Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF Awarded Second-Highest Rating from NAIC
Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF Awarded Second-Highest Rating from NAIC
Rating allows EMLC to receive favorable risk-based capital treatment when added to portfolios of state regulated insurance companies
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Market Vectors® Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF (NYSE Arca: EMLC) has received a risk-based capital designation of "2" from the Securities Valuation Office (SVO) of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), it was announced today. SVO ratings range from 1 to 6, with 1 being highest available.
The Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF (EMLC) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the J.P. Morgan GBI-EMG Core Index (GBIEMCOR). The underlying Index provides exposure to local currency bonds issued by emerging market governments. As such, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in emerging market debt securities.
EMLC has a gross and net expense ratio of 0.47 percent, which is capped at least until September 1, 2013. The cap excludes certain expenses, such as interest.
"As insurance companies expand the use of ETFs in their portfolios, an SVO designation provides guidance as to the quality of a fund's underlying holdings," said Susan Marino, Senior Vice President and Head of National Accounts at Van Eck Global. "EMLC was the first U.S. listed ETF to invest in emerging market bonds denominated in local currencies, and it has grown to approximately $1.4 billion in assets as of May 31st of this year. We are pleased it has been given a rating of '2', the second-highest quality rating available."
NAIC is the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and governed by the chief insurance regulators of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. The SVO is responsible for day-to-day credit quality assessment and valuation of securities owned by state regulated insurance companies. The assignment of an NAIC designation allows a fixed income exchange traded fund (ETF) to be reported as a bond, and therefore receive a more favorable risk-based capital treatment.
About Market Vectors ETFs
Market Vectors exchange-traded products have been offered since 2006 and span many asset classes, including equities, fixed income (municipal and international bonds) and currency markets. The Market Vectors family totaled $26.1 billion in assets under management, making it the fifth largest ETP family in the U.S. and ninth largest worldwide as of March 31, 2013.
Market Vectors ETFs are sponsored by Van Eck Global. Founded in 1955, Van Eck Global was among the first U.S. money managers helping investors achieve greater diversification through global investing. Today, the firm continues this tradition by offering innovative, actively managed investment choices in hard assets, emerging markets, precious metals including gold, and other alternative asset classes. Van Eck Global has offices around the world and managed approximately $35 billion in investor assets as of March 31, 2013.
There are risks involved with investing in ETFs, including possible loss of money. Shares are not actively managed and are subject to risks similar to those of stocks, including those regarding short selling and margin maintenance requirements. Ordinary brokerage commissions apply. Debt securities carry interest rate and credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to the risk that bond prices generally fall as interest rates rise and vice versa. Credit risk is the risk of loss on an investment due to the deterioration of an issuer's financial health. The Fund's underlying securities may be subject to call risk, which may result in the Fund having to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund's income.
Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF (EMLC) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by J.P. Morgan and J.P. Morgan makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in EMLC. J.P. Morgan does not warrant the completeness or accuracy of the J.P. Morgan GBI-EMG Core Index. "J.P. Morgan" is a registered service mark of JPMorgan Chase & Co. © 2013. JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.
Investments in emerging market securities are subject to elevated risks which include, among others, expropriation, confiscatory taxation, issues with repatriation of investment income, limitations of foreign ownership, political instability, armed conflict and social instability. As the Fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies and all of the income received by the Fund will be in foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund's return. The Fund will generally invest a portion of its assets in Rule 144A securities. Rule 144A securities are restricted securities. They may be less liquid than other investments because, at times, such securities cannot be readily sold in broad public markets and the Fund might be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices. A restricted security that was liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid.
The "net asset value" (NAV) of an ETF is determined at the close of each business day, and represents the dollar value of one share of the ETF; it is calculated by taking the total assets of an ETF subtracting total liabilities, and dividing by the total number of shares outstanding. The NAV is not necessarily the same as an ETF's intraday trading value. Investors should not expect to buy or sell shares at NAV. Total returns are based upon closing "market price" (price) of the ETF on the dates listed.
Fund shares are not individually redeemable and will be issued and redeemed at their NAV only through certain authorized broker-dealers in large, specified blocks of shares called "creation units" and otherwise can be bought and sold only through exchange trading. Creation units are issued and redeemed principally in kind. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market.
Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Bonds and bond funds will decrease in value as interest rates rise. An investor should consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contains this and other information, call 888.MKT.VCTR or visitmarketvectorsetfs.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.
Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, 335 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Preliminary NAIC Designations are the intellectual property of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and are redistributed here under License. A Preliminary NAIC Designation is an opinion of the NAIC Securities Valuation Office (SVO) of the probable credit quality designation that would be assigned by the SVO to an investment if purchased by an insurance company and reported to the SVO. A Preliminary NAIC Designation is only one of the regulatory factors considered by the SVO as part of its analysis of probable regulatory treatment under the Regulatory Treatment Analysis Service (RTAS). A full discussion of such other regulatory factors is set forth in the RTAS Letter provided to Van Eck Associates Corporation. A Preliminary NAIC Designation cannot be used to report the ETF to state insurance regulators. However, the purchasing insurance company may obtain an NAIC Designation for the ETF by filing the security and final documents for the ETF with the SVO. The indication of probable regulatory treatment indicated by a Preliminary NAIC Designation is not a recommendation to purchase the ETF and is not intended to convey approval or endorsement of the ETF Sponsor or the ETF by the NAIC.
MacMillan Communications
Chris Sullivan, 212-473-4442
chris@macmillancom.com
KEYWORDS: United States North America New York
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:
The article Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF Awarded Second-Highest Rating from NAIC originally appeared on Fool.com.
Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
