iShares Aussie Small Cap ETF to Debut On Thursday

BlackRock's (NYSE: BLK) iShares unit, the world's largest ETF issuer, will introduce a second ETF on the BATS Exchange on Thursday when the firm rolls out the iShares MSCI Australia Small Cap Index Fund (BATS: EWAS).

The iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund follows the introduction of the iShares MSCI Norway Capped Investable Market Index Fund (BATS: ENOR), which was the first primary listing for the BATS Exchange operated by BATS Global Markets.

After EWAS debuts, iShares plans to list six more ETFs on the BATS exchange.

Those funds include the iShares MSCI Canada Small Cap Index Fund (BATS: EWCS) iShares MSCI Finland Capped Investable Market Index Fund (BATS: EFNL) iShares MSCI Germany Small Cap Index Fund (BATS: EWGS) iShares MSCI India Index Fund (BATS: INDA) iShares MSCI India Small Cap Index Fund (BATS: SMIN) and the iShares MSCI United Kingdom Small Cap Index Fund (BATS: EWUS).

EWAS will compete with the IndexIQ Australia Small-Cap ETF (NYSE: KROO) which has over$15 million in AUM. The debut of EWAS will mark the seventh new ETF iShares has rolled out this year. iShares had 220 ETFs with $447.8 billion in AUM at the end of 2011.