emerging Global Advisors. Richard Kang is chief investment officer for the New York-based company, which recently launched the first exchange-traded funds focused on specific sectors in emerging markets. (See related story here.)

EGA is expected to launch soon a third ETF that will act as a composite of the 10 underlying sectors in the Dow Jones emerging markets indexing series it’s using for current and upcoming funds.

The company says that nine more are in the works focusing on emerging markets sectors. Those will join the May launches of the EGS Emerging Markets Energy Fund (NYSE Arca: EEO) and the  EGS Emerging Markets Metals & Mining Fund (NYSE Arca: EMT).

IndexUniverse.com’s Murray Coleman caught up with Holderith and Kang

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