S&P Indices Announces Creation of SPIVA Awards Program; $75,000 to be Awarded for Excellence in Index Research

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Indices announced today the launch of a new, international awards program that recognizes excellence in research on the topic of index-related applications. The first annual SPIVA Awards supports researchers from around the world that explore innovative techniques that enhance the use of indices in the financial markets.

USD $75,000 in total prize money (a first prize of $50,000 and an honorable mention of $25,000) will be awarded to individuals or teams for their submission on distinctive, high-quality research in the use of financial market indices for investment analysis and management. Award winners will be announced on or about March 15, 2012, during an awards ceremony in New York City.

Eligible research papers are those completed during the 24 months prior to the submission deadline which have not been published in a refereed journal. Working papers posted on SSRN.com or similar sites are award eligible. Laureates will be selected by a jury of academics and industry experts.

Papers should cover topics related to the use of financial market indices in investment programs, investment products, investment evaluation, investment performance or similar activities, which will be broadly defined. This includes such areas as: trading and investing in ETFs, index linked futures, options, swaps, portfolios or funds; hedging, insuring or managing investment risks; and index performance, calculation, or maintenance. Research focusing on applications of indices to investments or topics directly relevant to investment questions is especially welcome.

"Research and innovation is the cornerstone of future indexing and investment success," says David Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. "Looking back over the past five decades, the S&P 500 and S&P Indices were present at the creation of many important investment innovations including ETFs, index funds and index futures and options. We are confident that with the impetus of this award, we will see more successful steps into the future."

Research should be submitted electronically at www.spindices.com/spiva, and must be received by S&P Indices on or before the submission deadline of December 15, 2011.

For full eligibility criteria and to make submissions, visit: www.spindices.com/spiva.

About SPIVA

The SPIVA scorecard reveals quarterly performance data for U.S. equity, international and fixed income mutual funds benchmarked against appropriate asset class indices. More than 3500 actively managed funds are covered in the scorecard. Mutual fund data is derived from CRSP® Survivor-Bias-Free U.S. Mutual Fund Database.

The SPIVA methodology is designed to provide an accurate and objective apples-to-apples comparison of funds' performance versus their appropriate style indices, correcting for factors that have skewed results in previous index-versus-active analyses in the industry.  SPIVA scorecards show both asset-weighted and equal-weighted averages, include survivorship bias correction to account for funds that may have merged or been liquidated during the period under study, and show style consistency for each style group across different time horizons.

About S&P Indices

S&P Indices, a world 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