2008-08-06 23:43:02 -
www.vaneck.com - The Rogers(TM) Van Eck Hard Assets Producers Index(SM) (Bloomberg ticker: RVEI), returned -10.7% in July 2008 and -4.0% year-to-date through end-July 2008,* reflecting the sharp and broad-based decline that has recently taken place in the commodities markets. Over the one-, three- and five-year periods ending in July, however, RVEI has shown compound annual gains of 20.1%, 26.7% and
29.3%*, respectively, as hard assets prices have surged due to burgeoning world commodity demand.
RVEI was launched in June 2008 and is viewed by many as the definitive global benchmark for commodity equities. Jim Rogers, the well known international investor, is chairman of the RVE Index Committee, and was actively involved in the construction of the index in partnership with S-Network Global Indexes, LLC. Van Eck Global has endorsed the index.
RVEI is comprehensive in construction, covering 321 companies in 40 countries and 6 sectors as of end-July. The index includes the world's largest and most prominent publicly traded companies engaged in the production and distribution of hard assets and related products and services, and captures more than 90% of the industry's global stock market capitalization. The sectors covered include energy, agriculture, base metals, precious metals, forest products and water and renewable energy (solar and wind). The index is pure-play in its focus, including only those companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from the applicable commodity sector. The sole exception is water, where constituents must generate at least 25% of their revenues from that industry.
*Past performance does not guarantee future results. The index's return does not represent the performance of any fund. The index charges no fees, including management fees or brokerage expenses, and no such fees or expenses were deducted from the performance shown. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index.
Performance information presented for the Index covering the period prior to June 16, 2008 is based on hypothetical, back-tested data. Prior to June 16, 2008, the Index was not calculated in real time by an independent calculation agent. Hypothetical, back-tested performance has inherent limitations and is not indicative of future results. No representation is being made that any investment will achieve performance similar to that shown.
About Jim Rogers
Jim Rogers is the well-known international investor, financial author and commentator. He was a founder of the Quantum Fund and served as a professor of finance at Columbia University School of Business.
"Jim Rogers," "James Beeland Rogers, Jr.," and "Rogers," are trademarks, service marks and/or registered trademarks of Beeland Interests, Inc., which is owned and controlled by James Beeland Rogers, Jr., and are used subject to license. The name of Jim Rogers/James Beeland Rogers, Jr. are trademarks and service marks of James Beeland Rogers, Jr.
RVEI is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Beeland Interests Inc. ("Beeland Interests") or James Beeland Rogers, Jr. Neither Beeland Interests nor James Beeland Rogers, Jr. makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, nor accepts any responsibility, regarding the accuracy or completeness of this press release, or the advisability of investing in securities or commodities generally, or in RVEI.
BEELAND INTERESTS AND ITS AFFILIATES SHALL NOT HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS, AND MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY ANY PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF RVEI. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL BEELAND INTERESTS OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEROF.
About The Rogers(TM) Van Eck Hard Assets Producers Index(SM) (RVEI)
RVEI is a rules-based index intended to give investors a means of tracking the overall performance of a global universe of listed companies engaged in the production and distribution of hard assets and related products and services. The index was developed in concert with commodities investor Jim Rogers and is endorsed by Van Eck Global. Sector weights are set annually based on estimates of global hard assets consumption, and stock weights within sectors are based on their market capitalization, float-adjusted and modified to conform to various asset diversification requirements, which are applied in conjunction with the scheduled quarterly adjustments to the index. Index values are calculated on both a price-only and total-return basis.
About S-Network Global Indexes, LLC
S-Network Global Indexes LLC is a publisher and developer of proprietary and custom indexes. Since its founding in 1997, S-Network has worked with many of the leading financial services firms in the world on index development, indexation and index-based products, including exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes. S-Network currently publishes over twenty benchmark indexes that are licensed to asset managers and investment banks throughout the world. RVEI is part of the RVE Family of Indexes published by S-Network, which includes five additional related indexes: The RVE Hard Assets Producers Composite Index(SM) (RVEC), The RVE Hard Assets Producers Liquid Index(SM) (RVEXL), The RVE Hard Assets Energy Producers Index(SM) (RVEE), The RVE Hard Assets Agricultural Producers Index(SM) (RVEA) and The RVE Hard Assets Metals Producers Index(SM) (RVEM).
About Van Eck Global
Founded in 1955, Van Eck Associates Corporation was among the first U.S. money managers helping investors achieve greater diversification through global investing. Today the firm continues the 50+ year tradition by offering global investment choices in hard assets, emerging markets, precious metals including gold, and other specialized asset classes.
Market Vectors exchange-traded products have been offered by Van Eck Global since 2006 when the firm launched the nation's first gold mining ETF. Today, Market Vectors ETFs and ETNs span several asset classes, including equities, municipal bonds and currency markets.
Van Eck Global also offers mutual funds, insurance trust funds, separate accounts and alternative investments. Designed for investors seeking innovative choices for portfolio diversification, Van Eck Global's investment products are often categorized in asset classes having returns with low correlations to those of more traditional U.S. equity and fixed income investments.
VAN ECK AND ITS AFFILIATES SHALL NOT HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS, AND MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY ANY PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF RVEI. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL VAN ECK OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEROF. Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, 99 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
MacMillan Communications
Mike MacMillan/Lindsey Wetmiller, 212-473-4442
Lindsey@macmillancom.com 
