Four new exchange-traded funds launched on Amex

NEW YORK, April 26 (Reuters) - Four new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were launched on the American Stock Exchange on Thursday, including one investing in more than 5,000 companies headquartered outside of the United States.

Claymore Securities Inc. said on Thursday it launched an ETF investing in mid-cap growth stocks and another focused on small-cap value stocks.

The Claymore/Clear Mid-Cap Growth index ETF MCG.A tracks an index of 50 U.S.-listed stocks including American Depositary Receipts with market capitalizations generally between $2 billion and $10 billion.

The index, created by Clear Indexes LLC, uses measures such as sales, profit growth, return-on-equity and leverage to select constituents.

The Claymore/IndexIQ Small-Cap Value ETF SCV.A tracks an index of 100 stocks with market capitalizations generally between $400 million and $1.5 billion.

The small-cap index is published by Index IQ, a Rye Brook, New York firm. Its methodology uses traditional value stock selection screens and also seeks companies that are investing in new products and services.

Adam Patti, chief executive of IndexIQ, said in a statement that the approach goes beyond reliance on low multiples. Index IQ has also announced the start of a family of "active value" indexes.

State Street Global Advisors started the SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF GWX.A, is based on an index of companies with market capitalizations of less than $2 billion that are headquartered in developed countries outside of the U.S.

Another new ETF from State Street, the SPDR S&P World ex-US ETF GWL.A, is based on an index of more than 5,000 companies headquartered in developed countries outside of the U.S.

According to the Investment Company Institute, a trade group for the U.S. fund industry, the number of U.S.-listed ETFs grew by 22 in March, bringing the total to 454. During March, assets of ETFs increased by $10.86 billion, or 2.5 percent, to $444.26 billion.

State Street Global Advisors is the investment management arm of State Street Corp. (STT.N)

Privately-held Claymore Securities is based in Lisle, Illinois.