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Moat Stocks Gain as Mega-Caps Falter

August 08, 2024

Read Time 6 MIN

As mega-cap tech stocks stumbled, July may mark the onset of a market rotation into more value-oriented investments. This may prove favorable for Morningstar’s Moat Index.

July saw a notable shift in U.S. equities. The Magnificent 7 tech sell-off drove a divergence between mega-cap growth stocks and the more value-oriented and smaller large-cap segment of the market. Nvidia and the rest of the Mag 7 have led the market for much of the year, and their sharp declines in July pulled down the broader market indexes. Meanwhile, small-caps and value-oriented areas of the market saw significant gains during the same period. While this rotation out of the mega-caps has only recently emerged, this trend may just have legs as many investors now appear to be looking for ways to reduce their exposure to the historic levels of concentration in equity markets today.

The Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index (the “Moat Index”) significantly outperformed in July, gaining 5.44% versus the 1.22% return for the S&P 500 Index. Driving this outperformance was an underweight to mega-cap tech, as well as strong stock selection, particularly within the industrials sector. More on drivers of performance are below. Year-to-date, the Moat Index remains a laggard to S&P 500, given its value bias and structural underweight to mega-caps, but this contrarian positioning may prove favorable going forward as market dynamics shift.

After months of struggle, U.S. smaller cap stocks staged a remarkable turnaround in July, with the pure small-cap benchmark rising over 10% and the mid-cap benchmark up nearly 6%. A strong consumer price index (CPI) release on July 11 was a primary catalyst for this rally in smaller names. The CPI report showed further easing in inflation, increasing the market-implied odds of a September rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Morningstar US Small-Mid Cap Moat Focus Index (the “SMID Moat Index”) trailed pure small-caps, but slightly outpaced mid-caps in July.

Moat Stocks Rebound in July

Moat Stocks Rebound in July

Source: Morningstar. Data as of 7/31/2024. 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.

Much of this year has been characterized by extreme levels of concentration within the U.S. equity market, driven by the Magnificent 7 and the mania around AI. Over the last few weeks, Nvidia and mega-cap tech have stumbled in what could be characterized as the start of a “Magnificent Rotation.” Stretched valuations and questions around when the massive capital expenditures in AI will begin to deliver a return have led investors to take some chips off the table and rotate into more value-oriented areas of the market.

Since Nvidia’s mid-June all-time high, it has fallen roughly 20% through the beginning of August, dragging down the broader market, while the Moat Index gained over 5% during the same period. The Moat Index benefited from its focus on high quality companies with attractive valuations, which has guided it toward a slight value bias and pushed it away from mega-cap tech. The Moat Index’s positioning has been a headwind for much of 2024, but may now prove beneficial considering current market dynamics. Further illustrating the rotation away from the Mag 7, the equal weighted variant of the S&P 500 index was also up during the period; however, its low-conviction methodology that indiscriminately allocates equally to all 500 constituents lagged the Moat Index.

Moat Index Rebounds on Rotation Away from Mega-Caps

Moat Index Rebounds on Rotation Away from Mega-Caps

Source: Morningstar. As of 8/1/2024. 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.

Beyond the underweight to mega-cap tech, strong stock selection within the strategy was also a notable driver of relative performance in July. Selection effect during the month accounted for over 300 basis points of outperformance versus the S&P 500. The majority of that is attributable to Industrial names, which are heavily featured in the top contributors table this month.

Consumer credit bureaus TransUnion (TRU) and Equifax (EFX) were both top contributors to performance during the month off the back of strong second quarter earnings results that sent shares of TRU and EFX up 21% and 15%, respectively. On TransUnion, Morningstar equity analyst Rajiv Bhatia maintained his $100 fair value estimate, noting that he continues to view the risk/reward profile on TRU shares as attractive. Other top contributors within Industrials include aerospace and defense manufacturer RTX as well as residential and commercial security products company Allegion (ALLE), which were each up over 15% in July.

Names detracting from the Moat Index this month were largely within the Technology sector, with the semiconductor industrial automation equipment provider Teradyne Inc. (TER) and the well-known mega-cap tech conglomerate Alphabet (GOOGL) both as top detractors. Other detractors include Charles Schwab (SCHW), global beauty products seller Estee Lauder (EL) and drug manufacturer Biogen (BIIB).

Top Contributors and Detractors from Moat Index - July 2024

Leading Contributors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
TransUnion TRU Industrials 2.33 0.51
RTX Corp. RTX Industrials 2.56 0.44
Allegion ALLE Industrials 2.35 0.37
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. BMY Healthcare 2.20 0.36
Equifax Inc. EFX Industrials 2.32 0.35

Leading Detractors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
Teradyne Inc. TER Technology 1.68 -0.19
Charles Schwab Corp. SCHW Financial Services 1.35 -0.16
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. EL Consumer Defensive 2.10 -0.13
Biogen Inc. BIIB Healthcare 1.30 -0.10
Alphabet Inc. GOOGL Technology 1.72 -0.10

Source: Morningstar, July 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 smaller cap SMID Moat Index also benefited from the above-mentioned TransUnion (TRU) as the mid-cap stock’s July performance led the pack of SMID moat companies as well. Regional automobile dealership Asbury Automotive Group (ABG) was also a top contributor as shares rose over 18% in anticipation of its early August quarter earnings report. Another top contributor was Allegion (ALLE), a global leader in security products and solutions, which saw its share price spike following a strong earnings report. Morningstar’s Brian Bernard noted that wide-moat Allegion’s second quarter financial performance came in ahead of expectations with increased forward guidance as well. Brain raised his fair value estimate to $151 per share due to a more optimistic near-term revenue growth profit margin outlook.

Names that most negatively contributed to the SMID Moat Index performance during the month include internet content and e-commerce platform Pinterest (PINS), North America’s second-largest ride-sharing service provider Lyft (LYFT), packed food company Lamb Weston (LW), the largest global cruise company Carnival (CCL), and independent broker/dealer LPL Financial (LPLA), which all declined by double digits in July.

Top Contributors and Detractors from SMID Moat Index - July 2024

Leading Contributors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
TransUnion TRU Industrials 1.26 0.28
Asbury Automotive Group ABG Consumer Cyclical 1.40 0.26
Mattel Inc. MAT Consumer Cyclical 1.21 0.23
SS&C Technologies SSNC Technology 1.37 0.23
Allegion ALLE Industrials 1.29 0.21

Leading Detractors

Company Ticker Sector Avg. Weight (%) Contribution (%)
Pinterest Inc. PINS Communication Services 0.82 -0.23
Lyft Inc. LYFT Technology 1.13 -0.17
Lamb Weston Inc. LW Consumer Defensive 0.57 -0.16
Carnival Corp. CCL Consumer Cyclical 1.47 -0.16
LPL Financial Inc. LPLA Financial Services 0.67 -0.14

Source: Morningstar, July 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.

Choose Your Moat Strategy

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:

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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.

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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.