STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 2, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- As of today, XACT SBX is listed on Stockholmsborsen, marking the addition of another ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) to Stockholmsborsen's ETF segment. XACT SBX tracks Stockholmsborsen's benchmark index (SBX), which comprises the 80-100 most heavily traded shares on the Exchange.
ETFs are Exchange Traded Funds that are traded in the same manner as normal shares and track the share price performance of an underlying index. Accordingly, an ETF provides investors with access to real-time prices and the potential to trade at any time during a trading day. The design of an ETF enables an immediate and cost-effective spreading of risk in the index reflected by the fund.
XACT SBX provides professional investors and private individuals with cost-effective and simple access to the most heavily traded shares on Stockholmsborsen in a single transaction. The SBX index represents all sectors traded on Stockholmsborsen and is revised every six months. As a result, investors in XACT SBX receive continuous access to the most liquid shares on Stockholmsborsen.
"The SBX index serves as an indicator of the overall trend on Stockholmsborsen, the ETF makes investing in the index simple. Healthy liquidity in the constituent companies, combined with the index's design, makes SBX attractive for use in investment products and as a comparative index for investors," said Stephan Klang, President of XACT Fonder.
The SBX index was launched on April 12, 2001 and is calculated in relation to the situation on December 30, 1995, with a base value of 100 and is revised every six months. The index is based on paid prices, which means that only completed transactions give rise to index changes.
Internationally, ETFs have become popular investment objects. They were initially introduced in North America at the beginning of the 1990s. Today, ETFs are listed on 27 exchanges throughout the world. XACT OMX, Sweden's first ETF, was launched on Stockholmsborsen in autumn 2000.
"As a result of the listing of XACT SBX, Stockholmsborsen has created the conditions for the introduction of additional ETFs on the Exchange," says Claes-Urban Dackberg, responsible for Stockholmsborsen's equity and derivative products. For further information Christina Ploom, Listing department, Stockholmsborsen, +46 8 405 70 42 Patrik Zingmark, XACT Fonder, +46 8 405 67 31
www.stockholmsborsen.se www.xact.se
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