us en false false
Skip directly to Accessibility Notice

Moat Stocks Review: Navigating Bonds, Beauty and Battleships

November 12, 2024

Read Time 6 MIN

October saw mixed performance across U.S. equities. Sector allocations created headwinds for the Moat Index, while strong stock selection bolstered the SMID Moat Index.

U.S. equity markets exhibited mixed performance in October. Major indices briefly reached new all-time highs, before pulling back due in part to anticipation around the closely contested U.S. presidential election. The market movements were influenced by a mix of corporate earnings, economic data, and the potential policy implications of the election outcome. Despite some volatility towards the month's end, investor sentiment remained cautiously optimistic. The prospect of policy adjustments from the incoming administration added to the market's dynamics, though it was clear that traditional economic fundamentals like employment figures and inflation rates continued to play significant roles in investor decision-making.

After a strong third quarter, where the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index (the “Moat Index”) gained 12.1% compared to the S&P 500’s 5.8%, the Moat Index took a breather in October as it trailed the broader market. Sector allocation was the primary driver of underperformance during the month, as overweights in health care, industrials and consumer defensives detracted the most from performance. Quarterly earnings-related volatility in a few wide moat names also detracted. Year-to-date, the Moat Index, as well as most other segments of the equity market, remain laggards to an S&P 500 that has been dragged up by the dominance of mega-cap technology.

Down market-cap, smaller companies also fell in October with the small- and mid-cap benchmarks down 2.6% and 0.7% during the month, respectively. The Morningstar US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus Index (the “SMID Moat Index”) fared slightly better, falling only about half a percentage point. The SMID Moat Index’s October outperformance was predominantly the result of strong stock selection by the strategy. Despite their relative underperformance the last few years, future prospects for SMID-caps appear to be improving.

Equities Choppy Leading into U.S. Elections

Source: Morningstar. Data as of 10/31/2024. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is not representative of fund performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Fund performance current to the most recent month end is available by visiting vaneck.com or by calling 800.826.2333.

Sector allocations were the primary driver of performance in October, with overweights in health care, industrials, and consumer defensive sectors having the greatest negative impact. Volatility in quarterly earnings among some wide moat companies also detracted during the month. However, bright spots within the Moat Index remained and helped to offset this.

In the top slot of the contributors table this month is the wide moat MarketAxess (MKTX). MarketAxess is a leading electronic trading platform that connects broker-dealers and institutional investors. The company is primarily focused on credit based fixed income securities, with its main trading products being U.S. investment-grade and high-yield bonds as well as emerging market corporate debt. Morningstar believes that MarketAxess is well-positioned to benefit from the transition away from voice-negotiated trading toward electronic platforms, creating strong tailwinds for continued revenue growth. MKTX saw its share price rise nearly 13% in October to end the month around $290 per share, which still falls below Morningstar’s $305 estimate of fair value.

The two largest detractors during the month were both related to volatility surrounding earnings as Estee Lauder (EL) and Huntington Ingalls (HII) both saw notable declines in the final days of the month following their quarterly releases. The global personal care and beauty product company Estee Lauder posted decent results with a beat on earnings per share, but signaled some uncertainty in forward guidance around sales growth in China. Morningstar adjusted their estimate of fair value down to $162 from $176 following the update, but still views shares as deeply undervalued at a 50% discount and continues to see a path to growth over the medium term as the macro backdrop brightens.

Huntington Ingalls (HII), a wide moat independent military shipbuilder responsible for supplying the U.S. Navy with destroyers and nuclear submarines, also saw near-term earnings-related volatility following prolonged contract negotiations with the Navy. However, Morningstar remains optimistic about Huntington Ingalls given its 40% discount to their fair value estimate and that Huntington is one of only two major shipbuilders for the U.S. Navy, which has a vested interest in maintaining the financial viability of the company.

Top Contributors and Detractors from Moat Index - October 2024

Leading Contributors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
MarketAxess Inc MKTX Financials 2.62 0.34
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co BMY Health Care 2.64 0.24
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc BIO Health Care 2.58 0.18
Salesforce Inc CRM Technology 2.58 0.17
Altria Group Inc MO Consumer Staples 2.40 0.16

Leading Detractors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
Estee Lauder EL Consumer Staples 2.38 -0.73
Huntington Ingalls HII Industrials 2.44 -0.73
Nike Inc NKE Consumer Discretionary 2.39 -0.30
Agilent Technologies Inc A Health Care 2.51 -0.30
Brown-Forman Corp BF.B Consumer Staples 2.56 -0.27

Source: Morningstar, October 2024. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the securities mentioned herein.

The SMID Moat Index’s lead over small- and mid-cap broad benchmarks in October was driven by favorable stock selection rather than sector over or underweights. Sailing ahead of the pack this month were two cruise line operators, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) and Carnival (CCL) as both names gained around 20% in October. With pandemic-related changes in consumer behavior around travel well behind, Morningstar views these cruise liners as on a path to generate excess economic rents going forward. This optimism is reflected in Morningstar’s fair value estimates for NCLH and CCL, $31.50 and $28.00, respectively, which indicate room for further advancement in share price for both.

Also positively contributing to the SMID Moat Index’s performance in October was the mid-cap financial services and investment advisory firm LPL Financial (LPLA). Following a strong earnings release that saw the recruitment of new assets and ongoing retention and monetization of existing assets, shares of LPLA soared to end the month up 20%. Morningstar noted that they don't anticipate making a significant change to their $314 per share fair value estimate following the update, and that they assess shares as being fairly valued to modestly undervalued.

Names that detracted most from SMID Moat Index performance during the month include the aforementioned shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls, the government-sponsored healthcare plan focused managed care organization Centene (CNC), health diagnostics and research company IQVIA Holdings (IQV), semiconductor equipment and materials company Teradyne (TER), and toy and game company Hasbro (HAS).

Top Contributors and Detractors from SMID Moat Index - October 2024

Leading Contributors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
Norwegian Cruise Line NCLH Consumer Discretionary 1.33 0.31
LPL Financial Holdings LPLA Financials 1.22 0.26
Carnival Corp CCL Consumer Discretionary 1.35 0.26
The Carlyle Group Inc CG Financials 1.38 0.22
WESCO International Inc WCC Industrials 1.27 0.18

Leading Detractors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
Huntington Ingalls HII Industrials 1.35 -0.40
Centene Corp CNC Health Care 1.35 -0.23
IQVIA Holdings Inc IQV Health Care 1.31 -0.17
Teradyne Inc TER Technology 0.63 -0.13
Hasbro Inc HAS Consumer Discretionary 1.41 -0.13

Source: Morningstar, October 2024. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the securities mentioned herein.

VanEck’s suite of moat investing strategies is powered by Morningstar’s equity research team, which seeks quality companies trading at attractive valuations. The below ETFs offer access to US moat companies:

VanEck Morningstar Wide ETF (MOAT): companies with a wide moat rating, which means Morningstar believes the company is likely to sustain its competitive advantage for at least the next 20 years.

VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT): small and mid-cap moat companies.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Growth ETF (MGRO): wide moat companies within Morningstar’s growth characteristics.

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Value ETF (MVAL): wide moat companies within Morningstar’s value characteristics.

Follow Us

Important Disclosures

Source for all data unless otherwise noted: Morningstar.

Fair value estimate: the Morningstar analyst's estimate of what a stock is worth. Price/Fair Value: ratio of a stock's trading price to its fair value estimate.

This is not an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities, financial instruments or digital assets mentioned herein. The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, tax advice, or any call to action. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward-looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are for illustrative purposes only, are valid as of the date of this communication, and are subject to change without notice. Actual future performance of any assets or industries mentioned are unknown. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. VanEck does not guarantee the accuracy of third party data. The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck or its other employees.

Holdings will vary for the MOAT ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: MOAT - VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF - Holdings.

Holdings will vary for the SMOT ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: SMOT - VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF - Holdings.

Holdings will vary for the MGRO ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: MGRO - VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Growth ETF - Holdings.

Holdings will vary for the MVAL ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: MVAL - VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Value ETF - Holdings.

An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Returns reflect past performance and do not guarantee future results. Results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, if any. Certain indices may take into account withholding taxes. Index returns do not represent Fund returns. The Index does not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, nor does the Index lend securities, and no revenues from securities lending were added to the performance shown.

The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus IndexSM were created and are maintained by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. does not sponsor, endorse, issue, sell, or promote the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF or the VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF and bears no liability with respect to the ETFs or any security. Morningstar® is a registered trademark of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus IndexSM are service marks of Morningstar, Inc

The Morningstar® US Broad Value Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Broad Growth Wide Moat Focus IndexSM were created and are maintained by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. does not sponsor, endorse, issue, sell, or promote the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Value ETF and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Growth ETF and bears no liability with respect to the Funds or any security. Morningstar® is a registered trademark of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar® US Broad Value Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Broad Growth Wide Moat Focus IndexSM are service marks of Morningstar, Inc.

Effective June 20, 2016, Morningstar implemented several changes to the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index construction rules. Among other changes, the index increased its constituent count from 20 stocks to at least 40 stocks and modified its rebalance and reconstitution methodology. These changes may result in more diversified exposure, lower turnover, and longer holding periods for index constituents than under the rules in effect prior to this date. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The Morningstar moat-driven indexes represent various regional exposures and consist of companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages and whose stocks are attractively priced, according to Morningstar.

The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM is intended to track the overall performance of attractively priced companies with sustainable competitive advantages according to Morningstar's equity research team.

The Morningstar® US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus IndexSM is intended to track the overall performance of small- and mid-cap companies with sustainable competitive advantages and attractive valuations according to Morningstar's equity research team.

Morningstar® US Broad Value Wide Moat Focus IndexSM: consists of at least 30 U.S. value-oriented companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages, and whose stocks are the most attractively priced, according to Morningstar.

Morningstar® US Broad Growth Wide Moat Focus IndexSM: consists of at least 30 U.S. growth-oriented companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages, and whose stocks are the most attractively priced, according to Morningstar.

The S&P SmallCap 600 Index represents small-cap US companies. The S&P Midcap 400 Index provides investors with a benchmark for mid-sized US companies. The S&P 500 Index tracks the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The S&P 500 Equal Weighted Index which is an equally weighted version of the market-cap weighted S&P 500 Index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, Dow Jones, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. Nasdaq Composite is a stock market index that includes almost all stocks listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Van Eck Associates Corporation. Copyright ©2024 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC’s indices please visit www.spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of S&P Global and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT®) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, health care sector, industrials sector, information technology sector, financials sector, medium-capitalization companies, market, operational, high portfolio turnover, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount risk and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversification and index-related concentration risks, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT®) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, small- and medium-capitalization companies, consumer discretionary sector, financials sector, health care sector, industrials sector, information technology sector, market, operational, high portfolio turnover, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount risk and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and index-related concentration risks, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Small- and medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Value ETF (MVAL) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, value style investing, financials sector, health care sector, industrials sector, large- and medium-capitalization companies, market, operational, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, new fund, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and index-related concentration risks, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Large- and medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks. The Fund’s value strategy may result in the Fund investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole. Furthermore, the value companies identified by the Index provider may not operate as expected, and there is no guarantee that the index provider’s proprietary valuation model will perform as intended.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Growth ETF (MGRO) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, growth style investing, consumer discretionary sector, industrials sector, financials sector, large- and medium-capitalization companies, health care sector, information technology sector, market, operational, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, new fund, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and index-related concentration risk, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Large- and medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks. The Fund’s growth strategy may result in the Fund investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole. Furthermore, the growth companies identified by the Index provider may not operate as expected, and there is no guarantee that the index provider’s proprietary valuation model will perform as intended.

Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of a Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contain this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.

©️ Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation.

Important Disclosures

Source for all data unless otherwise noted: Morningstar.

Fair value estimate: the Morningstar analyst's estimate of what a stock is worth. Price/Fair Value: ratio of a stock's trading price to its fair value estimate.

This is not an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation to buy or sell any of the securities, financial instruments or digital assets mentioned herein. The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, tax advice, or any call to action. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward-looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are for illustrative purposes only, are valid as of the date of this communication, and are subject to change without notice. Actual future performance of any assets or industries mentioned are unknown. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. VanEck does not guarantee the accuracy of third party data. The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck or its other employees.

Holdings will vary for the MOAT ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: MOAT - VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF - Holdings.

Holdings will vary for the SMOT ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: SMOT - VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF - Holdings.

Holdings will vary for the MGRO ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: MGRO - VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Growth ETF - Holdings.

Holdings will vary for the MVAL ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: MVAL - VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Value ETF - Holdings.

An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Returns reflect past performance and do not guarantee future results. Results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, if any. Certain indices may take into account withholding taxes. Index returns do not represent Fund returns. The Index does not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, nor does the Index lend securities, and no revenues from securities lending were added to the performance shown.

The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus IndexSM were created and are maintained by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. does not sponsor, endorse, issue, sell, or promote the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF or the VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF and bears no liability with respect to the ETFs or any security. Morningstar® is a registered trademark of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus IndexSM are service marks of Morningstar, Inc

The Morningstar® US Broad Value Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Broad Growth Wide Moat Focus IndexSM were created and are maintained by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. does not sponsor, endorse, issue, sell, or promote the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Value ETF and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Growth ETF and bears no liability with respect to the Funds or any security. Morningstar® is a registered trademark of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar® US Broad Value Wide Moat Focus IndexSM and Morningstar® US Broad Growth Wide Moat Focus IndexSM are service marks of Morningstar, Inc.

Effective June 20, 2016, Morningstar implemented several changes to the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index construction rules. Among other changes, the index increased its constituent count from 20 stocks to at least 40 stocks and modified its rebalance and reconstitution methodology. These changes may result in more diversified exposure, lower turnover, and longer holding periods for index constituents than under the rules in effect prior to this date. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The Morningstar moat-driven indexes represent various regional exposures and consist of companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages and whose stocks are attractively priced, according to Morningstar.

The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM is intended to track the overall performance of attractively priced companies with sustainable competitive advantages according to Morningstar's equity research team.

The Morningstar® US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus IndexSM is intended to track the overall performance of small- and mid-cap companies with sustainable competitive advantages and attractive valuations according to Morningstar's equity research team.

Morningstar® US Broad Value Wide Moat Focus IndexSM: consists of at least 30 U.S. value-oriented companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages, and whose stocks are the most attractively priced, according to Morningstar.

Morningstar® US Broad Growth Wide Moat Focus IndexSM: consists of at least 30 U.S. growth-oriented companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages, and whose stocks are the most attractively priced, according to Morningstar.

The S&P SmallCap 600 Index represents small-cap US companies. The S&P Midcap 400 Index provides investors with a benchmark for mid-sized US companies. The S&P 500 Index tracks the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The S&P 500 Equal Weighted Index which is an equally weighted version of the market-cap weighted S&P 500 Index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, Dow Jones, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. Nasdaq Composite is a stock market index that includes almost all stocks listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Van Eck Associates Corporation. Copyright ©2024 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC’s indices please visit www.spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of S&P Global and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT®) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, health care sector, industrials sector, information technology sector, financials sector, medium-capitalization companies, market, operational, high portfolio turnover, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount risk and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversification and index-related concentration risks, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETF (SMOT®) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, small- and medium-capitalization companies, consumer discretionary sector, financials sector, health care sector, industrials sector, information technology sector, market, operational, high portfolio turnover, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount risk and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and index-related concentration risks, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Small- and medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Value ETF (MVAL) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, value style investing, financials sector, health care sector, industrials sector, large- and medium-capitalization companies, market, operational, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, new fund, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and index-related concentration risks, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Large- and medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks. The Fund’s value strategy may result in the Fund investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole. Furthermore, the value companies identified by the Index provider may not operate as expected, and there is no guarantee that the index provider’s proprietary valuation model will perform as intended.

An investment in the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat Growth ETF (MGRO) may be subject to risks which include, among others, risks related to investing in equity securities, growth style investing, consumer discretionary sector, industrials sector, financials sector, large- and medium-capitalization companies, health care sector, information technology sector, market, operational, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, new fund, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and index-related concentration risk, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. Large- and medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks. The Fund’s growth strategy may result in the Fund investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole. Furthermore, the growth companies identified by the Index provider may not operate as expected, and there is no guarantee that the index provider’s proprietary valuation model will perform as intended.

Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of a Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contain this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.

©️ Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation.