BlackRock today announced that its iShares exchange-traded funds business has launched three new minimum volatility ETFs, one for Europe, one for Japan and one for Asia, designed to help investors manage risk in their portfolios.

Launched in 2011, the original iShares Minimum Volatility ETFs have nearly $7 billion in assets under management and aim to offer indexes with less-frenetic stock names.

The new ETFs are:

- The iShares MSCI Europe Minimum Volatility ETF (NYSE Arca: EUMV)
- The iShares MSCI Japan Minimum Volatility  ETF (NYSE Arca: JPMV)
- The iShares MSCI Asia ex-Japan Minimum Volatility ETF (NYSE Arca: AXJV)

“The traditional ‘safe havens’ of cash and government bonds have not provided much of an alternative, with returns at or near historical lows,” said Patrick Dunne, head of iShares Global Markets and Investments at BlackRock. “These ETFs can provide a complement or alternative to the core indexed portfolio, potentially improving risk-adjusted returns over the long term.”