Russia Energy ETF: Big Risks, Bigger Rewards

This column was originally published on RealMoney on May 8 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. It's being republished as a bonus for TheStreet.com readers. For more information about subscribing to RealMoney, please click here.

If you follow the ETF space at all, you know there has been a flood of products brought to the market and a slew of funds waiting for approval. Among the various registrations from all the providers are a lot of funds that don't make a lot of sense.

One fund company that seems to have done a good job at picking and choosing its spots and avoiding the head-scratchers has been Van Eck.

Its latest fund is the Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX Quote), which listed a couple of weeks ago and mimics the DAXglobal Russia+ Index. The market had been clamoring for a Russia fund for several years, and this is the first one. ...