LIMA, Peru, Dec. 3, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. "Buenaventura" (NYSE:BVN) (Lima Stock Exchange:BUE.LM), Peru's largest publicly traded precious metals mining company, today announced that it has been included in The BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund, a part of the BLDRS(SM) family of exchange-traded funds of which The Bank of New York is trustee and index licensor.
The BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol ADRE. The index's total free-float market capitalization is US$174,316,421,767. Buenaventura is the only Peruvian company included among the fund's 50 constituents.
The BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund is a unit investment trust seeking investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of The Bank of New York Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index, a capitalization-weighted index designed to track the performance of a basket of emerging market-based Depositary Receipts.
The BLDRS(SM) family of exchange-traded funds were introduced jointly by the Bank of New York and The NASDAQ Stock Market on November 13, 2002. The Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund, as well as the other three funds that make up the fund family, are based on The Bank of New York ADR Index(SM).
For more information on The Bank of New York Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund, please visit www.bldrsfunds.com.
Buenaventura is Peru's largest precious metals mining company and a major holder of mining rights in Peru. The company focuses on exploration and production through its wholly owned mines, as well as through participation in joint exploration projects. Buenaventura currently operates three mines in Peru, has controlling interests in two mining companies which own three mines in Peru and has minority interests in several other mining companies in Peru. The Company has a 43.65% ownership interest in Minera Yanacocha S.A., Latin America's largest producer of gold.