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VANECK VECTORS® PREFERRED SECURITIES EX FINANCIALS ETF

 

Ticker: PFXF®
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

PFXFSUM

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 September 1, 2018, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.


INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

VanEck Vectors® Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Wells Fargo® Hybrid and Preferred Securities ex Financials Index (the “Preferred Securities 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”).

 

 

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

 

 

None

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

Management Fee

 

 

 

0.40

%

 

Other Expenses

 

 

 

0.05

%

 

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(a)

 

 

 

0.45

%

 

Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(a)

 

 

 

-0.04

%

 

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(a)

 

 

 

0.41

%

 

 

(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 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year until at least September 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.

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:

 

 

 

YEAR

 

EXPENSES

 

1

 

 

$

 

42

 

3

 

 

$

 

140

 

5

 

 

$

 

248

 

10

 

 

$

 

563

 

 

   

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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 47% 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 Preferred Securities Index is comprised of convertible or exchangeable and non-convertible preferred securities listed on U.S. exchanges, including securities that, in the Preferred Securities Index provider’s judgment, are functionally equivalent to preferred securities including, but not limited to, convertible securities, depositary preferred securities and perpetual subordinated debt, excluding securities with a “financial” industry sector classification (collectively, “Preferred Securities”). Preferred Securities generally pay fixed or variable rate distributions to preferred shareholders and such shareholders have preference over common shareholders in the payment of distributions and in the event of a liquidation of the issuer’s assets, but are junior to most other forms of debt, including senior and subordinated debt. Functionally equivalent securities to Preferred Securities are securities that are issued and trade in a similar manner to traditional perpetual preferred securities. Such securities generally have a lower par amount, may allow the issuer to defer interest or dividend payments and are equal to preferred shareholders or the lowest level of subordinated debt in terms of claims to the issuer’s assets in the event of liquidation. Preferred Securities issued by real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) are not considered to be securities with a “financial” industry sector classification as determined by the Bloomberg Professional® service, and therefore may be included in the Preferred Securities Index. Preferred Securities may be subject to redemption or call provisions and may include those issued by small- and medium-capitalization companies. As of June 30, 2018, the Preferred Securities Index included 102 U.S.-listed securities of 50 issuers. 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 Preferred Securities Index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicates the Preferred Securities Index.

The Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer. The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the Preferred Securities Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of the date of April 30, 2018, the Fund was concentrated in the real estate and utilities sectors, and each of the consumer staples and telecommunications sectors represented a significant portion of the Fund.

The Preferred Securities Index is sponsored by Wells Fargo & Company, which is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Fund or the Adviser. The Preferred Securities Index provider determines the composition of the Preferred Securities Index and relative weightings of the securities in the Preferred Securities Index, and publishes information regarding the market value of the Preferred Securities Index.

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 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.

Preferred Securities Risk. Preferred Securities are essentially contractual obligations that entail rights to distributions declared by the issuer’s board of directors but may permit the issuer to defer or suspend distributions for a certain period of time. If the Fund owns a Preferred Security whose issuer has deferred or suspended distributions, the Fund may be required to account for the distribution that has been deferred or suspended for tax purposes, even though it may not have received this income in cash. Further, Preferred Securities may lose substantial value if distributions are deferred, suspended or not declared. Preferred Securities may also permit the issuer to convert Preferred Securities into the issuer’s common stock. Preferred Securities that are convertible to common stock may decline in value if the common stock into which Preferred Securities may be converted declines in value. Preferred Securities are subject to greater credit risk than traditional fixed income securities because the rights of holders of Preferred Securities are subordinated to the rights of the bond and debtholders of an issuer.

Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to risks associated with both fixed income securities and common stocks. Depending on the convertible security’s conversion value, the price of a convertible security will be influenced by interest rates (i.e., its price generally will increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise) or will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the equity security into which the security can be converted.

 

   

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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 countries whose economies are 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.

Credit Risk. Preferred Securities are subject to certain risks associated with fixed income securities, including credit risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer or guarantor of a security will be unable and/or unwilling to make timely distributions of dividends and/or default completely on securities. Preferred Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, depending on the issuer’s financial condition and on the terms of the securities, which may be reflected in credit ratings. There is a possibility that the credit rating of a Preferred Security may be downgraded after purchase or the perception of an issuer’s credit worthiness may decline, which may adversely affect the value of the security.

Interest Rate Risk. Preferred Securities are also subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a Preferred Security resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates. When the general level of interest rates goes up, the prices of Preferred Securities may go down. When the general level of interest rates goes down, the prices of Preferred Securities may go up. The historically low interest rate environment increases the risk associated with rising interest rates, including the potential for periods of volatility and increased redemptions. The Fund may face a heightened level of interest rate risk, since the U.S. Federal Reserve Board ended its quantitative easing program in 2014 and began raising rates in December 2015.

Risk of Subordinated Obligations. Payments under some Preferred Securities may be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities and obligations of each of the respective subsidiaries and associated companies of an issuer of Preferred Securities. Claims of creditors of such subsidiaries and associated companies will have priority as to the assets of such subsidiaries and associated companies over the issuer and its creditors, including the Fund, who seek to enforce the terms of Preferred Securities. Certain Preferred Securities do not contain any restrictions on the ability of the subsidiaries of the issuers to incur additional unsecured indebtedness.

Risk of Investing in REITs. Investing in REITs exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs are organized and operated. REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Operating REITs requires specialized management skills and the Fund indirectly bears management expenses along with the direct expenses of the Fund. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. REITs may also be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers or tenants and self-liquidation. REITs also must satisfy specific requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), in order to qualify for tax-free pass-through income. The failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Fund, including significantly reducing the return to the Fund on its investment in such company. In addition, REITs, like exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), have expenses, including management and administration fees, that are paid by their shareholders. As a result, shareholders will absorb their proportionate share of duplicate levels of fees when the Fund invests in REITs.

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 Investing in the Real Estate Sector. Companies in the real estate sector include companies that invest in real estate, such as REITs and real estate management and development companies. To the extent that the Fund continues to be concentrated in the real estate sector, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the real estate sector. Companies that invest in real estate are subject to the risks of owning real estate directly as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way that such companies operate, including management risk (such companies are dependent upon the management skills of a few key individuals and may have limited financial resources). Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the values of the Fund’s investments. Investing in real estate is subject to such risks as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent, possible lack of availability of mortgage financing, market saturation, fluctuations in rental income and the value of underlying properties and extended vacancies of properties. Certain real estate securities have a relatively

 

   

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small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of these securities. Real estate securities have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers or tenants.

Risk of Investing in the Utilities Sector. To the extent that the Fund continues to be concentrated in the utilities sector, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the utilities sector. Companies in the utilities sector may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, domestic and international competition, difficulty in raising adequate amounts of capital and governmental limitation on rates charged to customers.

Risk of Investing in the Consumer Staples Sector. To the extent that the consumer staples 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 staples sector. Companies in the consumer staples sector may be adversely affected by changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, exploration and production spending.

Risk of Investing in the Telecommunications Sector. To the extent that the telecommunications 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 telecommunications sector. Companies in the telecommunications sector may be affected by industry competition, substantial capital requirements, government regulations and obsolescence of telecommunications products and services due to technological advancement.

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.

Call Risk. The Fund may invest in callable Preferred Securities. If interest rates fall, it is possible that issuers of callable Preferred Securities will “call” (or prepay) their securities before their maturity date. If a call were exercised by the issuer during or following a period of declining interest rates, the Fund is likely to have to replace such called Preferred Security with a lower yielding security or securities with greater risks or other less favorable features. If that were to happen, it would decrease the Fund’s net investment income.

Index Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Preferred Securities Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses, including taxes, not applicable to the Preferred Securities Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Preferred Securities Index, which are not factored into the return of the Preferred Securities Index. Transaction costs, including brokerage costs, will decrease the Fund’s net asset value (“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 Preferred Securities Index. Errors in the Preferred Securities Index data, the Preferred Securities Index computations and/or the construction of the Preferred Securities Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Preferred Securities Index provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. In addition, the Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the Preferred Securities Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the Preferred Securities Index, due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries, 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). The Fund may value certain of its investments based on fair value prices. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Preferred Securities Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets (i.e., the value of the Preferred Securities Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the Preferred Securities Index may be adversely affected. The Fund may also need to rely on borrowings to meet redemptions, which may lead to increased expenses. 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 Preferred Securities Index. In light of the factors discussed above, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Preferred Securities Index. Changes to the composition of the Preferred Securities Index in connection with a rebalancing or reconstitution of the Preferred Securities 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

 

   

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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 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 active trading markets 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 Preferred Securities 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 Risk of Fund Shares. The market prices 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 and various orders that may be placed. Investors should consult their financial intermediary before purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.

Non-Diversified Risk. The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Therefore, the Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a smaller number of issuers or may invest a larger proportion of its assets in a single issuer. Moreover, the gains and losses on a single investment may have a greater impact on the Fund’s NAV and may make the Fund more volatile than more diversified funds.

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 Preferred Securities 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 real estate and utilities sectors, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on those sectors 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 showing the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year, five 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 taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.vaneck.com.

 

   

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Annual Total Returns (%)—Calendar Years

The year-to-date total return as of June 30, 2018 was 2.43%.

 

 

 

 

 

Best Quarter:

 

9.18%

 

1Q ’14

Worst Quarter:

 

-5.20%

 

4Q ’16

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past One Year

 

Past Five Years

 

Since Inception
(7/16/2012)

 

VanEck Vectors Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF
(return before taxes)

 

 

 

8.25

%

 

 

 

 

5.23

%

 

 

 

 

5.49

%

 

VanEck Vectors Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF
(return after taxes on distributions)

 

 

 

5.48

%

 

 

 

 

2.75

%

 

 

 

 

3.11

%

 

VanEck Vectors Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF
(return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares)

 

 

 

4.69

%

 

 

 

 

2.93

%

 

 

 

 

3.21

%

 

Wells Fargo® Hybrid and Preferred Securities ex Financials Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

 

 

 

7.41

%

 

 

 

 

5.07

%

 

 

 

 

5.49

%

 

S&P 500® Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

 

 

 

21.83

%

 

 

 

 

15.79

%

 

 

 

 

15.70

%

 

See “License Agreement and Disclaimer” for important information about the Fund’s benchmark index.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

Investment Adviser. Van Eck Associates Corporation.

Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

 

 

 

 

Name

 

Title with Adviser

 

Date Began Managing the Fund

 

Peter H. Liao

 

Portfolio Manager

 

July 2012

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.

 

   

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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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800.826.2333
vaneck.com

 

(09/18)