In spite of recent market conditions, ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) have experienced an expansion this week, thanks to seven new Barclays iShares ETFs coming onto the London Stock Exchange.

The London Stock Exchange admitted seven new iShares Exchange Traded Funds yesterday, taking the total number to 200.

There have been 18 new admissions since the beginning of 2009, accounting for £12.2billion worth of trading so far this year.

This is a continuation of the strong expansion in the ETF market, the London Stock Exchange said, since it launched in 2000, even in the face of difficult market conditions.

“It is testament to the attractiveness of the ETF model that at a time when equity markets are perceived as being quiet, the ETF market has continued to expand, with very strong trading activity, and regular new product issuance,” commented Pietro Poletto, head of ETF and ETC markets at London Stock Exchange Group.

The issuers of ETFs on the Exchange market are Deutsche Bank, ETF Securities, Invesco Powershares, Barclays iShares, and Lyxor. They offer 78 ETFs between them – 21 are fixed income based, 41 ETFs track emerging markets, 53 cover a range of industrial sectors, and seven focus on specific investment approaches.

The total value traded in a single year is 26 times higher since the Exchange Traded Funds had their first full year of trading. The Barclays iShares FTSE 100 is the most heavily traded ETF in terms of value, while fixed income based ETFs have experienced an increase in popularity, accounting for £857.8million worth of trading in March this year.

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