MARKET VECTORS SOLAR ENERGY ETF |
Ticker: KWT®
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
MAY 1, 2013
KWTSUM
Before you invest, you may want to review the Funds prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Funds 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 Funds prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated May 1, 2013, 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
This table describes 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 |
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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1.36 |
% |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(a) |
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1.86 |
% |
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Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(a) |
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1.20 |
% |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(a) |
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0.66 |
% |
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(a) |
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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 Funds average daily net assets per year until at least May 1, 2014. During such time, the expense limitation is expected to continue until the Funds Board of Trustees acts to discontinue all or a portion of such expense limitation. |
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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% annual return and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
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YEAR |
EXPENSES |
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1 |
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$ 67 |
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3 |
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$ 468 |
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5 |
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$ 894 |
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10 |
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$2,081 |
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 when Fund
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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 Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 59% 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 Funds benchmark index. The Solar Energy Index, which is the Funds 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 micro-, small- and medium-capitalization companies and foreign issuers, including Chinese issuers. As of December 31, 2012, the Solar Energy Index included 34
securities of companies with a market capitalization range of between approximately $98 million and $3.3 billion and a weighted average market capitalization of $1.2 billion. These amounts are subject to change. The Funds 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 Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Funds performance before fees and expenses and that of
the Solar Energy Index will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. 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, 2012, the Solar Energy Index was concentrated in the solar energy industry and the information technology sector. 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 Funds 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. Risk of Investing in the Solar Energy Industry. Companies engaged in the solar energy industry 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 industry is at a relatively early stage of development
and the extent to which solar energy will be widely adopted is uncertain. Because as currently constituted the Solar Energy Index is concentrated in the solar energy industry, 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 industry. 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, 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. Shares of companies involved in the solar energy industry 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 industry 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 industry. In addition, changes in U.S., European and other governments policies towards solar energy technology also may have an adverse effect on the Funds performance. Risk of Investing in the Energy Sector. The energy sector includes companies engaged in the exploration, production and distribution of energy sources and companies that manufacture or provide related equipment or services. Because as currently constituted the Solar Energy Index is concentrated in the 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 energy sector. Companies operating in the energy sector are subject to risks including, but not limited to, economic growth, worldwide demand, political instability in the regions that the companies operate, government regulation stipulating rates charged by
utilities, interest rate sensitivity, oil price volatility and the cost of providing the specific utility services. In addition, these companies are at risk of civil liability from accidents resulting in injury, loss of life or property, pollution or other environmental damage claims and risk of loss from terrorism and natural disasters. Risk of Investing in the Information Technology Sector. The information technology sector includes software developers, providers of information technology consulting and services and manufacturers and distributors of computers, peripherals, communications equipment and semiconductors. Because as currently constituted the Solar Energy Index is
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 2 vaneck.com
domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse affect 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. Special Risk Considerations of Investing in Chinese Issuers. Investment in securities of Chinese issuers, including issuers located outside of China that generate significant revenues from China, involves additional risks, including, but not limited to: 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 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. It may do so in the future as well, potentially having a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in
China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, securities issued by Chinese issuers. In addition, investment and trading restrictions make it difficult for non-Chinese investors to directly access securities issued by Chinese issuers. These restrictions may impact the availability, liquidity, and pricing of certain securities issued by
Chinese issuers. Additionally, the Chinese government maintains strict currency controls and regularly intervenes in the currency market. The Chinese governments actions may not be transparent or predictable. As a result, the value of the Renminbi may change quickly and arbitrarily. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Funds
performance and increase the volatility of an investment in the Fund. Risk of Investing in Foreign Issuers. Investments in the securities, including depositary receipts, 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 the Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and some of the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Funds return. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary
receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. 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. 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 Investing in Micro-Capitalization Companies. Micro-capitalization companies are subject to substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations because their earnings and revenues tend to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses), and their share prices tend to be more volatile and their markets less
liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations. The shares of micro-capitalization companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities. Risk of Cash Transactions. Unlike most 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 companys 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 also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. 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 Funds 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 Funds 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 vaneck.com 3
(defined herein). Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs are not factored in to the return of the Solar Index, the Funds return may deviate significantly from the return of the Solar Index. In addition, the Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the Solar Index, or
invest in them in the exact proportions they represent of the Solar Index, due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries or a lack of liquidity on stock exchanges in which such securities trade. 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 Funds ability to track the Solar Energy Index may be adversely affected. 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 securitys issuer was in financial trouble. Therefore, the Funds 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 shareholders 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 company. As a result, the
gains and losses on a single investment may have a greater impact on the Funds NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more diversified funds. Concentration Risk. The Funds 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. Based on the current composition of the Solar Energy Index, the Funds assets are concentrated in the solar energy
industry and the information technology sector; therefore, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on that sector and industry will negatively impact the Fund to a greater extent than if the Funds 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 Funds 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 Funds performance from year to year and by showing how the
Funds average annual returns for one year and since inception compared with the Funds benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Funds 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. Annual Total ReturnsCalendar Years
Best Quarter
33.87%
2Q 09
Worst Quarter
-57.57%
3Q 11 4 vaneck.com
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012 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. Prior to March 15, 2013, the Fund sought to replicate an index called the Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM.
Past One Year
Since Inception Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (return before taxes)
-31.89
%
-43.87
% Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (return after taxes on distributions)
-32.73
%
-44.31
% Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares)
-20.73
%
-28.60
% Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
-34.62
%
-44.56
% S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
1.66
%
2.86
% 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 Funds portfolio:
Name
Title with Adviser
Date Began Managing the Fund
Hao-Hung (Peter) Liao
Portfolio Manager
April 2008
George Cao
Portfolio Manager
April 2008 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 Funds distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. vaneck.com 5
(4/21/2008)
(05/13)
888.MKT.VCTR
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