Nanotechnology Mutual Funds

There are several indexes covering nanotechnology. Merrill Lynch runs one listed on AMEX, NNZ. They have added and dropped a few companies from the original 25, which surprisingly had a few companies whose primary business had very little to do with nanotechnology.

Another is run by New York investment bank, Punk Ziegel. Lumera, Immunicon, and Kopin were added to the index in 2004.

First Trust runs an actual mutual fund known as Unit Investment Trust, FTNATX, which was launched in 2004. Because their fund has several companies with large market capitalizations, there has been less volatility than the two indexes, and this has offset losses.

Outside the United States, there are three somewhat well-known nanotech funds, all from Germany, and they were the first available worldwide. They are the Lux Nanotech Fund from Ativest, the Lux DAC Nanotech-Fonds from Hauck & Aufhauser, and one from German bank West LB.

Another option, from venture capital firm Harris & Harris, trades on the Nasdaq as TINY and includes many public nanotech stocks. The majority of their investment is still outside nanotechnology, though, but they have made it clear this is the direction they're heading in.

Credit Suisse Private Banking also created two nanotechnology "baskets" similar to the Harris & Harris one in April 2004.