95 New ETFs Launched in 2010 Based on Standard & Poor's Indices

NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard & Poor's, the world's leading index provider, announced today that its ETF licensing business experienced exceptional growth in 2010, as 95 ETFs based upon its family of stock market indices were launched in 2010 - the biggest annual total in Standard & Poor's history - raising the number of ETFs linked to S&P Indices to 301.

2010 was characterized by unprecedented growth in S&P Indices' international licensing business, with ETF launches outside of the United States outpacing those from within. Of the 95 new ETFs tracking Standard & Poor's family of indices, 57 were listed outside of the US. The greatest growth was in Europe, where 29 new ETFs were launched by product providers in 2010 - more than doubling the total for the region.

In Europe, S&P Indices licensed eight product providers (Amundi, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Lyxor, and Source) to launch ETFs based on the S&P 500 providing greater access to the U.S. equity market.

In the U.S., S&P Indices and Vanguard finalized an agreement that has so far resulted in 10 new ETFs for U.S. domestic investors. Additionally, S&P Indices entered into an agreement with SSgA that transitioned seven of their existing ETFs, including their style series, to S&P benchmarks.

S&P Indices also expanded its footprint in Asia Pacific, highlighted by a landmark licensing agreement with Bosera Asset Management for an S&P 500 ETF in China. In addition, S&P Indices relocated its head of ETF licensing to Asia in an effort to catalyze additional growth in the region.

For its efforts in index development, S&P Indices was recognized with several industry awards in 2010 including:

• Most Innovative Index Provider of the Year: Structured Products Americas Awards 2010
• Most Innovative Index Provider of the Year: Structured Products Europe Awards 2010
• Best Local Provider of Indices: AsianInvestor in their 2010 Service Provider Awards
• Best Index Provider of the Year: Asia Asset Management Awards 2010

"Our ETF licensing business is well positioned to contribute to S&P Indices' growth in 2011 as our reach becomes increasingly global and investors allocate more of their assets to ETFs," says Alexander Matturri, Executive Managing Director at S&P Indices. "We believe 2011 will bring further growth in ETF development throughout the world and across a variety of asset classes including equity, fixed income and commodities where we are already well positioned with leading index products and services."

For more information about S&P Indices, please visit: www.standardandpoors.com/indices.

About S&P Indices

S&P Indices, the world's leading index provider, maintains a wide variety of investable and benchmark indices to meet an array of investor needs. Over $1.25 trillion is directly indexed to Standard & Poor's family of indices, which includes the S&P 500, the world's most followed stock market index, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, the S&P Global BMI, an index with approximately 11,000 constituents, the S&P GSCI, the industry's most closely watched commodities index, and the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index, the premier investable index for U.S. municipal bonds. For more information, please visit www.standardandpoors.com/indices.

Standard & Poor's does not sponsor, endorse, sell or promote any S&P index-based investment product.  This document does not constitute an offer of services in jurisdictions where Standard & Poor's or its affiliates do not have the necessary licenses.  Standard & Poor's receives compensation in connection with licensing its indices to third parties.

SOURCE Standard & Poor's