iShares launched seven new exchange-traded funds on the London Stock Exchange this morning, including four fixed income funds and three equity ETFs. The four fixed income ETFs are:

iShares Barclays Euro Government Bond 5-7 ETF (LSE: IEGY): tracks  10-year bonds issued by EMU member states with a remaining maturity of 5-7 years.

iShares Barclays Euro Government Bond 10-15 ETF (LSE: IEGZ):  tracks 10-15 year maturity bonds issued by EMU member states.

iShares Barclays Euro Treasury Bond ETF (LSE: IEGA): tracks fixed-rate securities issued by EMU governments which are part of the Barclays Euro Aggregate and Barclays Global Aggregate indices.

iShares FTSE Gilts UK 0-5 ETF (LSE: IGLS): tracks UK government debt with a maturity of 0-5 years.

The four fixed income ETFs all carry a total expense ratio of 0.20% per annum.

The three equity ETFs are:

iShares MSCI Europe ex-EMU ETF (LSE: IXMU): provides investors with exposure to the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The ETF carries a total expense ratio of 0.40% per annum.

iShares FTSE Developed World ex-UK ETF (LSE: IWXU): provides broad international exposure to over 30 countries including the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, France and Germany. The ETF carries a total expense ratio of 0.50% per annum.

iShares MSCI Pacific ex-Japan ETF (LSE: IPXJ): provides developed market exposure to Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand. The ETF carries a total expense ratio of 0.60% per annum.

The new iShares MSCI Europe ex-EMU ETF and iShares FTSE Developed World Ex-UK ETF are the first of their kind in the world.

The iShares MSCI Pacific ex-Japan ETF competes with similar funds offered by CASAM and Comstage, which are listed on NYSE Euronext Paris and Deutsche Boerse, and have management fees of 0.45% and 0.60%, respectively.

The fixed income ETFs are also the first of their type, although ETFs tracking European government bonds with similar maturities are offered by iShares' competitors.

Commenting on the ETF launch, Axel Lomholt, senior director of product development, iShares Europe, said: "iShares is committed to developing its fixed income capability as investor demand for the asset class continues unabated....we expect strong demand for these products as investors continue to seek out low risk, transparent and highly liquid investment products. 

"The launch of the three new equity products-two of which are world firsts-reflect iShares' innovative approach to product development. Our offering continues to be the most complete and comprehensive equity product set in the market. We believe most investors will use these funds as ‘building blocks', providing them with exposure to a particular set of countries within a defined region. 

A link to the new ETFs' factsheets and other fund information is available here.