Global commodity exchange-traded product (ETP) assets rose US$3.7bn in Q3 2011 to reach a record quarterly high of US$178.2bn. A combination of price gains and new investor inflows pushed gold ETP assets to US$121.7bn.

Robert Moskow, agribusiness analyst at Credit Suisse, has proclaimed this the “golden age” of agriculture, while Jim Rodgers, the commodities investor, told Bloomberg that “farming is going to be one of the great industries of the next 20 years.” The fundamentals support their claim.

Following calls for increased transparency and more consistent regulation of ETFs, iShares has embarked on a Europe-wide ‘due diligence’ campaign that will help professional investors evaluate and select exchange-traded products (ETPs).

Lyxor, one of Europe’s largest ETF providers, has developed a ‘Quality Charter’ to dispel concerns relating to ETFs and, in particular, so-called “synthetic” swap-based ETFs. The charter commits Lyxor to a new set of ETF standards designed to ensure greater transparency, efficiency and liquidity.

With markets continuing to price in an excessive default rate for high-yield bonds, the superior risk/reward profile may represent an attractive buying opportunity for investors.

Despite the recent incident at the Tepco nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan, economic powerhouses like China and India are relying more and more on nuclear energy. Experts say there is no foreseeable end to nuclear power as “too many countries depend too heavily on it.”

Weakness in equity markets presents a great opportunity to lock in a high current dividend yield and continue to collect dividends payments as you wait for stocks to recover. This opportunity can be accessed cheaply and efficiently via ETFs that track the performance of high-income, dividend-weighted equity indices.

Research shows that the outlook for UK property differs starkly: while residential property in London thrives, commercial sentiment has turned negative – though legislation could provide boost.

BlackRock, the company behind the iShares range of ETFs, has called for greater transparency and more consistent regulation of exchange-traded products. The call comes after a run of negative press which has drawn much attention to exchange-traded products and the mechanics behind them.

New York-based asset manager Van Eck Global announced today that it has launched Market Vectors Renminbi Bond ETF, an exchange-traded fund which offers investors exposure to Chinese renminbi-denominated bonds, popularly referred to as “dim sum” bonds.