BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund (ADRE) News

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, a global leader in securities servicing and asset management, announced today that the BLDRS family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has reached the $1 billion milestone in total assets under management. PowerShares Capital Management LLC serves as the sponsor for BLDRS, and The Bank of New York Mellon serves as trustee. BLDRS Index Funds are based on The Bank of New York ADR Index, the only real-time index tracking all depositary receipts trading on The New York Stock Exchange, The American Stock Exchange and The NASDAQ Stock Market. Each share of a BLDRS fund represents an undivided interest in an entire portfolio of ADRs.

The fund family comprises four ETFs, with two market index funds and two regional index funds: BLDRS Asia 50 ADR Index Fund (ADRA), BLDRS Europe 100 ADR Index Fund (ADRU), BLDRS Developed Markets 100 ADR Index Fund (ADRD), and BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund (ADRE). BLDRS shares trade on the NASDAQ, are priced continuously throughout the trading day, and can be bought and sold at intraday prices.

'BLDRS provide a low-cost option for global investing, giving investors an efficient way to internationally diversify their portfolios, with ordinary operating expenses capped at 0.30 percent, or 30 basis points,' said Bruce Bond, president of PowerShares Capital Management. 'We are extremely pleased to have achieved this milestone with our partners at The Bank of New York Mellon.

'A milestone of $1 billion under custody tangibly demonstrates the confidence our clients place in our ability to support innovative products through the delivery of high-quality services and best-in-breed technology,' said Joseph F. Keenan, managing director of BNY Mellon Asset Servicing. Christopher Sturdy, executive vice president and head of The Bank of New York Mellon's Depositary Receipt Division, added, 'The growth of BLDRS attests to the market's growing interest in global investing through ADRs. We are pleased to see the increased demand for these ETFs and the success it now enjoys among investors.'

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and move their financial assets, operating in 37 countries and serving more than 100 markets. The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has more than $20 trillion in assets under custody and administration and more than $1 trillion in assets under management. Products and services are offered by The Bank of New York, Mellon Bank and various subsidiaries. Additional information is available at http://www.bnymellon.com.

The Bank of New York Mellon provides no advice nor recommendation or endorsement with respect to any company or security. Nothing herein shall be deemed to constitute an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities.

PowerShares Capital Management LLC is leading the intelligent ETF revolution through its family of more than 90 PowerShares XTF(TM) domestic and international exchange-traded funds, which seek to outperform traditional benchmark indexes while providing advisors and investors access to an innovative array of focused investment opportunities. PowerShares XTF are based on the Intellidex(TM) methodology, which applies rules-based quantitative analysis to select portfolios of securities that have the greatest investment merit and the highest potential for capital appreciation while controlling individual stock risk. With franchise assets of nearly $35 billion, PowerShares XTF trade on all three U.S. stock exchanges and the PowerShares QQQ(TM), which tracks 100 of the NASDAQ's fastest-growing companies, is the most actively traded equity security in the world. For more information, please visit us at http://www.powershares.com.

PowerShares is a part of INVESCO PLC, a leading independent global investment manager dedicated to helping people worldwide build their financial security. Operating under the AIM, AIM Trimark, Atlantic Trust, Invesco Perpetual, PowerShares and WL Ross & Co. brands, INVESCO PLC strives to deliver outstanding products and services through a comprehensive array of enduring investment solutions for its retail, institutional and private wealth management clients around the world. The company, which had approximately $499 billion in assets under management as of July 31, 2007, is listed on the London, New York and Toronto stock exchanges with the symbol 'IVZ.' Additional information is available at http://www.invesco.com.

PowerShares Capital Management LLC and A I M Distributors, Inc. are not affiliated with ALPS Distributors, Inc.

PowerShares QQQ and the BLDRS Funds are unit investments trusts.

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor of PowerShares QQQ, BLDRS Funds and the PowerShares DB Funds.

A I M Distributors, Inc. is the distributor of the PowerShares Exchange- Traded Fund Trust and the PowerShares Global Exchange-Traded Fund Trust.

SOURCE The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation