More Me Too ETFs From iShares Debut Today

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Keeping up a blistering pace of
new product introductions in 2012
BlackRock's
BLK
iShares, the world's largest ETF sponsor, will introduce five new ETFs today. All five are equities-based commodities funds and at least three of the five look to be direct rivals to currently existing ETFs from other issuers. The The iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers Fund
VEGI
will have an expense ratio of 0.39% and track an index of nearly 170 companies. According to VEGI's fact sheet, Monsanto
MON
, Potash
POT
and Deere
DE
account for over 28% of the fund's weight. Other top-10 holdings include Agrium
AGU
and Mosaic
MOS
. Translation: VEGI will butt heads with the Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF
MOO
, which has been the dominant large-cap agribusiness ETF on the market since it debuted in 2007. Taking on MOO has proven to be
no easy task for other ETF issuers
. Next up is the iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers Fund
FILL
. FILL will also have an expense ratio of 0.39% and track an index of 313 stocks, according to the ETF's fact sheet. With a top-10 lineup that includes Exxon Mobil
XOM
, Chevron
CVX
, Royal Dutch Shell
RDS
and BP
BP
, among others, FILL looks a lot like the iShares S&P Global Energy Sector Index Fund
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IXC
and a bit like the SPDR S&P International Energy Sector ETF
IPW
. FILL does offer a combined allocation of over 7% to refiners and coal producers. The iShares MSCI Global Select Metals & Mining Producers
PICK
is next up on the docket. That fund will also have fees of 0.39% and track an index of 363 holdings. Home to BHP Billiton
BHP
, Rio Tinto
RIO
and Vale
VALE
, among others, the ETF looks somewhat like the iShares S&P Global Materials ETF
MXI
. The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners Fund
RING
, which also has an expense ratio of 0.39% and tracks an index of 42 stocks, has a lineup that makes the fund look like a rival to the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF
GDX
. With over $9.4 billion in assets, GDX is the dominant gold miners ETF, but with an expense ratio of 0.53%, GDX could be vulnerable to some competition from RING. Finally, the iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners Fund
SLVP
will also debut on Thursday. That ETF will also feature an expense ratio of 0.39% and track an index of 30 stocks. While the weightings are different, over half of SLVP's top-10 holdings are the same as what's found among the top-10 constituents of the Global X Silver Miners ETF
SIL
. SIL has a much higher expense ratio of 0.65%, but with $361.3 million in assets under management, the Global X offering has a deep first-to-market advantage. Last week, iShares launched
seven new ETFs
including four that will be direct rivals to currently existing funds. Prior to that, the firm unveiled three new funds on January 12.
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