Zug (15 November 2018) – STOXX Ltd., the operator of Deutsche Börse Group’s index business and a global provider of innovative and tradable index concepts, has licensed the iSTOXX® FactSet Automation & Robotics Index to BlackRock. The asset manager is launching an ETF today, which is listed in Tokyo. The index is comprised of companies from selected countries exposed to the themes Automation and Robotics.
“Automation is crucial for the Japanese economy contending with an aging population and a declining workforce. iShares is leveraging the iSTOXX FactSet Automation & Robotics Index to provide investors with a product that captures opportunities automation affords, where a fourth of the companies represented are Japanese,” said Jason Miller, Head of iShares Japan at BlackRock.
“Thematic investing attempts to capitalize on broad, disruptive, compelling and often hard-to-predict trends that are changing our society. STOXX has identified technology as one of the three thematic megatrends; one index that captures this megatrend is the iSTOXX FactSet Automation & Robotics Index. Each of our thematic concepts on its own has the potential to be a fantastic growth and transformation story,” said Inderpal Gujral, STOXX Head of Product.
The index universe is defined as all stocks from the STOXX Global Total Market index that derive more than 50% of their most recent total annual revenues from Automation & Robotics sectors and which are classified as belonging to a defined set of developed and emerging countries.
The index is equal-weighted. Each iSTOXX FactSet Thematic index aims to have a minimum number of 80 constituents at each review.
About STOXX Limited
STOXX Ltd. is a global index provider, currently calculating a global, comprehensive index family of over 7,500 strictly rules-based and transparent indices. Best known for the leading European equity indices EURO STOXX 50, STOXX Europe 50 and STOXX Europe 600, STOXX Ltd. maintains and calculates the STOXX Global index family which consists of total market, broad and blue-chip indices for the regions Americas, Europe, Asia/Pacific and sub-regions Latin America and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as well as global markets.
To provide market participants with optimal transparency, STOXX indices are classified into four categories. Regular “STOXX” indices include all standard, theme and strategy indices that are part of STOXX’s integrated index family and follow a strict rules-based methodology. The “iSTOXX” brand typically comprises less standardized index concepts that are not integrated in the STOXX Global index family, but are nevertheless strictly rules-based. While indices that are branded “STOXX” and “iSTOXX” are developed by STOXX for a broad range of market participants, the “STOXX Customized” brand covers indices that are specifically developed for clients and do not carry the STOXX brand in the index name. Under the Omnient brand, STOXX offers custom indices from its existing index universe.
STOXX indices are licensed to more than 600 companies around the world as underlyings for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), futures and options, structured products and passively managed investment funds. Three of the top ETFs in Europe and approximately 25% of all assets under management are based on STOXX indices. STOXX Ltd. holds Europe’s number one and the world’s number two position in the derivatives segment.
STOXX is part of Deutsche Boerse Group, and also calculates, disseminates and markets the DAX indices. www.stoxx.com
STOXX, Deutsche Boerse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not make any warranties or representations, express or implied, with respect to the timeliness, sequence, accuracy, completeness, currentness, merchantability, quality or fitness for any particular purpose of its index data and exclude any liability in connection therewith. STOXX, Deutsche Boerse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers are not providing investment advice through the publication of indices or in connection therewith. In particular, the inclusion of a company in an index, its weighting, or the exclusion of a company from an index, does not in any way reflect an opinion of STOXX, Deutsche Boerse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers on the merits of that company. Financial instruments based on the STOXX® indices, DAX® indices or on any other indices supported by STOXX are in no way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by STOXX, Deutsche Boerse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers.
