Van Eck Global Lists Unique Wide Moat ETF in Switzerland ETF provides access to attractively priced US companies with structural competitive advantages

Van Eck Global Investments Ltd. has cross-listed the Market Vectors® Morningstar US Wide Moat UCITS ETF on SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker: MOAT). The exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracks the equally weighted Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexTM developed by Morningstar Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research. Market Vectors Morningstar US Wide Moat UCITS ETF invests in the 20 most attractively priced companies that have the potential for long-term above average returns according to Morningstar’s moat analysis. The wide moat concept traces back to Warren Buffett’s theory about companies with sustainable competitive advantages.

“MOAT is a unique addition to the European ETF market which is in need of innovation and product differentiation. With MOAT, we wanted to give investors interested in exposure to US equity a true alternative to mainstream benchmark index strategies,” commented Lars Hamich, CEO of Van Eck Global (Europe). “MOAT seeks to leverage Morningstar’s proprietary economic moat rating and valuation research. It is this combination that we believe makes the index strategy successful. Since its inception in 2007, the ETF benchmark has outperformed the US equity market with a cumulative performance of 130.58 percent while that of the S&P 500 Index was 72.69 percent,” added Mr. Hamich.*

The Market Vectors Morningstar US Wide Moat UCITS ETF offers 100 percent exposure to US-based and US-traded companies. The top three ranks of the ETF basket as of 30 November are held by Autodesk Inc. (6.41%),  Applied Materials Inc. (5.66%) and Norfolk Southern Corp. (5.61%). The top three sector weightings were Industrials (24.76%), Consumer Discretionary (24.30%) and Information Technology (21.08%).

The ETF has a total expense ratio of 0.49 percent and mirrors the strategy of its successful US counterpart that currently has approximately USD 790 million in assets invested. With listings on the London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse and SIX Swiss Exchange, Market Vectors Morningstar US Wide Moat UCITS ETF can be traded in US Dollars, Euro and Swiss Francs. The ETF is currently registered for public distribution in nine European countries.

MOAT is the latest addition to Van Eck’s European ETF platform that launched in April 2015 with Market Vectors Gold Miners UCITS ETF and Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners UCITS ETF. The ETFs offer exposure to different spectra of the global gold mining industry.

Please consult www.marketvectors-europe.com for detailed ETF information. Further information about the underlying index is available at www.indexes.morningstar.com.

Contact

Isa Krupka
+49 (0)69 4056 695 20
Isa.krupka@vaneck.com

Bettina Hessler
+49 (0)69 4056 695 22
bettina.hessler@vaneck.com

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Note to the Editors

About Van Eck Global

Van Eck Global Investments Ltd., the management company of Market Vectors UCITS plc, is a subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation, also known as Van Eck Global. The company is regulated under the law of Ireland and distributes the Market Vectors UCITS ETFs. Van Eck Global offers investors focused investment strategies that capitalise on specific market opportunities. Van Eck Global seeks to provide long-term competitive performance through active and index strategies based on optimal investment approaches and portfolio delivery.  The firm is driven by innovation, a hallmark of Van Eck Global since its founding in 1955.  Targeted investment strategies – including actively managed UCITS hard assets, gold and emerging markets fixed income funds – benefit from the combination of Van Eck Global’s experience and in-depth knowledge of emerging markets and natural resources.  Van Eck Global managed approximately USD 26.6 billion in investor assets as of 30 November 2015.

About Morningstar

Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, and retirement plan providers and sponsors. Morningstar provides data on more than 500,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 17 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with more than 170 USD billion in assets under advisement and management as of Sept. 30, 2015. The company has operations in 27 countries.

Morningstar®Wide Moat Focus Index™ is a trade mark of Morningstar Inc. and has been licensed for use for certain purposes by Van Eck Global. Market Vectors Morningstar US Wide Moat UCITS ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Morningstar and Morningstar makes no representation regarding the advisability in Market Vectors Morningstar US Wide Moat UCITS ETF.