Ardour Solar Energy Index Returns 25.3% Year to Date

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM (Bloomberg ticker: SOLRX), the pure-play leader in tracking the solar energy industry, returned 16.3% in April 2008 and -25.3% year-to-date through end-April 2008.*

The SOLRX index is comprised of a basket of securities of companies from around the world that are engaged in various aspects of the solar energy industry, including solar electricity, heating and lighting. The Index includes only those companies that generate at least 66% of their revenues from solar energy. On an index-weighted basis, the constituents of SOLRX derive well over 90% of their revenues from solar energy.

SOLRX was launched on April 21, 2008 and includes many companies of global prominence—such as First Solar, Q Cells and Renewable Energy, with weightings of 10.8%, 11.7% and 10.0%, respectively, as of April 30, 2008. The Index comprised 27 companies in all as of that same date. SOLRX is published by Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM and is a member of the Ardour FamilySM of Alternative Energy Indexes, which serve as leading alternative energy industry benchmarks.

Market Vectors—Solar Energy ETF (Amex: KWT) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the SOLRX index. KWT generally holds all the securities that make up the Index in proportion to their Index weightings.

*Past performance does not guarantee future results. The Index’s return does not represent the performance of any fund. The Index charges no fees, including management fees or brokerage expenses, and no such fees or expenses were deducted from the performance shown. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index. Performance information presented for the Index covering the period prior to April 21, 2008 is based on hypothetical, back-tested data. Prior to April 21, 2008, the Index was not calculated in real time by an independent calculation agent. Hypothetical, back-tested performance has inherent limitations and is not indicative of future results. No representation is being made that any investment will achieve performance similar to that shown.