Etikett: Van Eck

Fundamentals Return to Emerging Markets

Fundamentals Return to Emerging Markets Van EckFundamentals Return to Emerging Markets

Fundamentals Return to Emerging Markets. This past quarter has been one of more twists and turns in macro factors than we can, perhaps, remember. Commodities went from being some of the worst performing and under-held assets in January to the complete opposite in February and March. The Federal Reserve has ”walked back” from its previous more hawkish interest rate projections and, as a result, the U.S. dollar declined dramatically. This has taken the pressure off some of the weaker emerging markets currencies, which have seen impressive rallies. It appears that many emerging markets investors have rushed to sell popular investments in India and China to return to more globally cyclical driven markets, companies that have benefited from the rebound in commodities, and higher beta currencies. This caused significant performance idiosyncrasies among countries in the emerging markets complex in the first quarter.

1Q 2016 EM Equity Strategy Review and Positioning

We believe long-term followers of our strategy will understand that panic followed by euphoria rarely provides a favorable backdrop for outperformance by our highly disciplined all-cap strategy, as both size and growth characteristics tend to be penalized in short periods of panic. Poor quality and cyclical factors, which our strategy generally avoids, tend to outperform everything in the first innings of euphoria. It is important to point out that the cause of our potential underperformance during these short periods is often due to what we do not own (i.e., what we deem to be very large, poor quality cyclical companies) as much as it is indicative of what we do own — you might think of it as partial giveback of our previous outperformance.

Financials and Consumer Staples Provide Boost; Industrials and Tech Detract

During the first quarter of 2016, stock selection in financials and consumer staples aided performance relative to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index1 benchmark, while selection in industrials and information technology detracted. The absence of allocations to the energy and materials sectors also hurt the strategy’s relative performance.

On a country level, China was the main detractor from performance followed by Russia and India. Peru, the Philippines, and Colombia gave the strategy’s relative performance a boost.

1Q Top Performers

The top five performing companies in the strategy came from around the globe. BB Seguridade Participacoes SA2, the insurance arm of Banco do Brasil, the largest Latin America-based bank, as a Brazilian real holding, was helped significantly by the rebound in the Brazilian market during the quarter. It’s a structural growth story. The company continues to display strong execution, in line with our growth thesis. In addition to its improving asset quality, consistent performance, and asset growth, Peruvian financial holding company Credicorp3 benefited from the turnaround in the Peruvian market. This followed the second half of 2015 when uncertainty as to whether the country would be reclassified by MSCI indexers weighed heavily on its stocks. Yes Bank4, a high-quality, private sector Indian bank, benefited from both improving loan growth and widening lending spreads. These have resulted in significant results, as has the bank’s focus on retail, as opposed to commercial, business opportunities. The stock price of Robinsons Retail Holdings5, the Philippines’ second largest multi-format retailer, made up most of its decline from the last quarter after full-year 2015 results came in largely in line with consensus, backing up our growth thesis. Although a global leader and structural growth story in its own right, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company6, the undisputed global leader in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, also benefitted from cyclical factors in the first quarter. There were earnings upgrades driven by greater short-term visibility and asset utilization from improved traction with key customers. Additionally, there was a multiple lift as investors also favored businesses that benefited from global cyclical tailwinds.

Chinese Stocks Suffer in 2016

Given that Chinese stocks suffered during the quarter, it is perhaps not surprising that four of the five biggest detractors from our strategy’s performance were Chinese. Following a slight change in its business model, Chinese company Boer Power Holdings7, which provides electrical distribution solutions, is facing, in our opinion, increased business risk. The company’s leverage increased as it took on higher levels of accounts receivable. We continue to believe, however, that the company will continue to be a beneficiary of the development of a smarter grid in China. Luxoft Holding8 is a high-end information technology services provider, primarily to the financial services industry, with its programmers largely situated in the ex-Soviet Union countries, which are referred to as Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). During the quarter, the company reported lower than expected numbers, largely related to the pulling of a key contract by a client. Chinese company Wasion Group Holdings9, like Boer Power Holdings, is in the business of improving the efficiency of power use, an area of activity we still believe displays convincing fundamentals. The company is setting the standard for ”smart” electrical grid meters in the country. During the quarter, however, it suffered from the fallout created by the adjustment and lengthening of payment timelines on certain government contracts. Along with a number of others, JD.com10, one of the Fund’s internet holdings, suffered from the widespread exit from the Chinese market during the quarter, giving back some of its outperformance of the previous year. However, the company continues to reflect, in our opinion, the considerable strength of the growth opportunities in the e-commerce sector in China. CAR Inc11 is the largest auto rental company in China and provides vehicles to U-Car, a partner providing ”Uber-like” chauffeured car services in China. The issues around this company, and its recent poor performance, center on uncertainty surrounding the regulatory environment that has led U-Car to scale back its investment, and thus use fewer CAR Inc vehicles. We are monitoring this situation closely.

We Don’t Respond to Short-Term Macro Events

As we always strive to emphasize, we are fundamentally a bottom-up strategy, first and foremost. However, we do like to give a sense of where the strategy is positioned in terms of country and sector. Please bear in mind that a higher weighting in a country may not necessarily mean extra exposure to that country’s risk, as certain holdings may be negatively correlated to the local currency or positively correlated to local rates.

Because we don’t respond to shorter-term macro events such as oil and Brazilian politics, our weightings do not tend to move as materially as those of many of our peers. We simply don’t speculate on short-term movements or cyclical factors — we invest in well-researched, long-term structural growth businesses at attractive valuations. We maintain that this process and philosophy have historically returned and, we hope, may continue to return, what we consider pleasing long-term performance. However, our long-term performance may be punctuated by short periods when the asset class underperforms for mostly technical reasons.

We continue to be overweight in China, India, and Brazil, while still significantly underweight in South Korea. Taiwan still has a relatively light weighting, although it is home to a couple of our larger positions. South Africa is still also underweight, but less so than in prior years, as weakness in the rand has encouraged us to make further investment in domestically-oriented companies, while outperformance of Naspers12 has also increased our weighting in the country.

Healthcare and Financials Offer Structural Growth Opportunities

By sector, we have maintained the persistent biases that you can expect from our philosophy of structural growth at a reasonable price. Energy and materials are very difficult places for us to find good, persistent growth, while much of the telecommunication and utility sectors are not showing us much growth at all. Consumer staples, a natural area to look for structural growth, has largely proven to be too expensive for our taste in the last few years, and this remains the case.

We remain overweight in healthcare, clearly a long run structural growth industry as consumers in emerging markets dedicate a higher percentage of their increasing disposable income to healthcare spending. Financials remain a large weighting for the strategy, but the investments we choose in this sector are very specific, usually by country, and focus on persistent structural trends such as microfinance, ”banking the unbanked” and specialty insurance.

Emerging Markets Outlook

Experience informs us that this kind of environment rarely persists for more than a quarter or two before rational fundamentals reassert themselves and investments in quality companies with genuinely sustainable operating profitability and attractive valuations reassert their leadership. In a more ”normal” environment, our strategy has historically tended to do quite well in our estimation.

Eyeing Brazil with Interest

We are watching Brazil with great interest. The political situation there remains extremely fluid. The incumbent socialist administration looks increasingly likely to be replaced by a more market friendly, reformist coalition. This expectation has resulted in a sharp recovery in current share prices and the country’s currency. We steadily increased positions throughout last year because valuations became more and more attractive and have been somewhat rewarded for this — only somewhat, because the rebound has been led, so far, by large-cap commodity names such as Petrobras and Vale14, which do not align with our structural growth at a reasonable price (SGARP) philosophy and process.

Lower But Better Growth in China

China began the year with very negative headlines centering on the likelihood of a sharp depreciation of its currency and fears of an imminent debt-fueled crisis. We, on the other hand, continue to expect lower but better growth, monetary and fiscal easing, and a gradually weakening renminbi, but no crisis. Our base case is for modest cyclical recovery in China’s economy in the first half of 2016 that could allow more room for further significant structural reforms, with more emphasis on the supply-side of the economy, rather than attempts simply to ”juice up” demand. We do believe, however, that more credit ”issues” are likely as the tidying up of highly indebted, state owned entities continues. As we regularly remind emerging markets investors, our strategy has very little exposure to the old, smokestack/state-owned enterprise (SOE) complex13, and we continue to favor long-term, structural growth opportunities in environmental services, internet, healthcare, tourism, and insurance.

Performance Led by Technicals in India

India was the other market where we experienced some negative performance over the quarter. Again, we would make the case that this was partly for technical reasons related to positioning. We remain optimistic about the Indian companies in which the strategy is currently invested, despite the country falling out of favor in relative terms.

Accelerating Growth in Peru

After several months facing a challenging scenario with lower commodity prices, the outlook for Peru started to improve. Growth in the country has been accelerating, driven by the mining and infrastructure sector. There is uncertainty regarding the outcome of the presidential election. It seems that the most likely scenario is that former-president Alberto Fujimori will win in the second round. Finally, there seems to be a consensus view that Peru has a big chance of avoiding MSCI reclassification to Frontier Market which could act as an additional driver to Peruvian equities.

Can Colombia Tough Out Low Oil Prices?

Colombia continues to be negatively affected by the low level of oil prices, the uncertain fiscal adjustment, and expectations for the peace process. In our view, the government needs to approve a fiscal reform in order to address some important topics that will allow the country to achieve its fiscal target amid lower prices and low level of reserves. The government is waiting for the completion of the peace process to have the necessary political capital to proceed with an honest fiscal reform (this will be decisive to preserve the sovereign rating). There will likely be some slowdown in activity in 2016 with GDP growth expectations of around 2.7% versus 3.1% in 2015. There are some factors such as the beginning of the 4G mobile technology infrastructure program and the positive reaction of some tradeable sectors to a higher exchange rate that should partially offset the tough scenario for the economy given currently low oil prices.

We Believe Structural Growth is Reliable and Sustainable

In general, we see valuations for our focus list companies, after the recent rally, as fair, without being materially cheap. As we noted at the end of 2015, we are now seeing, as expected, some better economic numbers out of China, which is a notable bright spot. In addition, we would also point out that the growth of our strategy has been structural in nature and, arguably, quite reliable; as such, we expect it to compound over the course of time, with little cyclical risk associated with the world and market volatility we live with today.

Emerging Markets Equity

April 18, 2016

by David Semple, Portfolio Manager

Semple is a veteran of emerging markets (EM) investing, and has more than 25 years of experience.  Uniquely informed by having lived and worked in several emerging markets, Semple’s EM expertise includes successfully establishing investment processes and frameworks, leading teams of analysts, and marketing to a global investor base.

Post Disclosure

1 The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Index captures large and mid cap representation across 23 Emerging Markets (EM) countries. With 836 constituents, the index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country. This index is unmanaged and does not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in specific investment Fund. An index’s performance is not illustrative of a Fund’s performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made.

For a complete listing of the holdings in Van Eck Emerging Markets Fund (the ”Fund”) as of 3/31/16, please click on this PDF. Please note that these are not recommendations to buy or sell any security.

2 BB Seguridade Participacoes SA represented 3.2% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
3 Credicorp represented 2.4% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
4 Yes Bank represented 2.4% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
5 Robinsons Retail Holdings represented 2.2% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
6 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company represented 2.5% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
7 Boer Power Holdings represented 0.6% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
8 Luxoft Holdings represented 1.6% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
9 Wasion Group Holdings represented 0.7% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
10 JD.com represented 3.1% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
11 CAR Inc represented 1.5% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
12 Naspers represented 3.4% of the Fund’s net assets as of 3/31/16.
13 State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) is a legal entity created by a government with the purpose to partake in commercial activities on the government’s behalf.
14Petrobras and Vale were not held by the Fund as of 3/31/16.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE

This content is published in the United States for residents of specified countries. Investors are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions that are not addressed on this content. Nothing in this content should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of any investment in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction, nor is it intended as investment, tax, financial, or legal advice. Investors should seek such professional advice for their particular situation and jurisdiction.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and are current as of the posting date. Videos and commentaries are general in nature and should not be construed as investment advice. Opinions are subject to change with market conditions. All performance information is historical and is not a guarantee of future results.

Please note that Van Eck Securities Corporation offers investment portfolios that invest in the asset class(es) mentioned in this commentary. The Emerging Markets Equity strategy is subject to the risks associated with its investments in emerging markets securities, which tend to be more volatile and less liquid than securities traded in developed countries. The Emerging Markets Equity strategy’s investments in foreign securities involve risks related to adverse political and economic developments unique to a country or a region, currency fluctuations or controls, and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, including the takeover of property without adequate compensation or imposition of prohibitive taxation. The Emerging Markets Equity strategy is subject to risks associated with investments in derivatives, illiquid securities, and small or mid-cap companies. The Emerging Markets Equity strategy is also subject to inflation risk, market risk, non-diversification risk, and leverage risk. Please see the prospectus and summary prospectus for information on these and other risk considerations.

You can obtain more specific information on VanEck strategies by visiting Investment Strategies.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of any investment strategy carefully before investing. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Securities Corporation.

China Developments Lead Recent Tailwinds

China Developments Lead Recent Tailwinds

  • Capital outflows and currency stabilization in China help the overall emerging markets (EM) environment
  • Headwinds including leverage in China, fiscal deterioration, and European issues remain prevalent
  • Liquidity, defensive positioning and unconstrained approach remain crucial in periods of uncertainty

Market Overview

The market environment remains unsettled. The quality of the macro flow in major economies is still very uneven (despite a larger number of positive macro surprises in both developed G10 and EM) and many central banks find themselves in a policy quagmire where additional monetary easing results in stronger currencies and higher interest rates. Markets – no doubt “inspired” by Janet Yellen’s end-of-March speech – continue to price in a very dovish scenario for the Federal Reserve (Fed) that envisages only two full policy rate hikes in the next three years. A big increase in neutral investor positioning (as measured, for example, by the American Association of Individual Investors) in past weeks is a reflection of these uncertainties which, in turn, is a byproduct of tensions between serious macro/policy headwinds and tailwinds. The “tailwinds” cluster includes a more sanguine near-term outlook for China, tentative signs that EM growth might be bottoming out, and reasonably strong external accounts in many EMs. On the “headwinds” side of the equation, we find multiple unresolved issues in Europe, major imbalances in China (possibly made worse by the recent policy moves), a Fed struggling with forward guidance, a massive widening of the EM fiscal gap, and deteriorating corporate profitability.

Portfolio Review

We believe that the recent tailwinds are likely to dominate for the near term. It looks like Chinese authorities have managed to slow down capital outflows through official channels. The decline in international reserves is now smaller than in November-December 2015. Authorities are also implementing additional measures to support growth, mainly through additional credit supply. Possible fiscal stimulus might prop up GDP growth as well. These factors should reduce the immediate depreciation pressure on the renminbi (CNY) and authorities should be able to maintain the existing exchange rate regime for a little longer, alleviating concerns about the impact of CNY devaluation on other emerging market currencies (especially in Asia). Additional EM foreign exchange (FX) strength is a benefit to the inflation outlook and in this environment, the Fed’s dovish policy stance might provide EM central banks with more room to ease, which could facilitate a cycle of stronger currencies, lower inflation, lower interest rates and a better growth outlook. There are already tentative signs (better macro surprises and higher PMIs) that the growth outlook in EM might be improving. Consensus forecasts for 2016 quarterly GDP growth in EM have also been edging up since mid-March and additional policy support might prove crucial for further progress. Lower inflation can further boost real interest rates in EM, which already look attractive relative to the past lows and relative to U.S. Treasuries (UST). An important, although temporary, aspect of China’s current policy mix is its positive impact on the housing market and, as such, on global commodity prices, especially metals, which should provide additional support to EM FX and external balances.

However, persistent headwinds abound. Our key concern is that China’s near-term growth/FX relief might come at the price of worsening imbalances, which will likely make any future resolution more problematic. Specifically, the leverage context remains highly worrisome as authorities intend to accelerate M2 money supply (includes cash, checking and savings deposits, money market mutual funds) growth. The same applies to a very high bank assets/nominal GDP ratio (especially when compared to China’s still relatively low per capita GDP). The success of China’s credit boost is questionable given that it now takes four extra units of credit (measured by Total Social Financing, a figure the Chinese government created to track all the money in its system) to produce one extra unit of nominal GDP. Despite the recent small improvements, both China’s growth slowdown and the decline in international reserves are of historic proportions and the reserve adequacy now looks stretched on several metrics. So, while we acknowledge the recent positive signals coming from China, our longer-term view on China’s economic, policy and, political challenges remains unchanged.

Another set of concerns relates to the recent fiscal deterioration in EM and rating downgrades it might entail. After several years of stability (2010-2014), the aggregate EM fiscal gap widened sharply in 2015, reaching 3.7% of GDP – the worst in the past 15 years – and consensus expects further deterioration to 4% of GDP in 2016. We doubt that rating agencies will respond kindly to the deterioration and we expect further rating/outlook downgrades.

Our third set of concerns centers on unresolved European issues. The potential for Greece to leave the eurozone (“Grexit”) is resurfacing again and will keep on reappearing unless there are more radical steps to help reduce the debt burden. The immigration/refugee issue looks thoroughly mishandled and we should expect further instances of political extremism. The situation in the banking sector appears murky at best and bank credit default swap spreads started to widen again after a brief post-European Central Bank (ECB) respite in early March. There is also growing evidence that negative interest rates are punishing banks. Finally, corporate profitability is deteriorating and capex spending remains high relative to cash flow from operations.

The portfolio implications of these developments are as follows: (1) be nimble and liquid (and the unconstrained approach is more important than ever); (2) be aware of the headwinds that we view as resurgent and have a reaction function (ours is when China’s property market stalls again and/or the Fed hikes); (3) respect tailwinds in downturns – big and long rallies often happen when things are bad.

Specifically, we maintain our defensive positions (approximately 40% of the portfolio) in hard-currency bonds with spread/beta positions (i.e., Argentina and Brazil) and/or with defensive characteristics (i.e., South Korea). We also maintain selective exposure to local-currency denominated bonds (approximately 50% of the portfolio). We focus on countries with high real interest rates, where central banks that are not afraid to tighten if necessary and whose currencies were allowed to depreciate during the past risk-off episodes (i.e., Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brazil). Finally, we have exposure to selective EM corporates (about 10% of our portfolio) with a focus on liquid companies that demonstrate low-beta to the economy and that can benefit from FX weakness through local-currency costs.

Exposure Types and Significant ChangesThe changes to our top positions are summarized below. Our largest positions are currently: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and South Africa.

  • We added local-currency sovereign exposure in Indonesia and Peru to potentially benefit from the uptick in commodity prices and lower than expected inflation that allowed the Bank of Indonesia to cut and the central bank of Peru to hold. We also expect to benefit from changes in Indonesia’s regulatory environment that should boost local demand for government bonds.
  • We also added local-currency exposure to Brazil where impeachment sentiment is rapidly gaining momentum and inflation appears to be topping off. We also increased local exposure in Mexico and Malaysia where inflation remains under control.
  • We reduced hard-currency sovereign exposure in South Korea and Israel – low beta bonds that have performed well but have been reduced to reallocate to more compelling opportunities.
  • We also reduced hard-currency sovereign exposure in the Philippines, Chile, and Hungary (where Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s fight with the EU has intensified lately).

Fund Performance

  • The Fund (EMBAX) gained 3.27% in March, compared to a 6.16% gain for a 50% local-50% hard-currency index.The Fund’s biggest winners were Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Peru. The Fund’s biggest losers were Israel, South Korea, and Indonesia.
  • Turning to the market’s performance, the GBI-EM’s biggest winners were Russia, Colombia, and South Africa. The biggest losers were Nigeria, China, and Thailand.
  • The EMBI’s biggest winners were Ecuador, Mongolia, and Zambia, while its biggest losers were Serbia, Poland, and Romania.

Manager Commentary

By: Eric Fine, Portfolio Manager

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the portfolio manager and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time.

Diversification does not assure a profit or prevent against a loss.

Expenses: Class A: Gross 1.32%; Net 1.25%. Expenses are capped contractually until 05/01/16 at 1.25% for Class A. Caps exclude certain expenses, such as interest. Please note that, generally, unconstrained bond funds may have higher fees than core bond funds due to the specialized nature of their strategies. The tables above present past performance which is no guarantee of future results and which may be lower or higher than current performance. Returns reflect applicable fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. Had the Fund incurred all expenses and fees, investment returns would have been reduced. Investment returns and Fund share values will fluctuate so that investors’ shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Fund returns assume that dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at Net Asset Value (NAV). Index returns assume that dividends of the index constituents have been reinvested. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal; please see disclaimers on next page. Please call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com for performance current to the most recent month ended.

Data Sources: VanEck Research, FactSet. All portfolio weightings and statements herein as of March 31, 2016. Unless otherwise indicated.

Duration measures a bond’s sensitivity to interest rate changes that reflects the change in a bond’s price given a change in yield. This duration measure is appropriate for bonds with embedded options. Quantitative Easing by a central bank increases the money supply engaging in open market operations in an effort to promote increased lending and liquidity. Monetary Easing is an economic tool employed by a central bank to reduce interest rates and increase money supply in an effort to stimulate economic activity. Correlation is a statistical measure of how two variables move in relation to one other. Liquidity Illusion refers to the effect that an independent variable might have in the liquidity of a security as such variable fluctuates overtime. A Holdouts Issue in the fixed income asset class occurs when a bond issuing country or entity is in default or at the brink of default, and launches an exchange offer in an attempt to restructure its debt held by existing bond holding investors.

Emerging Markets Hard Currency Bonds refers to bonds denominated in currencies that are generally widely accepted around the world (such as the U.S.-Dollar, Euro or Yen). Emerging Markets Local Currency Bonds are bonds denominated in the local currency of the issuer. Emerging Markets Sovereign Bonds are bonds issued by national governments of emerging countries in order to finance a country’s growth. Emerging Markets Quasi-Sovereign Bonds are bonds issued by corporations domiciled in emerging countries that are either 100% government owned or whose debts are 100% government guaranteed. Emerging Markets Corporate Bonds are bonds issued by non-government owned corporations that are domiciled in emerging countries. A Supranational is an international organization, or union, whose members transcend national boundaries and share in the decision-making. Examples of supranationals are: World Bank, IMF, World Trade Organization. The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the euro and administers monetary policy of the Eurozone, which consists of 19 EU member states and is one of the largest currency areas in the world. The Labor Market Conditions Index (LMCI) is a dynamic factor model index that combines 19 labor market indicators to provide an assessment of overall labor market conditions. The Employment Cost Index tracks the changes in the costs of labor for businesses in the United States economy.

All indices are unmanaged and include the reinvestment of all dividends, but do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in the Fund. An index’s performance is not illustrative of the Fund’s performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made. The 50/50 benchmark (the “Index”) is a blended index consisting of 50% J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI) Global Diversified and 50% J.P. Morgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets Global Diversified (GBI-EM). The J.P. Morgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets Global Diversified (GBI-EM) tracks local currency bonds issued by Emerging Markets governments. The index spans over 15 countries. J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI) Global Diversified tracks returns for actively traded external debt instruments in emerging markets, and is also J.P. Morgan’s most liquid U.S-dollar emerging markets debt benchmark. The J.P. Morgan Emerging Country Currency Index (EMCI) is a tradable benchmark for emerging markets currencies versus the U.S. Dollar (USD). The Index compromises 10 currencies: BRL, CLP, CNH, HUF, INR, MXN, RUB, SGD, TRY and ZAR. The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) is an indicator designed to measure consumer confidence, which is defined as the degree of optimism on the state of the economy that consumers are expressing through their activities of savings and spending.

Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable but J.P. Morgan does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The Index is used with permission. The index may not be copied, used or distributed without J.P. Morgan’s written approval. Copyright 2014, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the portfolio manager and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time and portfolio managers of other investment strategies may take an opposite opinion than those stated herein. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Current market conditions may not continue. Non-VanEck proprietary information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this aterial may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Securities Corporation ©2016 VanEck.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. You can lose money by investing in the Fund. Any investment in the Fund should be part of an overall investment program, not a complete program. The Fund is subject to risks associated with its investments in emerging markets securities. Investing in foreign denominated and/or domiciled securities may involve heightened risk due to currency fluctua-tions, and economic and political risks, which may be enhanced in emerging markets. As the Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and some of the income received by the Fund will be in foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund’s return. Derivatives may involve certain costs and risks such as liquidity, interest rate, market, credit, management and the risk that a position could not be closed when most advantageous. The Fund may also be subject to credit risk, in¬terest rate risk, sovereign debt risk, tax risk, non-diversification risk and risks associated with non-investment grade securities. Please see the prospectus and summary prospectus for information on these and other risk considerations.

Investors should consider the Fund’s investment objective, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. Bond and bond funds will decrease in value as interest rates rise. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this as well as other information. Please read them carefully before investing. Please call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com for performance information current to the most recent month end and for a free prospectus and summary prospectus.

Russia, Land of Education and a Growing Tech Industry

Russia, Land of Education and a Growing Tech Industry

Russia, Land of Education and a Growing Tech Industry Authored by David Feygenson, Senior Analyst, Emerging Markets Equity Strategy, and James Duffy, Product Manager, ETFs

Russia, Land of Education and a Growing Tech Industry. Given Russia’s need to diversify its economy away from both energy and basic materials, the country’s technology and telecommunications industries — increasingly fueled by entrepreneurship among the country’s well educated — offer considerable potential.

The Russian stock market, as measured by the Market Vectors® Russia Index (MVRSXTR), performed particularly well over the first quarter of 2016. Starting the year at 417.9, the Index ended the first three months of the year at 471.1 on March 31, an increase of 12.7%.

Much of this growth can be attributed to technology stocks. Of the 29 stocks that currently make up MVRSXTR, seven are involved in tech or telecom. In terms of market capitalization, these seven stocks make up approximately 17.5% of the overall market as defined by the Market Vectors® Russia Index.

Russia’s Tech Growth is Fueled by a New Generation of Highly Educated Workers

Russia has one of the highest proportions of university graduates in the world, eclipsing levels in Asia, Europe, and North America. Partly due to the Soviet legacy of a focus on education, Russia is still endowed with an excellent education system that produces thousands of university graduates each year.

(click to enlarge) Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), ”Education at a Glance 2015: OECD Indicators”, for the year 2014, except for Russia, Chile, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, which are for the year 2013.

Of young men aged 25-34, about half have completed tertiary education, much higher than the 35% average among OECD countries, and, after Korea, the second highest proportion. Of young women in the same age bracket, about 65% have completed tertiary education, much more than the 46% average for most OECD member and partner countries where data is available.

While some of Russia’s best educated have left the country for greener pastures, many have remained and contributed to a growing tech industry. In recent years, a number of Russian technology companies have gone public, including Yandex (YNDX), the leading search engine in Russia, and Mail.Ru Group (MAIL), the leading portal, social networking, and gaming site in Russia.

Perhaps Russia’s young and educated demographic will continue to foster a growing number of startups that will help to stake its claim as a global player in technology. The Russian market can be accessed through Market Vectors® Russia ETF (RSX®) and Russian small-cap companies through the Market Vectors® Russia Small-Cap ETF (RSXJ®). As of March 31, 2016, Yandex and Mail.Ru comprised 4.04% and 2.41% of RSX, respectively.

Source: FactSet, VanEck, and Market Vectors Index Solutions (MVIS).

ETFs is authored by VanEck thought leaders. VanEck is the sponsor of Market Vectors ETFs and is currently among the largest providers of exchange traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. and worldwide. Market Vectors ETFs empower investors to help build better portfolios with access to compelling investment themes and strategies. Our ETFs span many global asset classes, and are built to be transparent, liquid, and pure-play reflections of target markets.

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Slippery Samba

Slippery Samba

Brazil Trip Notes – Slippery Samba

Eric Fine, Portfolio Manager Emerging Markets Fixed Income Investment Team

Eric Fine recently visited Brazil and observed firsthand the intertwined political and economic dynamics that continue to pressure the country’s overall health. As political scandal and credit downgrades make the headlines, the situation in Brazil appears to be worsening. While the long-term ramifications for Brazil remain uncertain, it’s difficult to ignore the precarious stability of the country today.

Brazil’s debt dynamic is deteriorating. Extremely large fiscal deficits are undermining what had heretofore been an anchor. As a result, further rating downgrades are possible and the real seems especially vulnerable.

The country’s economy is still contracting, making its current decline one for the history books. Credit appears virtually frozen at private and state banks and it is hard to see a growth rebound in the foreseeable future.

Politics are mixed. On the positive side, the political party of current President Dilma Rousseff (the PT party) appears unlikely to win the presidential election in 2018, and any moves toward impeachment could bring a positive market scenario forward. On the other hand, 2018 is a long time away and any future government will have to deal with the steadily building burden of higher debts and deficits.
One silver lining is the country’s external accounts. The country is a net external creditor, and the dramatic selloff of the real and the near-depression in the economy are contributing to a low current account deficit. This is not a theoretical positive – the country has been buying back its external debt.

Brazil’s fiscal deficits of roughly 10% of GDP are a profound headwind. Most importantly, if not reversed, we expect this will leave the country with gross public debt of over 80% of GDP by the end of 2017. For comparison, by our calculations, the public debt level at the end of 2014 was just under 60% of GDP. Most of the borrowing to finance these deficits will be in local currency, which we see as a constant source of pressure for the local bond market. The fiscal deficit also keeps upward pressure on inflation and inflation expectations, which further undermines the currency.

Credit is essentially frozen, with private banks in a defensive mode, and state banks constrained by the government’s fiscal situation and high domestic interest rates. One big difference between Brazil today and Brazil during its last major crisis (2002) is that households are now levered, meaning limited upside from domestic consumption. Although non-performing loans (NPLs) aren’t high yet, we believe we are entering a phase where they will begin to be recognized, and defaults on some corporates should be expected.

There are positives and negatives in the political sphere. In the minus column, opposition support for any political reform while President Rousseff is in office is unlikely, for the obvious reason that it would help her party. This matters because indexation of wages and social security benefits are very hard for even the opposition to support, perpetuating the underlying fiscal problem. In the plus column, the PT party is highly likely to be a non-factor in 2018 elections. In our estimation, Brazil’s electorate usually punishes presidents for generating adverse economic outcomes. If President Rousseff is impeached, moreover, this could bring such a scenario forward, though the impeachment process is complicated.

Still, Brazil has more hard-currency reserves than debt, and they use them. They have been buying back dollar debt, so the country’s net creditor status has very practical implications. This makes it difficult for us to have one overarching opinion on Brazil. We find the hard-currency debt of the sovereign and of quasi-sovereign entities such as Petrobras attractive, despite our concerns over local currency and the economy overall.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of VanEck and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time.

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Investments in foreign securities involve a greater degree of risk, including currency fluctuations, economic instability, and political risk. Changes in currency rates and differences in accounting and taxation policies outside the U.S. can raise or lower returns. Investing in emerging markets involves a heightened degree of risk, including smaller sized markets, less liquid markets, and other risks associated with less established legal, regulatory, and business infrastructures to support securities markets. Due to these factors and others, the risks associated with emerging markets could be increased. Bonds and bond funds will decrease in value as interest rates rise.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author, and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time, and portfolio managers of other investment strategies may take an opposite opinion than those stated herein. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, or investment advice. Current market conditions may not continue.

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Emerging Markets Growth Spots, LatAm and Turkey

Emerging Markets Growth Spots, LatAm and Turkey

Emerging Markets Growth Spots, LatAm and Turkey

TOM BUTCHER: I’m here today with Patricia and David of VanEck’s Emerging Markets Equity team to discuss exciting growth spots in today’s emerging markets.

Patricia, can you tell me about one of your favorite growth spots?

PATRICIA GONZALEZ: I think we’ll continue to see very good opportunities arise from the low level of credit penetration in the SME (small- and medium-sized enterprise) segment of Latin America, particularly Mexico. We have seen that the lack of alternatives for this segment has left SMEs with very few options to rely on.

When we look at Mexico we see that the SME segment is extremely important. The majority of companies in the country fall within the SME segment. These businesses generate more than 50% of Mexico’s GDP and also provide a majority of the country’s employment. In our strategy, we take advantage of these opportunities through a company called Unifin1. Unifin is the largest listed company in Mexico focusing specifically on SMEs. In our experience, the kind of lending that banks provide to SMEs is mostly lines of working capital. They are very short term and consequently there is a huge need and opportunity for the funding of fixed assets.

Unifin is very well-positioned to take advantage of that potential growth. With first-mover advantage, it has been in business for over 20 years and has developed a number of products and services for its clients. It has a very good distribution network that has supported its growth and the company has been very profitable. Its strict risk controls and leasing guarantees have allowed it to maintain good asset quality. When we look at management, we find the team has been in the business for a long time and has developed very strong know-how in the leasing market. Management has been able to meet clients’ needs expediently, which has contributed to increased market share. Finally, we think Unifin’s valuation is attractive in terms of the company’s growth and the returns it delivers.

BUTCHER: Speaking with Patricia, she mentioned an exciting opportunity in Mexico. What is your favorite growth spot in the emerging markets?

DAVID FEYGENSON: We see structural growth opportunities resulting from governmental reforms or policy changes that allow new businesses and sectors to flourish. We’re currently seeing this in Turkey, where several years ago the government announced private pension funds similar to 401(k)s in the U.S., which permit individuals to contribute tax-deferred money towards retirement with the government matching contributions up to a certain point.

We are invested with Turkey’s largest pension fund provider, which currently comprises about 20% of the market: AvivaSA2. AvivaSA is a joint venture between Sabanci Group, a large Turkish conglomerate, and Aviva, a large U.K.-based insurance company. Since the implementation of this private pension system, we’ve seen the number of participants increase. Additionally, assets under management have been increasing at roughly 35% per annum over the last five years. There is approximately $17 billion in assets under management in the pension fund industry, so there is plenty of scope for this to grow further over the next several years. AvivaSA allows us to capture this growth and to benefit from potential additional changes the government may implement, such as auto-enrollment requiring people to opt-out of the system rather than opt-in, or requiring that companies offer their employees pension funds. AvivaSA has a large and robust distribution network and is well-positioned to capture growth in the space. We’re very excited about the opportunity.

BUTCHER: Thank you very much.

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This content is published in the United States for residents of specified countries. Investors are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions that are not addressed on this content. Nothing in this content should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of any investment in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction, nor is it intended as investment, tax, financial, or legal advice. Investors should seek such professional advice for their particular situation and jurisdiction. You can obtain specific information on Van Eck Global strategies by visiting Investment Strategies.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the speaker and are current as of the video’s posting date. Video commentaries are general in nature and should not be construed as investment advice. Opinions are subject to change with market conditions. All performance information is historical and is not a guarantee of future results. For more information about Van Eck Funds, Market Vectors ETFs or fund performance, visit vaneck.com. Any discussion of specific securities mentioned in the video commentaries is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy these securities. Fund holdings will vary. All indices mentioned are measures of common market sectors and performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Information on holdings, performance and indices can be found at vaneck.com.

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1 Unifin is 0.90% of Van Eck Emerging Markets Fund net assets, as of 3/31/16

2 AvivaSA is 0.48% of Van Eck Emerging Markets Fund net assets, as of 3/31/16

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