New Kids On The Block: Five New ETFs With Merit

Cars and houses aside, people like new things and more often than not we want a new item, even if it costs a bit more than a more "seasoned" version. There's nothing wrong with that, but should the sentiment be extended to the ETF universe? It's a relevant question given that the new product spigot has been flowing briskly this year with 38 new

or ETNs making their debuts in March alone. That said newer isn't always better when it comes to ETFs. Remember, an ETF debut isn't the Facebook IPO, meaning you don't need to be in on the first day. Some ETFs take time to mature and gain traction with investors. Others accomplish those objectives in short order, so with that we'll look at some new ETFs that have been introduced in 2011 that are worth a look today, even though they're not that old. 1) iShares High Dividend Equity Fund

: One of the newest of the new, HDV's inception date is March 29, but the ETF has already attracted almost $10.2 million in assets under management. The fund look likes a sound better for the income investor as reliable dividend payers such as AT&T

, Chevron

and Procter & Gamble

dot the top-10 holdings here. 2) Market Vectors Germany Small Cap ETF

: GERJ is all of one day old at this point having made its debut on Tuesday, but in that day, the ETF has collected $2.5 million in AUM. Germany has been the most reliable bet among EU members for a while now and using small-caps to tap into the country's strong export and industrial bases could prove to be a compelling idea. 3) Global X FTSE ASEAN 40 ETF

: Obviously at least one Global X fund was going to make this list as the company has been introducing new ETFs at an impressive pace this year. ASEA is less than two months and has attracted just $1.6 million in AUM and its average daily volume won't blow you away either, but those factors should change for the better as investors embrace emerging markets again and ASEA's basket approach, which offers exposure to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, catches some eyes. 4) PowerShares Senior Loan Portfolio

: Just over a month old, BKLN is the first ETF giving investors to senior loans, tracking a portfolio of senior floating-rate bank loans with an average credit quality of B, according to Morningstar. BKLN could prove to be a compelling play if interest rates rise, though be aware of credit quality issues if the economy takes a turn for the worse. BKLN has already garnered more than $70 million in AUM. 5) Global X Oil Equities ETF

: XOIL isn't your grandfather's oil ETF. The ETF tracks 25 stocks that have shown the most intimate correlations to spot oil prices. There's oily and oilier and XOIL is aiming to be in the latter camp. Three weeks old, XOIL will get you exposure to names like Apache

, Hess

and ConocoPhillips

, among others.