Aluminum ETF Could Make Debut Soon

Russian aluminum giant United Company RUSAL, the world's largest producer of the industrial metal, said that an exchange traded fund backed by physical aluminum could make its debut in a matter of weeks. There are currently no ETFs available on the market that are backed by physical aluminum. "Market sources say it will be a matter of weeks rather than months," a RUSAL executive said during a telephone conference, Reuters reported. The company said it could supply aluminum for the ETF, but that it will not sponsor the ETF itself, according to Reuters. RUSAL did not specifiy where the ETF would be listed. Last year, Citigroup said the creation of an ETF backed by physical aluminum could lead to a price spike of up to $500 per metric ton. At the time, the bank said physically-backed aluminum ETFs could affect prices by as much as 24%. Exchange traded options for investors looking to gain aluminum exposure now include the iPath DJ-AIG Aluminum ETN

and the newly minted Global X Aluminum ETF

, which tracks aluminum producers such as Alcoa

, Rio Tinto

and Aluminum Corp. of China

.