| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Investment management |
| Founded | New York, NY (1955) |
| Headquarters | New York, NY, U.S. |
| Key people | Jan van Eck, Principal, Director; Bruce Smith, CFO; Bill Best, Business Development; Harvey Hirsch, SVP, Marketing; Joseph McBrien, General Counsel; Derek van Eck, Principal, CIO (deceased); John van Eck, Founder (retired) |
| Products | Mutual funds, ETFs, ETNs, insurance funds, SMAs, alternative investments |
| Revenue | N/A |
| AUM | US$34.5 billion (March 2011) |
| Employees | 100+ (2010) |
| Website | www.vaneck.com |
Van Eck Associates Corporation and Van Eck Securities Corporation are together referred to as Van Eck Global.
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Van Eck Global is an investment management firm founded in 1955 and based in New York City. The firm was among the first U.S. money managers, helping investors achieve greater diversification through global investing and today offers global investment choices in hard assets, emerging markets, precious metals including gold, and other specialized investment categories. Van Eck Global manages and distributes the Market Vectors family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) [1].
Founder and former Chairman of the Board John C. van Eck is recognized as an expert in the gold sector and a pioneer of international and gold investments; he is credited with the creation of the first gold equity mutual fund.
Van Eck has a reputation of pioneering major alternative investment themes. In 1955, John C. van Eck started one of the first international equity funds to provide a convenient vehicle for U.S. investors to share in the returns of post-war development in Europe and Japan.[2] In 1968, forecasting inflationary pressures in the U.S., van Eck established the nation’s first gold fund. In the 1980s, the company introduced one of the first global fixed income funds to capitalize on the depreciating dollar. In 1993, Van Eck again offered one of the first mutual funds in what was once considered a cutting edge marketplace—Asia. In 1994, Van Eck created the first “hard assets” equities fund, which invests in energy, forest products, and industrial and precious metals securities. Today, the firm continues to offer investors specialized investments with global coverage extending to Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. In 2006, the firm launched its Market Vectors brand, under which it offers a series of exchange-trade products. [3]
With an inception date of 1955, the Van Eck International Investors Gold Fund (INIVX) was the first gold equity mutual fund offered to U.S. investors, offering exposure to a distinct asset class that is often considered a hedge during times of economic and political uncertainty[4].
The Van Eck Global Hard Assets Fund (GHAAX), launched in 1994, was the first "hard assets" equity fund, offering investors exposure to securities of commodity-related companies.
The Van Eck Gold Miners ETF (GDX), launched in 2006, was the first exchange-traded fund in the U.S. offering broad exposure to the gold mining equity market [5]..