Barclays to Tap Japan’s Demand for Commodities ETFs

Barclays Global Investors is seeking to list more commodities-based exchange traded funds (ETFs) in Japan because of increased demand to hedge and diversify from traditional assets. Barclay’s New-York-listed ETFs already are offered in Japan and they seem to be sparking more interest. Reuters reports that a wider line-up of commodities-related instruments as a hedging vehicle can give investors exposure without having to own the underlying assets. More than 10 commodities-linked investment trust funds are offered currently in Japan to both retail and individual investors. The commodities-based ETFs are valued at $140 billion yen or $1.2 billion.