Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index A History of Outperformance (Part 2/2)  is part two of a two-part series that examines the Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexTM. The previous post described how the index is constructed.

Outperformance

The Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index (MWMFTR or “U.S. Moat Index”) is designed to capture the performance of U.S. companies with a Morningstar Economic Moat Ranking of Wide that are trading at an attractive price. The strategy of combining quality and value has resulted in an index track record of generating significant excess returns relative to the overall U.S. equity market. With an appreciation of 203.66 percent since inception in February 2007, the U.S. Moat Index has outpaced the S&P 500 Index by a total of 95.24 percentage points. Looking at the annualized performance, the Morningstar index has outperformed the broader U.S. market by roughly four percentage points. (Data as of 31.05.2017).

This longer-term trend is also reflected in the more recent performance: Moat-companies in the US equity market have profited stronger from the Rally that started in the beginning of this year than the broader market. While the year-to-date-performance of the S&P is at 8.66 percent, the U.S. Moat Index posted returns of 10.68 percent (Data as of 31.05.2017).

Batting Average

Measured against the S&P 500 Index, the U.S. Moat Index also features an impressive batting average, particularly over long-term holding periods. Batting average is a sports metaphor that is used in finance to describe the level of relative success for an investment strategy. Specifically, it indicates how often an investment strategy has outperformed a benchmark through various periods over time. The batting average is measured by dividing the number of periods a portfolio or investment strategy outperforms a benchmark by the total number of periods. On a six-month rolling period, the performance of the MWMFTR outperformed the S&P 500 in 59 percent of all cases. For three years rolling period, this figure is as high as 78 percent (Data as of 31.05.2017).

Important Disclosures

This commentary is not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the named securities. Holdings will vary for the MOAT ETF and their corresponding Indices.

Index performance is not representative of fund performance. To view fund performance current to the most recent month end, visit vaneck.com.

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. 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.

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.

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

The Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index consists of U.S. companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages and whose stocks are attractively priced, according to Morningstar.

The S&P 500® Index consists of 500 widely held common stocks covering the leading industries of the U.S. economy.

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.