XShares Advisors LLC (XShares), a registered investment adviser developing precisely focused, innovative exchange traded products, today announced that its recently redesigned suite of HealthShares exchange traded funds (ETF) began trading on NYSE Arca today. Changes in the composition of the proprietary HealthShares indexes results in the four HealthShares ETFs listed below holding a greater number of constituent companies and generally higher minimum capitalization requirements.
HealthShares Cancer (NYSE: HHK), Diagnostics (NYSE: HHD), Drug Discovery Tools (NYSE: HHV), and European Drugs (NYSE: HRJ) ETFs, each of which previously held 22 stocks, began trading today with between 28 and 35 constituents. In addition, as of October 1, 2008, each of these ETFs has carried significantly lower expense ratios than when first introduced. A constituent list, which appears at the end of this release, the index methodology, and other fund information can be found on the company’s redesigned website: www.xsharesadvisors.com/healthshares.
| HealthShares ETFs* | Expense Cap | # of Stocks | ||
| HealthShares Cancer ETF (HHK) | 0.60% | 32 | ||
| HealthShares European Drugs ETF (HRJ) | 0.72% | 28 | ||
| HealthShares Diagnostics ETF (HHD) | 0.60% | 35 | ||
| HealthShares Drug Discovery Tools ETF (HHV) | 0.60% | 30 | ||
| * As of 10/21/08 |
“These four ETFs have demonstrated significant investor interest since their launch, and continue to offer healthcare investors subsector exposure that might otherwise be difficult to obtain,” said Joseph L. Schocken, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of XShares Group, Inc., parent company of XShares Advisors. “While we’ve increased the number of stocks in these ETFs, they still provide focused exposure to their market segment, but do so with greater diversification.”
| HEALTHSHARES CONSTITUENTS (10/21/08) | |||||||
| HHK | Wt | HHV | Wt | HHD | |||
| ABRAXIS BIOSCIENCE | 3.13% | ABRAXIS BIOSCIENCE NEW | 3.33% | ABAXIS | 2.86% | ||
| ARIAD PHARMA | 3.13% | AFFYMETRIX | 3.33% | AFFYMETRIX | 2.86% | ||
| BTG | 3.13% | ALKERMES | 3.33% | AMAG PHARMA | 2.86% | ||
| CEPHALON | 3.13% | ARENA PHARMA | 3.33% | ANALOGIC CORP | 2.86% | ||
| CHUGAI PHARMA | 3.13% | ARIAD PHARMA | 3.33% | ANGIODYNAMICS | 2.86% | ||
| COUGAR BIOTECHNOLOGY | 3.13% | BALCHEM | 3.33% | BECKMAN COULTER | 2.86% | ||
| CYTOKINETICS | 3.13% | CEPHALON | 3.33% | BIOMERIEUX | 2.86% | ||
| DR REDDYS LABS | 3.13% | CYTOKINETICS | 3.33% | BRUKER CORP | 2.86% | ||
| EISAI CO | 3.13% | EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS | 3.33% | CARL ZEISS MEDITEC | 2.86% | ||
| ENZON PHARMA | 3.13% | ENDO PHARMA | 3.33% | CEPHEID | 2.86% | ||
| EXELIXIS | 3.13% | ENZON PHARMA | 3.33% | DAINIPPON SUMITOMO | 2.86% | ||
| FRESENIUS | 3.13% | EXELIXIS | 3.33% | ENZO BIOCHEM | 2.86% | ||
| GENMAB AS | 3.13% | FERRO | 3.33% | GEN-PROBE NEW | 2.86% | ||
| GERON CORP | 3.13% | HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS | 3.33% | GIVEN IMAGING | 2.86% | ||
| GTX DEL | 3.13% | HOSPIRA | 3.33% | GRIFOLS SA | 2.86% | ||
| HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS | 3.13% | I-FLOW | 3.33% | HOLOGIC | 2.86% | ||
| HOSPIRA | 3.13% | ILLUMINA | 3.33% | IMMUCOR | 2.86% | ||
| IPSEN | 3.13% | INSULET | 3.33% | INVERNESS MED INNOV | 2.86% | ||
| ISIS PHARMA | 3.13% | INVITROGEN | 3.33% | KYORIN CO | 2.86% | ||
| KYOWA HAKKO KOGYO | 3.13% | LABORATORY AMER HLD | 3.33% | KYOWA HAKKO KOGYO | 2.86% | ||
| LIGAND PHARMA | 3.13% | MANNKIND | 3.33% | LABORATORY CORP US | 2.86% | ||
| MERCK KGAA | 3.13% | MASIMO | 3.33% | MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE | 2.86% | ||
| MYRIAD GENETICS | 3.13% | MYRIAD GENETICS | 3.33% | MERIT MED SYS | 2.86% | ||
| NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS | 3.13% | NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS | 3.33% | MOCHIDA PHARM | 2.86% | ||
| NIPPON KAYAKU | 3.13% | OBAGI MEDICAL PRODUCTS | 3.33% | NATUS MEDICAL DEL | 2.86% | ||
| ONYX PHARMA | 3.13% | SIGMA ALDRICH | 3.33% | NEOGEN CORP | 2.86% | ||
| OSI PHARMA | 3.13% | VERTEX PHARMA | 3.33% | NIGHTHAWK RADIOLOGY | 2.86% | ||
| PDL BIOPHARMA | 3.13% | VITAL IMAGES | 3.33% | QUIDEL CORP | 2.86% | ||
| REGENERON PHARMA | 3.13% | WATSON PHARMA | 3.33% | RESMED | 2.86% | ||
| UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORP | 3.13% | XENOPORT | 3.33% | SHIONOGI & CO | 2.86% | ||
| VERTEX PHARMA | 3.13% | SONOSITE | 2.86% | ||||
| YAKULT HONSHA | 3.13% | TECHNE CORP | 2.86% | ||||
| HRJ | TOMOTHERAPY | 2.86% | |||||
| ACTELION | 3.57% | LABORATORIOS ALMIR | 3.57% | TOPCON | 2.86% | ||
| ALK-ABELLO A/S | 3.57% | MEDA AB | 3.57% | VOLCANO | 2.86% | ||
| BASILEA PHARMA | 3.57% | MEDIGENE AG | 3.57% | ||||
| BTG | 3.57% | MERCK KGAA | 3.57% | ||||
| CRUCELL NV | 3.57% | MORPHOSYS | 3.57% | ||||
| ELAN | 3.57% | NEUROSEARCH A/S | 3.57% | ||||
| EURAND N.V. | 3.57% | NICOX SA | 3.57% | ||||
| FAES FARMA SA | 3.57% | NOVOZYMES A/S | 3.57% | ||||
| GALENICA AG | 3.57% | OMEGA PHARMA | 3.57% | ||||
| GENMAB AS | 3.57% | GRIFOLS SA | 3.57% | ||||
| HIKMA PHARMA | 3.57% | RECORDATI | 3.57% | ||||
| H.LUNDBECK A/S | 3.57% | GEDEON RICHTER | 3.57% | ||||
| INTERCELL AG | 3.57% | STALLERGENES | 3.57% | ||||
| IPSEN | 3.57% | UCB | 3.57% | ||||
Holdings are subject to change without notice. For a complete and current list of holdings visit www.xhsaresadvisors.com/healthshares.
About HealthShares
XShares Advisors LLC, a financial services company based in New York, is the creator of the HealthShares family of exchange traded funds (ETFs). HealthSharesTM is a registered trademark of XShares Group, Inc., the holding company for XShares Advisors. Each HealthShares ETF addresses a distinct healthcare subsector. HealthShares ETFs offer individual and institutional investors a more precise financial instrument that leverages the potential of healthcare investing while mitigating the risks of single stock picking. For more information about HealthShares, visit the website: ww.xsharesadvisors.com/healthshares.
About XShares Advisors
XShares Advisors LLC, a registered investment advisor, sponsors and develops innovative exchange traded products (ETPs). XShares Advisors partners with major institutions and index providers to create and license distinctive intellectual property for its ETPs. For more information, visit the company’s website at: www.xsharesadvisors.com.
An investor should consider the fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For this and more complete information about the fund, call 800.925.2870 or visit the website, www.xsharesadvisors.com/healthshares for a prospectus. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
There are risks involved with investing in ETFs, including possible loss of money. HealthShares are not actively managed and are subject to risks similar to stocks, including those related to short selling and margin maintenance. HealthShares ETFs are subject to increased risks associated with investing in a specific sector compared to a more diversified investment. Certain HealthShares ETFs invest in foreign securities that will be subject to certain risks not associated with domestic securities, such as currency fluctuations and changes in political and economic conditions. The prospectus is not an offer to buy or sell portfolio shares, nor is the fund soliciting an offer to buy its shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
XShares Advisors LLC nor its parent XShares Group LLC is affiliated with ALPS Distributors, Inc.
Distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.
HSI 524, Exp. 9/30/09
Contacts:
John McInerney, 212-508-9628
jmcinerney@makovsky.com
or
XShares
Advisors
Marsha Zapson, 646-467-8633
mzapson@xsharesadvisors.com
