Most Market Vectors ETFs Dodge Long-Term 2012 Cap Gains

Van Eck's Market Vectors unit, the fifth-largest U.S. ETF sponsor, announced that just five of its 50 ETFs will make long-term capital gains distributions to investors this year. Distributions are paid to investors from the capital gains of the firm's investment portfolio. For example, when a mutual fund manager turns a profit on a trade and closes the position, the fund's shareholders, not the sponsor, are saddled with the tax liability. Most ETFs do not distribute capital gains to investors, which makes the asset class typically more tax efficient than mutual funds. Four of the Market Vectors funds making long-term capital gains distributions will do so to the tune of less than a penny per share. Those funds are the Market Vectors CEF Municipal Income ETF XMPT, the Market Vectors Intermediate Municipal Index ETF ITM, the Market Vectors Short Municipal Index ETF SMB and the Market Vectors Mortgage REIT ETF MORT. The Market Vectors LatAm Aggregate Bond ETF BONO will make a distribution of 2.8 cents per share, according to a statement on Van Eck's Web site. The firm said the estimates were made on October 31 and are subject to change. The Market Vectors Biotech ETF BBH and the Market Vectors Oil Services ETF OIH will make short-term capital gains distribution this year. Last week, BlackRock's iShares unit, the world's largest ETF sponsor, said said 275 of its 280 ETFs, or 98 percent of its lineup, will not pay capital gains distributions to investors this year. For more on ETFs, click here.