ETF Securities, one of the world’s leading independent providers of exchange-traded products, is set to launch three new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) designed to provide Asian investors with cost-effective access to physical precious metals.

ETF Securities is set to list three precious metal ETFs in Hong Kong aimed at Asian investors.

The funds are the ETFS Physical Gold ETF (2830 HK), the ETFS Physical Silver ETF (3117 HK) and the ETFS Physical Platinum ETF (3119 HK), providing exposure to gold, silver and platinum, respectively.

They will be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange on 28 November 2012.

The investment objective of each fund is to provide investment results that closely correspond to the performance of the London PM Fix for gold, London Fix for silver and London PM Fix for platinum, respectively.

The funds will be backed by ring-fenced physical bullion held in secure vaults. The bullion will meet the ‘Good Delivery’ standards set out by either the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) or the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM).

Each fund’s base currency and benchmark will be in US dollars, meaning the value of units in the fund, which are to be traded in Hong Kong dollars, will be affected by changes in the exchange rate between these two currencies.

Commenting on the launch, Fred Jheon, Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific for ETF Securities (HK), said: “We are very excited by the prospect of providing precious metals exposure to investors in the region. Those who are seeking convenient and cost-effective access to physical precious metals now have additional choices.”

He added: “The Hong Kong ETF market is expanding rapidly as awareness and understanding of these products continues to grow. Yet we believe that the commodities sector is currently under-represented. As a pioneer in developing commodity investment solutions, we were ideally placed to launch a suite of precious metal ETFs in Hong Kong.”

ETF Securities, which is headquartered in London, is a pioneer in commodities-related exchange-traded products and whose management team listed the world’s first gold exchange-traded commodity in 2003. Today ETF Securities offers a comprehensive range of products and manages some US$29.9 billion in investor assets.