MSCI, S&P Indices and FTSE Collaborate to Launch First Ever Index Industry Trade Body
NEW YORK, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MSCI, S&P Indices and FTSE today announce the creation of the first ever trade association for the index industry. The Index Industry Association (IIA) will form an official, representative body for the global index industry, with a remit that includes educating investors on the attributes and role of indices within the investment process and advocating the interests of index users and providers worldwide.
The IIA will function as an independent organisation with dedicated resources, representing a global membership from its headquarters in New York. The respective chief executives of MSCI, S&P Indices and FTSE; Henry Fernandez, Alexander Matturri and Mark Makepeace, commented: "The launch of this association signifies an important milestone for the index industry. The IIA will promote the agenda of our industry and push for new, universal standards for best practice, independence and transparency."
Created as a not-for-profit institution for the fast-growing global community of index providers, the IIA will be open to membership from index businesses worldwide. The initial board of directors will comprise representatives of the founding companies; MSCI, S&P Indices and FTSE, and representatives from the membership. A search is currently underway for an Executive Director to lead the IIA.
This independent membership structure will enable the IIA to focus on its key objectives, including the support of intellectual property rights, and to work with relevant regulatory bodies around the world for the benefit of the industry and its clients.
About MSCI
MSCI Inc. is a leading provider of investment decision support tools to investors globally, including asset managers, banks, hedge funds and pension funds. MSCI products and services include indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics, and governance tools.
The company's flagship product offerings are: the MSCI indices with approximately USD 7 trillion estimated to be benchmarked to them on a worldwide basis [1]; Barra multi-asset class factor models, portfolio risk and performance analytics; RiskMetrics multi-asset class market and credit risk analytics; MSCI ESG (environmental, social and governance) Research screening, analysis and ratings; ISS governance research and outsourced proxy voting and reporting services; FEA valuation models and risk management software for the energy and commodities markets; and CFRA forensic accounting risk research, legal/regulatory risk assessment, and due‐diligence. MSCI is headquartered in New York, with research and commercial offices around the world.
[1] As of June 30, 2011, based on eVestment, Lipper and Bloomberg data.
For further information on MSCI, please visit our web site at www.msci.com
About S&P Indices
S&P Indices, a leading brand of the McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), maintains a wide variety of investable and benchmark indices to meet an array of investor needs. Over $1.45 trillion is directly indexed to our 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
About FTSE Group
FTSE Group ("FTSE") is a world-leader in the creation and management of indices. With offices in London, Beijing, Dubai, Milan, Mumbai, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Shanghai and Tokyo, FTSE works with investors in 77 countries globally. It calculates and manages a comprehensive range of equity, fixed income, real estate, currency, commodity and non market-cap indices, on both a standard and custom basis. The company has collaborative arrangements with a number of stock exchanges, trade bodies and asset class specialists around the world.
FTSE indices are used extensively by investors world-wide for investment analysis, performance measurement, asset allocation, portfolio hedging and for creating a wide range of index tracking funds.
FTSE is an independent company owned by the London Stock Exchange Group.
SOURCE S&P Indices
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