Van Eck Launches Market Vectors™ India Small-Cap Index ETF (SCIF)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New York-based asset manager Van Eck Global has launched Market Vectors India Small-Cap Index ETF (NYSE Arca: SCIF), an open-end exchange-traded fund (ETF) to provide investors with exposure to small-cap stocks in India, it was announced today. The fund will seek to track the Market Vectors™ India Small-Cap Index, which had a large base of 122 constituents and an average market capitalization of $456M, as of July 31, 2010.

“It continues to be our strong belief that small-cap stocks are an excellent way to gain direct exposure to a country’s domestic economy. India, in particular, has exhibited demographic and economic factors that support strong continued domestic growth for years to come.”

“We are very excited to add SCIF to our growing lineup of emerging market small-cap ETFs,” said Jan van Eck, Principal at Van Eck Global. “It continues to be our strong belief that small-cap stocks are an excellent way to gain direct exposure to a country’s domestic economy. India, in particular, has exhibited demographic and economic factors that support strong continued domestic growth for years to come.”

Since undertaking economic liberalization policies in 1991, India has achieved significant economic growth and has quickly integrated into the global marketplace. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has remained strong in recent years, with real GDP growth registering 7.3 percent in 2008 and 5.6 percent in 2009, two years in which most Asian economies contracted.

Indian small-cap stocks are supported by one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing domestic consumer markets, with a demographic profile that is skewed toward the young. India’s rapidly growing middle class is projected to triple in size over the next 15 years, making it twice the size of the entire U.S. population. With sustained foreign direct investment in previous years and continued decreases in unemployment, growing wealth among India’s population is expected to fuel demand for discretionary goods, services and homebuilding. In addition, India’s government has already invested substantial amounts in the country’s much needed infrastructure build-out, which has served as a fiscal stimulus further driving the country’s economic growth.

SCIF seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Market Vectors India Small-Cap Index (Ticker: MVSCIFTR), which uses a float-adjusted modified market capitalization-weighting methodology. The top three industry weightings in the Index as of July 31, 2010 were Industrials (27%), Financials (20%) and Materials (14%). The Fund’s net expense ratio is 0.85% percent and its gross expense ratio is 0.91% percent.

Like all Market Vectors indices provided by 4asset-management GmbH, MVSCIFTR’s constituents and weights are publically available daily at no cost and constituents must meet minimum liquidity levels to be considered for inclusion in the index. Specifically, companies must have a market cap of at least $150 million, a three-month average daily trading volume value of at least $1 million and minimum trading volume of 250,000 shares each month over the last 6 months on a rebalancing date.

SCIF is the 27th ETF offered under Van Eck’s Market Vectors™ brand. Other international Market Vectors ETFs include Africa Index ETF (AFK), Brazil Small-Cap ETF (BRF), Egypt Index ETF (EGPT), Gulf States Index ETF (MES), Indonesia Index ETF (IDX), Latin America Small-Cap Index ETF (LATM), Poland ETF (PLND), Russia ETF (RSX), and Vietnam ETF (VNM). Market Vectors also offers ETFs focused on hard assets, specialty investments, and fixed income. As of July 31, 2010, Van Eck was the6th largest ETF provider in the U.S. and had approximately $14.3 billion in assets under management.

About Van Eck Global

Founded in 1955, Van Eck Associates Corporation was among the first U.S. money managers helping investors achieve greater diversification through global investing. Today the firm continues this 50+ year tradition by offering global investment choices in hard assets, emerging markets, precious metals including gold, and other specialized asset classes.

Market Vectors exchange-traded products have been offered by Van Eck Global since 2006 when the firm launched the nation’s first gold mining ETF. Today, Market Vectors ETFs and ETNs span several asset classes, including equities, municipal bonds and currency markets.

Van Eck Global also offers mutual funds, insurance trust funds, separate accounts and alternative investments. Designed for investors seeking innovative choices for portfolio diversification, Van Eck Global’s investment products are often categorized in asset classes having returns with low correlations to those of more traditional U.S. equity and fixed income investments.

Important Disclosure

The Fund is subject to various risks which include, among others, political and economic instability, inflation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization and expropriation, Indian securities market volatility, less reliable financial information, differences in accounting, auditing, and financial standards and requirements from those applicable to U.S. issuers, and uncertainty of implementation of existing Indian law. In addition, companies with small capitalizations are subject to elevated risks, which include, among others, greater volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger companies. Investors should be willing to accept a high degree of volatility and the potential for significant loss.

Market Vectors India Small-Cap Index (the “Index”) is the exclusive property of 4asset-management GmbH, which has contracted with Structured Solutions AG to maintain and calculate the Index. Structured Solutions AG uses its best efforts to ensure that the Index is calculated correctly. Irrespective of its obligations towards 4asset-management GmbH, Structured Solutions AG has no obligation to point out errors in the Index to third parties.

The Index is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by 4asset-management GmbH and 4asset-management GmbH makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund.

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 risk, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the investment company carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus, which contains this and other information, call 888.MKT.VCTR or visit our Web site at vaneck.com/etf. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, 335 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017