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MARKET VECTORS POLAND ETF


Ticker: PLNDTM

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

MAY 1, 2013

PLNDSUM

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, 2013, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

Market Vectors Poland ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Market Vectors® Poland Index (the “Poland 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”).

 

 

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

 

 

None

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

Management Fee

 

 

 

0.50

%

 

Other Expenses

 

 

 

0.53

%

 

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(a)

 

 

 

1.03

%

 

Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(a)

 

 

 

0.42

%

 

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(a)

 

 

 

0.61

%

 

 

(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 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year until at least May 1, 2014. 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.

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:

 

 

 

YEAR

 

EXPENSES

 

1

 

 

 

 

$     62

 

3

 

 

 

 

$   286

 

5

 

 

 

 

$   528

 

10

 

 

 

 

$1,221

 

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 Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% 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 Poland Index is comprised of securities of Polish companies. A company is considered to be a Polish company if it is incorporated in Poland or generates at least 50% of its revenues (or, in certain circumstances, has at least 50% of its assets) in Poland. Such companies may include medium-capitalization companies. As of December 31, 2012, the Poland Index included 28 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of between approximately $107 million and $14.9 billion and a weighted average market capitalization of $7.3 billion. The Fund’s 80% investment policy is non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder 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 Poland Index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicates the Poland Index. The Adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance before fees and expenses and that of the Poland Index will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund will normally invest at least 80% if its assets in securities that comprise the Poland Index.

The Fund may also utilize convertible securities and participation notes to seek performance that corresponds to the Poland Index.

The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the Poland Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of December 31, 2012, the Poland Index was concentrated in the financial services sector and each of the basic materials, energy and utilities sectors represented a significant portion of the Poland Index.

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.

Special Risk Considerations of Investing in Polish Issuers. Investment in securities of Polish issuers involves risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries that may negatively affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Such heightened risks include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision making, armed conflict, the impact on the economy as a result of civil war, and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Furthermore, events and evolving conditions in certain European countries have greatly increased market volatility due to concerns about high levels of government debt, credit rating downgrades of sovereign debt and uncertainty about the future use of the Euro as a common currency. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and other bodies, including austerity measures and reforms may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future economic growth or have other uncertain or unintended consequences. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the Euro and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe. One or more countries may abandon the Euro and/or withdraw from the EU, which could have significant and far-reaching consequences. In addition, the Polish economy, along with certain other EU nations, experienced a significant slowdown during the recent financial crisis. Poland’s economy is dependent upon the export of raw materials and consumer goods. Poland is dependent on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including Germany and other European Union nations and as a result may be affected if demand for Poland’s exports in those nations declines.

The securities markets in Poland are underdeveloped and are less correlated to global economic cycles than those markets located in more developed countries. As a result, securities markets in Poland are subject to greater risks associated with market volatility, lower market capitalization, lower trading volume, illiquidity, inflation, greater price fluctuations, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets, governmental control and heavy regulation of labor and industry. Moreover, trading on securities markets may be suspended altogether.

The government in Poland may restrict or control to varying degrees the ability of foreign investors to invest in securities of issuers located or operating in Poland. These restrictions and/or controls may at times limit or prevent foreign investment in securities of issuers located or operating in Poland. Moreover, Poland may require governmental approval or special licenses prior to investments by foreign investors and may limit the amount of investments by foreign investors in a particular industry and/or issuer and may limit such foreign investment to a certain class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of Poland and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. These


   

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factors, among others, make investing in issuers located or operating in Poland significantly riskier than investing in issuers located or operating in more developed countries, and any one of them could cause a decline in the value of the Fund’s Shares.

The value of the Polish Zloty may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation. The Fund’s assets will be invested primarily in equity securities of Polish issuers and the income received by the Fund will be principally in Polish Zloty. The Fund’s exposure to the Polish Zloty and changes in value of the Polish Zloty versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns for the Fund. Moreover, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and the Polish Zloty.

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 many foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the prices of securities that trade in such markets may be influenced by large traders. Certain foreign markets that have historically been considered relatively stable may become volatile in response to changed conditions or new developments. Increased interconnectivity of world economies and financial markets increases the possibility that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore, not all material information may be available or reliable. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. In addition, the Fund may not receive shareholder communications or be permitted to vote the securities that it holds, as the issuers may be under no legal obligation to distribute shareholder communications.

Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Issuers. 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, 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 the Financial Services Sector. The financial services sector includes companies engaged in banking, commercial and consumer finance, investment banking, brokerage, asset management, custody or insurance. Because as currently constituted the Poland Index is concentrated in the financial services sector, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the financial services sector. Companies in the financial services sector may be subject to extensive government regulation that affects the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. The profitability of companies in the financial services sector may be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and by loan losses, which usually increase in economic downturns. In addition, the financial services sector is undergoing numerous changes, including continuing consolidations, development of new products and structures and changes to its regulatory framework. Furthermore, increased government involvement in the financial services sector, including measures such as taking ownership positions in financial institutions, could result in a dilution of the Fund’s investments in financial institutions. Recent developments in the credit markets have caused companies operating in the financial services sector to incur large losses, experience declines in the value of their assets and even cease operations.

Risk of Investing in the Basic Materials Sector. The basic materials sector includes companies that manufacture chemicals, construction materials, glass and paper products, as well as metals, minerals and mining companies. Because as currently constituted the basic materials sector represents a significant portion of the Poland Index, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance may depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the basic materials sector. Companies engaged in the production and distribution of basic materials may be adversely affected by changes in world events, political and economic conditions, energy conservation, environmental policies, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations.

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 energy sector represents a significant portion of the Poland Index, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance may 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 Utilities Sector. The utilities sector includes companies that produce or distribute electricity, gas or water. Because as currently constituted the utilities sector represents a significant portion of the Poland Index, the Fund will be


   

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sensitive to changes in, and its performance may depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the utilities sector. Companies in the utilities sector may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, domestic and international competition, difficulty in raising adequate amounts of capital and governmental limitation on rates charged to customers.

Risk of Investing in Medium-Capitalization Companies. 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 medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of large-capitalization companies.

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 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 also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns.

Issuer-Specific Changes Risk. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.

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 Poland Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Poland 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 Poland Index. Because the Fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Poland Index, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Poland Index. In addition, the Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the Poland Index, the Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the Poland Index, due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the government of Poland 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 the Poland Index is based on securities’ closing price on local foreign markets (i.e., the value of the Poland Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the Poland 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 Poland 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 company. 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. The Fund may be particularly vulnerable to this risk because the Poland Index it seeks to replicate is comprised of securities of a very limited number of companies.

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 Poland Index concentrates in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries. Based on the current composition of the Poland Index, the Fund’s assets are concentrated in the financial services sector; therefore, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on that sector 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.


   

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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 one year and since inception 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.marketvectoretfs.com.

Annual Total Returns—Calendar Years

 

 

 

 

 

Best Quarter:

 

31.98%

 

3Q’ 10

Worst Quarter:

 

-35.24%

 

3Q’ 11

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past One Year

 

Since Inception
(11/24/2009)

 

Market Vectors Poland ETF (return before taxes)

 

 

 

33.82

%

 

 

 

 

-0.56

%

 

Market Vectors Poland ETF (return after taxes on distributions)

 

 

 

32.15

%

 

 

 

 

-1.53

%

 

Market Vectors Poland ETF (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares)

 

 

 

21.89

%

 

 

 

 

-1.05

%

 

Market Vectors Poland Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

 

 

 

33.49

%

 

 

 

 

-0.16

%

 

S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

 

 

 

1.66

%

 

 

 

 

10.87

%

 

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:

 

 

 

 

 

Name

 

Title with Adviser

 

Date Began Managing the Fund

 

Hao-Hung (Peter) Liao

 

Portfolio Manager

 

November 2009

George Cao

 

Portfolio Manager

 

November 2009

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.


   

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