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  • Trends with Benefits

    Trends with Benefits #37: Steven Schoenfeld on Israel and Emerging Markets

    Ed Lopez, Head of ETF Product
    December 01, 2020
     

    In this episode, I catch up with Steven Schoenfeld, CEO of MV Index Solutions. We chat about what Israel's recent accords with the UAE and Bahrain mean for investment in the region as well as the need for reassessing how investors define emerging markets.


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    Steven is a veteran of the investment management industry with a long history in index development and ETFs. He's also a keen observer of international affairs and of the Middle East in particular. In fact, in 2013 VanEck licensed an index for an Israel-focused ETF from Steven's company BlueStar indexes, which has since been acquired by MVIS. So, it was with great interest I sought out Steven to go over Israel's landmark accords with the UAE and Bahrain. Israel has proven to be a resilient investment destination, especially given its geography, and I was curious how he thought normalization of ties with these countries would help Israel and the region.

    As the new CEO of MVIS following its acquisition of BlueStar Indexes in August, Steven has big goals for the index shop. One topic he and I have bantered on about for years is the label 'emerging markets' and how some investors are forced to allocate money based on what may be an outdated categorization. There have been some major changes to the broad EM indexes in recent years which have heightened concentration risks in some cases. He and his team are thinking through new frameworks and solutions for investors.

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    Listen for Steven’s take on cryptocurrency, fractional shares and active non-transparent ETFs.

    Follow Ed Lopez @ThatEdLopez on Twitter and Steven Schoenfeld @SASchoenfeld on Twitter.

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    IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES

    Please note that Van Eck Securities Corporation (an affiliated broker-dealer of Van Eck Associates Corporation) may offer investments products that invest in the asset class(es) discussed in this podcast.

    The views and opinions expressed are those of the speaker(s) but not necessarily those of VanEck. Commentaries are general in nature and should not be construed as investment advice. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are valid as of the date of this communication and subject to change without notice. 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. Any discussion of specific securities/financial instruments mentioned in the commentary is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy these securities. Fund holdings will vary. All indices mentioned are measures of common market sectors and performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Information on holdings, performance and indices can be found at vaneck.com.

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