100th iShares ETF tracks Polish equities

iShares has reached its 100th ETF on the London Stock Exchange with the launch of the MSCI Poland ETF.

The company says it is the first physical ETF in Europe to offer direct access to the Polish market, investing predominately in financials but with some exposure to utilities, materials, energy, telecoms and industrials.

iShares head of product development in Europe Axel Lomholt says the company's latest listing will help meet investor demand for emerging markets. He says: "The Polish economy is one of the largest in the EU and also one of the fastest growing in Central Europe."

The MSCI Poland ETF is the twelfth single country ETF launch from iShares recently, following the listing of the MSCI USA, MSCI Canada and MSCI South Africa ETFs on the LSE in 2010.

Lomholt says: "We are delighted to start 2011 with several significant milestones including the first London listed ETF giving exposure to Poland, 100 ETFs listed on the LSE - more than any other provider - and over $100bn in European assets under management. We look forward to broadening our presence and product set throughout Europe over the coming year."