Jefferies exhibits no delay when it comes to releasing funds in the height of their demand. Two new issues, launched on October 27, provide investors exposure to agriculture and metals, two popular anti-inflationary investments.

The Jefferies TR/J CRB Global Agriculture Equity Index Fund (CRBA: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News) and the Jefferies TR/J CRB Global Industrial Metals Equity Index Fund (CRBI: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News) are the names of the two new funds. The Jefferies TR/J CRB Global Agriculture Equity Index Fund will seek out investments in companies that produce primarily agriculture and derivative products, including grains, livestock, seeds, fertilizers, etc, according to Reuters.

The Jefferies TR/J CRB Global Industrial Metals Equity Index Fund will invest in companies centered in the production of base metals, which are most in demand for infrastructure and global stimulus efforts, as well as for anti-inflation investments. Both funds will trade with a .65% annual expense ratio.

Seeking to avoid CTFC limits on commodities while still providing investors with exposure, ALPS has launched a new ETF designed to track changes in commodity prices. The Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund (CRBQ: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News) started trading on September 21 on the NYSE Arca.

The Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund will invest in companies that deal in the production or refining of energy, agricultural products, and precious and raw metals, Mutual Fund Wire reports. The fund, which is advised by Arrow Investment Advisors, will come with an annual expense of .65%. This fund seeks to return yields that track to the changes in commodity futures while avoiding regulatory limits on speculation.

The fund is ALPS’s third, following the Equal Sector ETF (EQL: Quote, Profile, Advanced Chart, News) which was launched in July. ALPS also sub-advises for other firms, such as Forward Global and Emerging Global Advisors.

Tuesday initiated the CTFC’s hearings on the role investment banks and exchange-traded funds play in distorting the commodities markets. Under fire are large firms like Goldman Sachs and ETF issuers, who influence daily volume on the commodities exchange.

The CTFC is “seriously considering” future restrictions on commodity speculation that could hinder investment banks and exchange-traded funds alike, according to MarketWatch. Should the CTFC decide to limit speculation, many ETFs would be restricted in their size and scope, ultimately driving ETF prices and fees higher.

In order to trade commodities on a large scale, firms must first win an exemption from the CTFC to trade on the exchange. Such exemptions are typically granted to farmers and commodity producers, who rely on stable prices for their commodities to generate a profit. The first exemption given to commodity traders was completed 18 years ago to a then small investment bank, Goldman Sachs.

ALPS is bravely testing the commodity waters with a lineup of five new ETFs that will be introduced to Wall Street in 2009. Better known for servicing other ETFs and mutual funds, the company will try its luck with growing its own exchange-traded fund business.

The five funds to be released are as follows:

1. The Commodity Producers Composite ETF
2. The Agricultural Producers ETF
3. The Energy Producers ETF
4. The Industrial Metals Producers ETF
5. The Precious Metals Producers ETF

According to a filing with the SEC, all five funds will invest in companies that help produce the commodities, rather than commodity holdings themselves. The funds will seek to utilize the natural leverage available in commodity producers to create returns that follow that of commodity prices. To qualify for the fund, companies will have to generate at least half of their revenues from commodities that fit within one of the five ETFs.

The five funds will quintuple ALPS’ ETF offerings with just one filing; currently, ALPS only has one REIT ETF on the market.

Delta Global has filed to create three new actively-managed ETFs that each capitalize upon niches recently made popular amongst investors. All three are centered on highly demanded investment classes that traders have snapped up with exchange-traded funds.

The three funds are to be named Claymore Delta Global Infrastructure, Claymore Delta Global Hard Assets, and Claymore Delta Global Agribusiness, according to the SEC filing. The three funds will be actively-managed by a professional manager, but will only purchase securities within their prospective fields.

Little information was made available from the SEC filing; however, investors can expect that the funds will be made up mostly of long positions within their sectors. All three of the funds appear to be inflation hedges, with the Claymore Delta Global Infrastructure fund poised to profit from the $857 billion stimulus package.