Jim Rogers and S-Network Partner on New Benchmark Index for Hard Assets

Index Covers over 15 Percent of World's Stock Market
Capitalization
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
The Rogers(TM) Van Eck Hard Assets Producers Index(SM) (Ticker:
RVEI) commenced real-time price dissemination today.

The RVEI will serve as a comprehensive, data-rich equity benchmark
for the global commodities sector, which is also referred to as the
hard assets sector. Says commodity investor Jim Rogers, Chairman of
the Rogers(TM) Van Eck(SM) (RVE) Index Committee, "With this index, we
provide a reliable and comprehensive benchmark for measuring the
performance of the global hard assets industry, which is central to
the world economy, accounting for approximately 14 percent of world
economic output."

The RVEI comprises 310 stocks from around the world that together
account for nearly 15 percent of the world's total stock market
capitalization. The RVEI is a capitalization-weighted index, adjusted
for free float. It is divided into six sectors: a) Energy, b)
Agriculture, c) Base and Industrial Metals, d) Precious Metals and e)
Alternatives (Renewable Energy and Water). The sectors are weighted
based on estimates of global consumption of the respective
commodities. Over 90 percent of the global stock market capitalization
of each sector is captured.

Data will be available through most data vendors. The RVE Family
of Indexes is published by S-Network Global Indexes, LLC and S&P
Custom Indexes serves as its calculation agent.

In recent years, the hard assets sector has experienced
significant growth due to steadily rising commodity prices. Based on
back tests, the RVEI has risen over 300 percent over the past five
years. Says Rogers, "We think the bull market in commodities still has
a long way to go, especially when you look at growth rates in China,
India, the MENA countries and throughout most of the developing world,
where demand for just about every commodity is rising at unprecedented
rates."

Companies, except for those in the water sector, contained in the
RVEI must derive at least 50 percent of their revenues from the
applicable commodity sector. Altogether, these companies own or
control most of the world's production of energy and metals, and play
central roles in world agricultural production. The RVEI includes
stocks from 39 sovereign jurisdictions, including the United States,
China, Russia, Brazil and a number of European countries. Says Joseph
LaCorte, Managing Member of New York-based index publisher S-Network
Global Indexes, LLC, "The RVEI is global, comprehensive and pure-play.
It is also forward-looking, because it covers sectors, such as
alternative energy and water, which have not been included in the hard
assets category until now."

In addition to the RVEI, S-Network Global Indexes will also
publish five related indexes: The RVE Hard Assets Producers Composite
of 845 stocks (Ticker: RVEC); the RVE Hard Assets Producers Liquid
Index of 50 stocks (Ticker: RVEXL); the RVE Energy Producers Index
(Ticker: RVEE); the RVE Agricultural Producers Index (Ticker: RVEA)
and the RVE Metals Producers Index (Ticker: RVEM).

Detailed information, including constituent data, rules and price
information, on the Rogers(TM) Van Eck Hard Assets Producers Index(SM)
is available at www.rveindexes.com.

Bios and Backgrounds:

Jim Rogers:

Jim Rogers is the well-known commodity investor, financial author
and commentator. He was a founder of the Quantum Fund and served as a
professor of finance, Columbia University School of Business.

S-Network Global Indexes, LLC:

S-Network Global Indexes, LLC is a publisher and developer of
proprietary and custom indexes. Since its founding in 1997, S-Network
has worked with many of the leading financial services firms in the
world on index development, indexation and index-based products,
including ETFs and ETNs. S-Network currently publishes over twenty
benchmark indexes that are licensed to asset managers and investment
banks throughout the world.

Van Eck Global ("Van Eck"):

Van Eck, an investment firm with over 50 years experience
investing in hard assets, has endorsed the index.

"Jim Rogers," "James Beeland Rogers, Jr.," "Rogers," are
trademarks, service marks and/or registered trademarks of Beeland
Interests, Inc., which is owned and controlled by James Beeland
Rogers, Jr., and are used subject to license. The names of Jim
Rogers/James Beeland Rogers, Jr. are trademarks and service marks of
James Beeland Rogers, Jr.

Neither Beeland Interests, James Beeland Rogers, Jr. or Van Eck
Global ("Van Eck") makes any representation or warranty, express or
implied, nor accepts any responsibility, regarding the accuracy or
completeness of this press release, or the advisability of investing
in securities or commodities generally, or in RVEI or in futures
particularly.

Beeland interests and its affiliates and Van Eck and its
affiliates shall not have any liability for any errors, omissions, or
interruptions, and makes no warranty, express or implied, as to
results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of RVEI.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Beeland
interests or Van Eck or any of their affiliates have any liability for
any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential
damages or losses, even if notified of the possibility thereof.

S-Network Global Indexes, LLC
Joseph LaCorte, CFA, 646-467-7927
Info@snetworkllc.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008