Oct. 28, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Jefferies today announced the launch of two additional exchange traded funds (ETFs) based on the newly launched Thomson Reuters / Jefferies CRB-EQ series of indices. Both the Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Agriculture Equity Index Fund and the Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Industrial Metals Equity Index Fund began trading on NYSE Arca on October 27, 2009 under the ticker symbols CRBA and CRBI, respectively.

Building upon the 50-plus year history of the Thomson Reuters / Jefferies CRB Index (“the CRB Index”), the CRB-EQ group of indices offers investors access to benchmarks for globally traded equities of companies principally engaged in the production and distribution of commodities and commodity-related products and services in the agriculture, industrial metals, energy and precious metals sectors. Last month, Jefferies launched the composite-tracking Jefferies TR/J CRB Global Commodity Equity Index Fund (NYSE: CRBQ), the first ETF product based on the CRB-EQ series of indices. As of October 26, 2009, there were 1.35 million newly created CRBQ shares with average daily trading volume since inception of approximately 78,000 shares.

"Commodity investing need not be one dimensional,” said Adam De Chiara, Co-President of Jefferies Asset Management. “At times, commodity equities may outperform futures and vice versa. At times, certain commodity sectors may present more favorable investment opportunities. Just as investors look to commodities to diversify their overall portfolios, they can now diversify commodity exposure itself by utilizing a multi-tiered approach that includes the CRB-EQ family of products."

The Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Agriculture Equity Index Fund (NYSE: CRBA) provides exposure to the equity securities of a global universe of listed companies engaged in the production and distribution of agricultural products, including grains, livestock, fertilizers, chemicals, seeds, traits (seed characteristics attained through genetic modification) and equipment. The Jefferies | TR/J CRB Global Industrial Metals Equity Index Fund (NYSE: CRBI) offers investors access to equities of companies across the globe engaged in the production and distribution of base/industrial metals and base/industrial metal products, including copper, aluminum, iron ore, steel, nickel and others.

Both ETFs will seek investment results that replicate as closely as possible the price and yield performance of their corresponding CRB-EQ Indices, before fees and expenses.

ALPS Advisors, Inc. is the investment adviser for the new ETFs, and Arrow Investment Advisors, LLC is the investment sub-adviser. ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor of the ETFs. ALPS Fund Services, Inc.