There are 118 ETFs and ETNs on Deathwatch as the new year begins. Last decade we witnessed phenomenal growth in exchange-traded products (ETPs). There were just 32 at the start of the 2000s and 925 at the end, for an annualized growth rate of 40%. The number would have been even higher if not for the 124 product closures.

The next ten years will likely be marked by rapid growth again, although nowhere near the 40% growth of the past. Even if the growth rate of new products slows to only 10% this decade, that means we will be looking at 2,400 ETPs in 2019. My guess is the actual number will be higher.

The number of funds on ETF Deathwatch jumped 13% to 128 this month from 113 in November. The count consists of 88 ETFs and 40 ETNs that failed to generate at least $100,000 in average daily value traded (ADVT) for the past month.

E-TRACS CMCI Short Platinum Excess Return (PTD) headed the list for the fourth month in a row. PTD saw action on only one day in November and it was for only 100 shares. So far in 2009 PTD has only traded on 33 days. In the August-November period it traded on just 10 days for a cumulative volume of 1,100 shares while posting 74 days of zero volume. Its highest volume day during that four-month span was just 300 shares.

The number of funds on ETF Deathwatch edged up to 113 this month from 111 in October. The count consists of 78 ETFs and 35 ETNs that failed to generate at least $100,000 in average daily value traded (ADVT) for the past month.

E-TRACS CMCI Short Platinum Excess Return (PTD) heads the list again this month. I haven’t checked, but my guess is that PTD holds the record for number of times at the top of the list. PTD saw action on only three days in September and did the same in October, with the other 19 days being zero volume days. However, it did manage to boost trading by 100 shares over September, making for 600 total shares traded last month. Although PTD hasn’t traded in a few days, there are shares available for purchase at $34.02 this morning. If you want to sell, the bid is only $33.62.