VANECK VECTORS® CHINAAMC SME-CHINEXT ETF
Ticker: CNXT®
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
MAY 1, 2018
CNXTSUM
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 800.826.2333, or by sending an email request to info@vaneck.com. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated May 1, 2018, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
VanEck Vectors® ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the SME-ChiNext 100 Index (the “SME-ChiNext Index”).
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
The following tables describe 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 |
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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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0.88 |
% |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(a) |
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1.38 |
% |
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Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(a) |
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-0.56 |
% |
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(a) |
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0.82 |
% |
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(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, trading expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.78% of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year until at least May 1, 2019. 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. |
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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 $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% annual return and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (except that the example incorporates the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement for only the first year). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
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YEAR |
EXPENSES |
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1 |
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$ |
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84 |
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3 |
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$ |
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382 |
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5 |
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$ |
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702 |
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10 |
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$ |
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1,609 |
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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 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 34% 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 SME-ChiNext Index is a modified, free-float adjusted index intended to track the performance of the 100 largest and most liquid stocks listed and trading on the Small and Medium Enterprise (“SME”) Board and the ChiNext Board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Such companies may include small- and medium-capitalization companies. The SME-ChiNext Index is comprised of China A-shares (“A-shares”). As of December 31, 2017, the SME-ChiNext Index included 100 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of between approximately $865.2 million and $55.3 billion and a weighted average market capitalization of $7.0 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 SME-ChiNext Index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicates the SME-ChiNext Index. Unlike many investment companies that try to “beat” the performance of a benchmark index, the Fund does not try to “beat” the SME-ChiNext Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued. Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the SME-ChiNext Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection.
The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by primarily investing directly in A-shares. A-shares are issued by companies incorporated in the People’s Republic of China (“China” or the “PRC”). A-shares are traded in renminbi (“RMB”) on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchanges. The A-share market in China is made available to domestic PRC investors and foreign investors through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (together, “Stock Connect”), and through licenses obtained under the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“RQFII”) or a Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“QFII”) programs. After obtaining a RQFII or QFII license, the RQFII or QFII would obtain through China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) a specific aggregate dollar amount investment quota in which the RQFII or QFII can invest in A-shares. Investment companies are not currently within the types of entities that are eligible for a RQFII or QFII license. Because the Fund does not satisfy the criteria to qualify as a RQFII or QFII itself, the Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares via Stock Connect, as described below, or via the A-share quota granted to the Fund’s sub-adviser, China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited (the “Sub-Adviser”), by SAFE (“RQFII quota”). The Sub-Adviser has obtained RQFII status and has been granted an RQFII quota, which the Sub-Adviser will use to invest the portion of the Fund’s assets allocated to it by the Adviser in A-shares. At such time that the Sub-Adviser has utilized its entire RQFII quota, the Sub-Adviser may, subject to applicable regulations, apply for an increase of the RQFII quota. The size of the Fund’s direct investment in A-shares will be limited by the size of the RQFII quota of the Sub-Adviser unless the Fund is able to enter into another sub-advisory agreement with another sub-adviser who has an RQFII quota. Assets not allocated to the Sub-Adviser for investment directly in A-shares will be managed by the Adviser for investment through Stock Connect. The Fund may also invest in A-shares listed and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges through Stock Connect. Stock Connect is a securities trading and clearing program between the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (“CSDCC”) and Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited (“HKSCC”) designed to permit mutual stock market access between mainland China and Hong Kong by allowing investors to trade and settle shares on each market via their local exchanges. Other exchanges in China may participate in Stock Connect in the future. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to daily quotas that limit the maximum daily net purchases on any particular day. Accordingly, the Fund’s direct investments in A-shares will be limited by the quota allocated to the RQFII or QFII and by the daily quotas that limit total purchases and/or sales through Stock Connect.
The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the SME-ChiNext Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of December 31, 2017, the Fund was concentrated in the information technology sector, and each of the basic materials, consumer discretionary and industrials sectors represented a significant portion of the Fund.
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
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any other government agency. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund, each of which could significantly and adversely affect the value of an investment in the Fund.
Risk of the RQFII Regime and the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategy. The SME-ChiNext Index is comprised of A-shares. In seeking to replicate the SME-ChiNext Index, the Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII quota and Stock Connect. Because the Fund will not be able to invest directly in A-shares in excess of the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII quota and beyond the limits that may be imposed by Stock Connect, the size of the Fund’s direct investment in A-shares may be limited. In addition, the RQFII quota of the Sub-Adviser may be reduced or revoked by the Chinese regulators if, among other things, the Sub-Adviser fails to observe SAFE and other applicable Chinese regulations. The Fund cannot predict what would occur if the RQFII quota of the Sub-Adviser or RQFII quotas generally were reduced or eliminated, although such an occurrence would likely have a material adverse effect on the Fund, including the requirement that the Fund dispose of certain or all of its A-shares holdings. Therefore, any such reduction or elimination may have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective. If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to the performance of the SME-ChiNext Index due to the limited availability of the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII quota or other investments that provide exposure to the performance of A-shares, the Fund could, among other things, as a defensive measure limit or suspend creations until the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser determine that the requisite exposure to the SME-ChiNext Index is obtainable. During the period that creations are suspended, the Fund could trade at a significant premium or discount to its net asset value (“NAV”) and could experience substantial redemptions. Alternatively, the Fund could change its investment objective by, for example, seeking to track an alternative index focused on Chinese-related stocks other than A-shares or other appropriate investments, or decide to liquidate the Fund.
The A-share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or government intervention. Securities on the A-share market, including securities in the SME-ChiNext Index, may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities. The regulations which regulate investments by RQFIIs in the PRC and the repatriation of capital from RQFII investments are relatively new. The application and interpretation of such investment regulations are therefore relatively untested and there is no certainty as to how they will be applied. The PRC authorities and regulators have been given wide discretion in applying and interpreting such investment regulations and there is no precedent or certainty as to how such discretion may be exercised now or in the future. The application and interpretation of such investment regulations may adversely affect the Fund. In addition, there are custody risks associated with investing through a RQFII, where, due to requirements regarding establishing a custody account in the joint names of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s assets may not be as well protected from the claims of the Sub-Adviser’s creditors than if the Fund had an account in its name only.
Specific rules governing taxes on capital gains derived by RQFIIs and QFIIs from the trading of PRC securities have yet to be announced. In the absence of specific rules, the tax treatment of the Fund’s investments in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII quota should be governed by the general PRC tax provisions and provisions applicable to RQFIIs. Under these provisions, the Fund is generally subject to a tax of 10% on any dividends, distributions and interest it receives from its investment in PRC securities. In addition, a nonresident enterprise is subject to withholding tax at a rate of 10% on its capital gains. Withholding taxes on dividends, interest and capital gains may be taxed at a reduced rate under an applicable tax treaty, but the application of such treaties for an RQFII acting on behalf of a foreign investor (i.e., the Sub-Adviser acting on behalf of the Fund) is also uncertain. It is also unclear how China’s business tax may apply to activities of an RQFII such as the Sub-Adviser and how such application may be affected by tax treaty provisions. While it is unclear whether this tax will be applied to investments by an RQFII such as the Sub-Adviser or what the methodology for calculating or collecting the tax will be, the PRC’s Ministry of Finance announced that, effective November 17, 2014, the corporate income tax for QFIIs and RQFIIs, with respect to capital gains, will be temporarily lifted. The current PRC tax laws and regulations and interpretations thereof may be revised or amended in the future, including with respect to the possible liability of the Fund for obligations of the Sub-Adviser. Any revision or amendment in tax laws and regulations may adversely affect the Fund. The Fund, prior to December 22, 2014, reserved 10% of its realized and unrealized gains from its A-share investments to apply towards withholding tax liability with respect to realized and unrealized gains from the Fund’s investments in A-shares of “land-rich” enterprises, which are companies that have greater than 50% of their assets in land or real properties in the PRC. The tax reserve was reflected in the Fund’s daily NAV calculations as a deduction from the Fund’s NAV. During 2015, revenue authorities in the PRC made arrangements for the collection of capital gains taxes for investments realized between November 17, 2009 and November 16, 2014. The Fund could be subject to tax liability for any tax payments for which reserves have not been made or that were not previously withheld. The impact of any such tax liability on the Fund’s return could be substantial. The Fund may also be liable to the Sub-Adviser for any tax that is imposed on the Sub-Adviser by the PRC with respect to the Fund’s investments.
If the Fund’s direct investments in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII quota become subject to repatriation restrictions, the Fund may be unable to satisfy distribution requirements applicable to regulated investment companies (“RICs”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and be subject to income and excise tax at the
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Fund level. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions before re-qualifying for taxation as a RIC. See the prospectus under “Shareholder Information—Tax Information—Taxes on Distributions” for more information. The Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat Chinese taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. Even if the Fund is qualified to make that election and does so, this treatment will not apply with respect to amounts the Fund reserves in anticipation of the imposition of withholding taxes not currently in effect (as discussed above). If these amounts are used to pay any tax liability of the Fund in a later year, they will be treated as paid by the shareholders in such later year, even if they are imposed with respect to income of an earlier year. See the prospectus under “Shareholder Information—Tax Information” for a further description of this risk.
Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China and A-shares. Investing in securities of Chinese companies, including A-shares, involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers, including, among others, (i) more frequent (and potentially widespread) trading suspensions and government interventions with respect to Chinese issuers, resulting in lack of liquidity and in price volatility, (ii) currency revaluations and other currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockage, (iii) the nature and extent of intervention by the Chinese government in the Chinese securities markets (including both direct and indirect market stabilization efforts, which may affect valuations of Chinese issuers), whether such intervention will continue and the impact of such intervention or its discontinuation, (iv) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, (v) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs, (vi) limitations on the use of brokers (or action by the Chinese government that discourages brokers from serving international clients), (vii) higher rates of inflation, (viii) greater political, economic and social uncertainty, (ix) market volatility caused by any potential regional or territorial conflicts or natural disasters, (x) the risk of increased trade tariffs, embargoes and other trade limitations, (xi) custody risks associated with investing via the Stock Connect Program or through a RQFII, where due to requirements regarding establishing a custody account in the joint names of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser the Fund’s assets may not be as well protected from the claims of the Sub-Adviser’s creditors than if the Fund had an account in its name only and (xii) both interim and permanent market regulations which may affect the ability of certain stockholders to sell Chinese securities when it would otherwise be advisable.
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 Chinese 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, 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 Sub-Adviser, as a licensed RQFII, is currently permitted to repatriate RMB daily and is not subject to RMB repatriation restrictions or prior approval. However, there is no assurance that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Any additional restrictions imposed on the Sub-Adviser or RQFIIs generally may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to invest directly in A-shares and its ability to meet redemption requests.
The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by greater price volatility relative to U.S. markets. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions as discussed above. Price fluctuations of A-shares are currently limited to either 5% or 10% per trading day. In addition, there is less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States. Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards in China are different from U.S. standards and, therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made. In addition, less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund’s investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. There is also generally less governmental regulation of the securities industry in China, and less enforcement of regulatory provisions relating thereto, than in the United States. Moreover, it may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in a court outside the United States.
The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and the Fund’s investments. Moreover, a slowdown in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would adversely impact the Fund’s investments.
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Emerging markets such as China can experience high rates of inflation, deflation and currency devaluation. The value of the RMB may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation due to, among other things, changes in interest rates, the effects of monetary policies issued by the PRC, the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or other national or global political or economic developments. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in investments denominated in RMB and the income received by the Fund will principally be in RMB. The Fund’s exposure to the RMB and changes in value of the RMB 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 RMB. The RMB is currently not a freely convertible currency. The Chinese government places strict regulation on RMB and sets the value of the RMB to levels dependent on the value of the U.S. dollar, but the Chinese government has been under pressure to manage the currency in a less restrictive fashion so that it is less correlated to the U.S. dollar. The Chinese government’s imposition of restrictions on the repatriation of RMB out of mainland China may limit the depth of the offshore RMB market and reduce the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. There may not be sufficient amounts of RMB for the Fund to be fully invested because the Fund has to convert U.S. dollars received from the purchase of Creation Units (defined herein) into RMB to purchase A-shares. As a result, these restrictions may adversely affect the Fund and its investments and may increase the risk of index tracking error.
Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. The Fund may invest in A-shares listed and traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through Stock Connect, or on such other stock exchanges in China which participate in Stock Connect from time to time or in the future. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect the Fund’s investments and returns. For example, trading through Stock Connect is subject to daily quotas that limit the maximum daily net purchases on any particular day, which may restrict or preclude the Fund’s ability to invest in Stock Connect A-shares. In addition, investments made through Stock Connect are subject to trading, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in the PRC, which could pose risks to the Fund. Furthermore, securities purchased via Stock Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of HKSCC, Hong Kong’s clearing entity, at the CSDCC. The Fund’s ownership interest in Stock Connect securities will not be reflected directly in book entry with CSDCC and will instead only be reflected on the books of its Hong Kong sub-custodian. The Fund may therefore depend on HKSCC’s ability or willingness as record-holder of Stock Connect securities to enforce the Fund’s shareholder rights. PRC law did not historically recognize the concept of beneficial ownership; while PRC regulations and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have issued clarifications and guidance supporting the concept of beneficial ownership via Stock Connect, the interpretation of beneficial ownership in the PRC by regulators and courts may continue to evolve. Moreover, Stock Connect A-shares generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Stock Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
A primary feature of Stock Connect is the application of the home market’s laws and rules applicable to investors in A-shares. Therefore, the Fund’s investments in Stock Connect A-shares are generally subject to PRC securities regulations and listing rules, among other restrictions. The Fund will not benefit from access to Hong Kong investor compensation funds, which are set up to protect against defaults of trades, when investing through Stock Connect. Stock Connect is only available on days when markets in both the PRC and Hong Kong are open, which may limit the Fund’s ability to trade when it would be otherwise attractive to do so. Since the inception of Stock Connect, foreign investors (including the Fund) investing in A-shares through Stock Connect have been temporarily exempt from the PRC corporate income tax and value-added tax on the gains on disposal of such A-shares. Dividends are subject to PRC corporate income tax on a withholding basis at 10%, unless reduced under a double tax treaty with China upon application to and obtaining approval from the competent tax authority. Additionally, uncertainties in permanent PRC tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments in Stock Connect A-shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.
The Stock Connect program is a relatively new program and may be subject to further interpretation and guidance. There can be no assurance as to the program’s continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect the Fund’s investments or returns. In addition, the application and interpretation of the laws and regulations of Hong Kong and the PRC, and the rules, policies or guidelines published or applied by relevant regulators and exchanges in respect of the Stock Connect program are uncertain, and they may have a detrimental effect on the Fund’s investments and returns.
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 certain foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the activity of large traders may have an undue influence on the prices of securities that trade in such markets. The Fund invests in securities of issuers located in China, whose economy is heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries.
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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. Emerging markets are more likely than developed markets to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. 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, liquidity issues and limited trading capacity in local exchanges and the possibility that markets or issues may be manipulated by foreign nationals who have inside information.
Foreign Currency Risk. Because the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the income received by the Fund from these investments will generally be in foreign currencies. The Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies and changes in the value of foreign currencies 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 foreign currencies. The value of certain foreign countries’ currencies may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation. This fluctuation may be due to changes in interest rates, investors’ expectations concerning inflation and interest rates, the country’s debt levels and trade deficit, the effects of monetary policies issued by the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or other national or global political or economic developments. The economies of certain emerging market countries can be significantly affected by currency devaluations. Certain emerging market countries may also have managed currencies which are maintained at artificial levels relative to the U.S. dollar rather than at levels determined by the market. This type of system could lead to sudden and large adjustments in the currency, which in turn, may have a negative effect on the Fund and its investments.
Risk of Investing in the Basic Materials Sector. To the extent that the basic materials sector continues to represent a significant portion of the Fund, 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 Consumer Discretionary Sector. To the extent that the consumer discretionary sector continues to represent a significant portion of the Fund, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance may depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the consumer discretionary sector. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to fluctuations in supply and demand. These companies may also be adversely affected by changes in consumer spending as a result of world events, political and economic conditions, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations.
Risk of Investing in the Industrials Sector. To the extent that the industrials sector continues to represent a significant portion of the Fund, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance may depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates.
Risk of Investing in the Information Technology Sector. To the extent that the Fund continues to be 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 domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect 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.
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. In addition, these companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. Returns on investments in securities of small-capitalization and medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of large-capitalization companies.
Risk of Cash Transactions. Unlike other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), the Fund expects to effect all of its creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and subsequently
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recognize gains on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in kind. 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 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 generally also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns, although under certain market conditions fixed income securities may have comparable or greater price volatility.
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.
Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures.
Index Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the SME-ChiNext Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses, including taxes, not applicable to the SME-ChiNext Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities and entering into derivatives transactions, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the SME-ChiNext Index and raising cash to meet redemptions or deploying cash in connection with newly created Creation Units (defined herein), which are not factored into the return of the SME-ChiNext Index. Transaction costs, including brokerage costs, will decrease the Fund’s NAV to the extent not offset by the transaction fee payable by an Authorized Participant (“AP”). Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track the SME-ChiNext Index. Errors in the SME-ChiNext Index data, the SME-ChiNext Index computations and/or the construction of the SME-ChiNext Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the SME-ChiNext Index provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may not be fully invested at times either as a result of cash flows into the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions or pay expenses. In addition, the Fund may not invest in certain securities included in the SME-ChiNext Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the SME-ChiNext Index. The Fund’s performance may also deviate from the return of the SME-ChiNext Index due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the Chinese Government, certain NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) listing standards, a lack of liquidity on stock exchanges in which such securities trade, potential adverse tax consequences or other regulatory reasons (such as diversification requirements). As discussed above, one or more securities included the SME-ChiNext Index may be suspended from trading and such securities would be valued by the SME-ChiNext Index at the last closing price. The Fund may value certain of its investments and/or underlying currencies based on fair value prices. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the SME-ChiNext Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets (i.e., the value of the SME-ChiNext Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the SME-ChiNext Index may be adversely affected. The Fund will be required to remit RMB to settle the purchase of A-shares and repatriate RMB to U.S. dollars to settle redemption orders. In the event such remittance is delayed or disrupted, the Fund will not be able to fully replicate the SME-ChiNext Index by investing in the relevant A-shares, which may lead to increased tracking error. The Fund may also need to rely on borrowings to meet redemptions, which may lead to increased expenses. Because the SME-ChiNext Index is priced in Chinese RMB and the Fund is priced in U.S. dollars, the ability of the Fund to track the SME-ChiNext Index may be affected by foreign exchange fluctuations as between the U.S. dollar and the RMB. The Fund’s performance may also deviate from the performance of the SME-ChiNext Index due to the impact of withholding taxes, late announcements relating to changes to the SME-ChiNext Index and high turnover of the SME-ChiNext Index. The Fund may underperform the SME-ChiNext Index when the value of the U.S. dollar increases relative to the value of the RMB. For tax efficiency purposes, the Fund may sell certain securities, and such sale may cause the Fund to realize a loss and deviate from the performance of the SME-ChiNext Index. In light of the factors discussed above, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the SME-ChiNext Index. Changes to the composition of the SME-ChiNext Index in connection with a rebalancing or reconstitution of the SME-ChiNext Index may cause the Fund to experience increased volatility, during which time the Fund’s index tracking risk may be heightened.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. The Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that act as APs, none of which are obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those APs exit the business, or are unable to or choose not to process creation and/or redemption orders, and no other AP is able to step forward to create and redeem, there may be a significantly diminished trading market for Shares or Shares may trade like
vaneck.com | 7 |
closed-end funds at a discount (or premium) to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or de-listing. The AP concentration risk may be heightened in scenarios where APs have limited or diminished access to the capital required to post collateral.
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market. While Shares are listed on NYSE Arca, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will be maintained. Further, secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods in times of market stress because market makers and APs may step away from making a market in the Shares and in executing creation and redemption orders, which could cause a material deviation in the Fund’s market price from its NAV.
Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on NYSE Arca may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of NYSE Arca, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on NYSE Arca is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to NYSE Arca’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Passive Management Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund invested in 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 SME-ChiNext 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.
Fund Shares Trading, Premium/Discount Risk and Liquidity of Fund Shares. The market price of the Shares may fluctuate in response to the Fund’s NAV, the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings and supply and demand for Shares. The Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above, below, or at their most recent NAV. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for Shares (including through a trading halt), as well as other factors, may result in Shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings. 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 pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Shares that were bought or sold or the shareholder may be unable to sell his or her Shares. The securities held by the Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than NYSE Arca. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when NYSE Arca is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid/ask spreads on NYSE Arca and the resulting premium or discount to the Shares’ NAV may widen. Additionally, in stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s Shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell Shares. Investors should consult their financial intermediaries before purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.
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 SME-ChiNext Index concentrates in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries. To the extent that the Fund continues to be concentrated in the information technology sector, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on that sector may
negatively impact the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s 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 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 the one year and since inception periods 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.vaneck.com.
8 |
vaneck.com |
Annual Total Returns(%)—Calendar Years
|
|
|
|
|
Best Quarter: |
49.51% |
1Q ’15 |
||
Worst Quarter: |
-29.80% |
3Q ’15 |
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2017
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.
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|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Past One Year |
Since Inception |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF (return before taxes) |
|
|
19.37 |
% |
|
|
|
10.55 |
% |
|
||||
|
VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF (return after taxes on distributions) |
|
|
19.27 |
% |
|
|
|
10.53 |
% |
|
||||
|
VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares) |
|
|
10.96 |
% |
|
|
|
8.25 |
% |
|
||||
|
SME-ChiNext 100 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
20.36 |
% |
|
|
|
13.40 |
% |
|
||||
|
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
|
21.83 |
% |
|
|
|
11.32 |
% |
|
||||
See “License Agreements and Disclaimers” for important information.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser. Van Eck Associates Corporation.
Investment Sub-Adviser. China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited.
Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:
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|
|
|
|
Name |
Title with Sub-Adviser |
Date Began Managing the Fund |
||
|
||||
Leo Fan |
Portfolio Manager |
September 2015 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
Title with Adviser |
Date Began Managing the Fund |
||
|
||||
Peter H. Liao |
Portfolio Manager |
July 2014 |
||
Guo Hua (Jason) Jin |
Portfolio Manager |
March 2018 |
||
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 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.
vaneck.com | 9 |
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund’s distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of the Fund Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your broker-dealer or other intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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vaneck.com |
800.826.2333
vaneck.com
(05/18)