MARKET VECTORS SOLAR ENERGY ETF
Ticker: KWT®
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
MAY 1, 2015
KWTSUM
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and other information about the Fund online at http://www.vaneck.com/ library/etfs/. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 888.MKT.VCTR, or by sending an email request to info@vaneck.com. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated May 1, 2015, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Market Vectors® Global Solar Energy Index (the “Solar Energy Index”).
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”).
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Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
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None |
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management Fee |
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0.50 |
% |
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Other Expenses |
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0.58 |
% |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(a) |
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1.08 |
% |
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Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(a) |
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-0.43 |
% |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(a) |
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0.65 |
% |
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(a) |
Van Eck Associates Corporation (the “Adviser”) has agreed to waive fees and/or pay Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expense, offering costs, trading expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year until at least May 1, 2016. During such time, the expense limitation is expected to continue until the Fund’s Board of Trustees acts to discontinue all or a portion of such expense limitation. |
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EXPENSE EXAMPLE
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% annual return and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
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YEAR |
EXPENSES |
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1 |
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$ |
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66 |
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3 |
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$ |
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301 |
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5 |
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$ |
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554 |
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10 |
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$ |
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1,278 |
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PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes
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when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 50% of the average value of its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the Fund’s benchmark index. The Solar Energy Index, which is the Fund’s benchmark index, is comprised of equity securities of companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from (or, in certain circumstances, have at least 50% of their assets related to) photovoltaic and solar power, or the provision of solar power equipment/technologies and materials or services to solar power equipment/technologies producers. Such companies may include small- and medium-capitalization companies and foreign issuers, including Chinese issuers. As of December 31, 2014, the Solar Energy Index included 32 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of between approximately $90 million and $15.1 billion and a weighted average market capitalization of $3.2 billion. As of December 31, 2014, approximately 35% of the Fund’s investments consisted of securities of Chinese issuers. These amounts are subject to change. The Fund’s 80% investment policy is non-fundamental and may be changed without approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.
The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Solar Energy Index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicates the Solar Energy Index.
The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the Solar Energy Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of December 31, 2014, the Solar Energy Index was concentrated in the solar energy and information technology sectors.
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND
Investors in the Fund should be willing to accept a high degree of volatility in the price of the Fund’s Shares and the possibility of significant losses. An investment in the Fund involves a substantial degree of risk. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund, each of which could significantly and adversely affect the value of an investment in the Fund.
Risk of Investing in the Solar Energy Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the solar energy sector. Companies engaged in the solar energy sector may be significantly affected by increased competition from new and existing market entrants, technological developments, obsolescence of technology and short product cycles. In addition, the solar energy sector is at a relatively early stage of development and the extent to which solar energy will be widely adopted is uncertain. If solar power technology is not suitable for widespread adoption, or sufficient demand for solar power products does not develop or takes long periods of time to develop, the revenues of solar power companies may decline. Companies in this industry may also be significantly affected by general economic conditions such as varying prices and profits, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, availability of certain inputs and materials required for production, depletion of resources, fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of alternative energy fuels, energy conservation, labor relations and tax and other government regulations. Recently, the price of oil has declined significantly and experienced significant volatility, which may materially impact companies operating in the solar energy sector. Shares of companies involved in the solar energy sector have historically been more volatile than shares of companies operating in more established industries. Certain valuation methods currently used to value companies involved in the solar energy sector have not been in widespread use for a significant period of time. As a result, the use of these valuation methods may serve to further increase the volatility of certain solar energy company share prices. If government subsidies and economic incentives for alternative energy sources, particularly solar power, are reduced or eliminated, the demand for solar energy may decline and cause corresponding declines in the revenues and profits of companies engaged in the solar energy sector. In addition, changes in U.S., European and other governments’ policies towards solar energy technology also may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
Risk of Investing in the Information Technology Sector. To the extent that the Solar Energy Index continues to be concentrated in the information technology sector, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the information technology sector. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent protection and the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.
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Special Risk Considerations of Investing in Chinese Issuers. A significant portion of the Solar Energy Index may be comprised of securities of Chinese issuers, including issuers located outside of China that generate significant revenues from China. Investing in securities of Chinese companies involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers, including, among others, (i) the small size of the market for Chinese securities and the low volume of trading, resulting in lack of liquidity and in price volatility, (ii) currency devaluations and other currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockage, (iii) the nature and extent of intervention by the Chinese government in the Chinese securities markets, whether such intervention will continue and the impact of such intervention or its discontinuation, (iv) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, (v) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs, (vi) limitations on the use of brokers, (vii) higher rates of inflation, (viii) greater political, economic and social uncertainty, (ix) market volatility caused by any potential regional or territorial conflicts or natural disasters and (x) the risk of increased trade tariffs, embargoes and other trade limitations. In addition, the economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, interest rates, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. The Chinese central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership and actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China. In addition, previously the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. The Chinese government may take such actions in the future as well, potentially having a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China and the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, securities issued by Chinese issuers.
Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Issuers. Some countries in which the Fund may invest are considered to be emerging markets. Investments in securities of emerging market issuers are exposed to a number of risks that may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade. Political risks may include unstable governments, nationalization, restrictions on foreign ownership, laws that prevent investors from getting their money out of a country and legal systems that do not protect property rights as well as the laws of the United States. Market risks may include economies that concentrate in only a few industries, securities issues that are held by only a few investors, liquidity issues and limited trading capacity in local exchanges and the possibility that markets or issues may be manipulated by foreign nationals who have inside information.
Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Because certain foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the activity of large traders may have an undue influence on the prices of securities that trade in such markets. Because the Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and some of the income received by the Fund may be in foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries.
Risk of Investing in Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. Depositary receipts are receipts listed on U.S. or foreign exchanges issued by banks or trust companies that entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and, if not included in the Solar Energy Index, may negatively affect the Fund’s ability to replicate the performance of the Solar Energy Index.
Risk of Investing in Small- and Medium-Capitalization Companies. Small- and medium-capitalization companies may be more volatile and more likely than large-capitalization companies to have narrower product lines, fewer financial resources, less management depth and experience and less competitive strength. In addition, these companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. Returns on investments in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of large-capitalization companies.
Risk of Cash Transactions. Unlike other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions partially for cash, rather than in-kind securities. As such, investments in Shares may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a conventional ETF.
Equity Securities Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the markets in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Equity securities are subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a
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company’s capital structure with respect to priority in right to a share of corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred securities or debt instruments. In addition, while broad market measures of equity securities have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, equity securities have generally also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns, although under certain market conditions fixed income securities may have comparable or greater price volatility.
Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in the securities market, including general economic conditions and sudden and unpredictable drops in value. An investment in the Fund may lose money.
Index Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Solar Energy Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Solar Energy Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Solar Energy Index and raising cash to meet redemptions or deploying cash with newly created Creation Units (defined herein). The Fund also bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Solar Energy Index. In addition, the Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the Solar Energy Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the Solar Energy Index, due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries, a lack of liquidity on stock exchanges in which such securities trade, potential adverse tax consequences or other regulatory reasons. The Fund is expected to value certain of its investments based on fair value prices. To the extent the Fund calculates its net asset value (“NAV”) based on fair value prices and the value of Solar Energy Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets (i.e., the value of the Solar Energy Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the Solar Energy Index may be adversely affected. For tax efficiency purposes, the Fund may sell certain securities to realize losses causing it to deviate from the performance of the Solar Energy Index. In light of the factors discussed above, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Solar Energy Index.
Replication Management Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund of equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. However, because the Fund is not “actively” managed, unless a specific security is removed from the Solar Energy Index, the Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. Therefore, the Fund’s performance could be lower than funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
Premium/Discount Risk. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of extreme market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for Shares may result in Shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV. If a shareholder purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.
Non-Diversified Risk. The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Therefore, the Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger proportion of its assets in a single issuer. As a result, the gains and losses on a single investment may have a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more diversified funds.
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s assets may be concentrated in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries to the extent the Solar Energy Index concentrates in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries. To the extent that the Solar Energy Index continues to be concentrated in the solar energy and information technology sectors, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on those sectors will negatively impact the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of sectors or industries.
PERFORMANCE
The bar chart that follows shows how the Fund performed for the calendar years shown. The table below the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual returns (before and after taxes). The bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year, five year and since inception periods compared with the Fund’s benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after income taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.marketvectorsetfs.com.
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Annual Total Returns(%)—Calendar Years
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Best Quarter |
36.43% |
3Q ’13 |
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Worst Quarter |
-57.57% |
3Q ’11 |
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2014
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Fund through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
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Past |
Past |
Since Inception |
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Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (return before taxes) |
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-6.17 |
% |
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-20.06 |
% |
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-26.63 |
% |
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Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (return after taxes on distributions) |
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-6.43 |
% |
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-20.73 |
% |
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-27.11 |
% |
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Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares) |
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-3.49 |
% |
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-13.61 |
% |
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-15.19 |
% |
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Market Vectors® Global Solar Energy Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)* |
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-5.76 |
% |
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-21.15 |
% |
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-27.27 |
% |
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S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
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13.69 |
% |
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15.45 |
% |
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8.42 |
% |
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* |
Prior to March 18, 2013, the Fund sought to replicate an index called the Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM. Therefore index data prior to March 18, 2013, reflects that of the Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM. From March 18, 2013 forward, the index data reflects that of the Market Vectors® Solar Energy Index. All index history reflects a blend of the performance of the aforementioned indexes. |
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PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser. Van Eck Associates Corporation.
Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:
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Name |
Title with Adviser |
Date Began Managing the Fund |
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Hao-Hung (Peter) Liao |
Portfolio Manager |
April 2008 |
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George Chao |
Portfolio Manager |
April 2008 |
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PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in a large specified number of Shares each called a “Creation Unit,” or multiples thereof. A Creation Unit consists of 50,000 Shares.
Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares of the Fund are listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) and because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares of the Fund may trade at a price greater than or less than NAV.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund’s distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of the Fund Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your broker-dealer or other intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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