NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, today announced the launch of the Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index, which tracks the top 100 yielding stocks in Europe, Pacific, Asia and Canada, and the Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index, which tracks the country's top 30 yielding stocks.
The Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index and Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index complement the widely successful Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index, which tracks the leading 100 yielding stocks in the U.S.
"The Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index and Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index were created in response to the expanding popularity of the concept of dividend investing, both in the U.S. and Europe," said Michael A. Petronella, president of Dow Jones Indexes/Ventures. "The Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index allows U.S. investors to diversify their portfolios with returns from leading dividend-paying companies in Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada. Likewise, the Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index gives investors access to the top dividend-paying companies in the Canadian market."
The Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index components are selected from the Dow Jones World Developed-Ex.U.S. Index, which represents 95% of free-float market capitalization for developed countries excluding the U.S.
To be included in the Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index, stocks must have a non-negative, historical, three-year dividend-per-share growth rate; a dividend payout ratio of less than 1.5 times the payout ratio (of annual dividend payout to per share earnings) of the Dow Jones country index to which it belongs; and a daily average dollar volume (shares times price) of $3 million for three months prior to the annual review. Eligible stocks are then ranked in descending order by indicated annual dividend yield, and the top 100 components are selected for the index.
The Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index -- calculated in U.S. dollars -- uses a combination of yield and dividend weighting. Represented countries are weighted by dividend yield and within each represented country. Components then are weighted by their dividend per share. Component weightings are capped at 10% of the index.
The Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index's 30 components are selected from the Dow Jones Canada Total Market Index, which represents 95% of the country's float-adjusted market capitalization. To be included in the index -- which is calculated in both Canadian and U.S. dollars -- stocks must have a non-negative, historical, five-year dividend-per-share growth rate; a payout ratio of less than 80% for all companies; and daily average dollar volume of $1 million for three months prior to the annual review. Stocks that meet these criteria are then ranked in descending order by indicated annual dividend yield, and the top 30 components are selected for the index.
The index is weighted by indicated annual dividend, and the weight of any one component is capped at 10%.
The Dow Jones EPAC Select Dividend Index and Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index are reviewed annually in December. Price and total return versions of both indexes are available. For both indexes, daily history also is available back to Dec. 31, 1998, with a base value of 100. Components, weightings and performance data can be found at www.djindexes.com.
Journalists may e-mail questions regarding this press release to PR-Indexes@dowjones.com or contact a member of the Dow Jones Indexes/STOXX public relations group:
New York: +1-212-597-5720 Frankfurt: + 49-69-97142815
Note to Editors:
About Dow Jones Indexes
Dow Jones Indexes is part of Dow Jones & Company, which publishes the world's most vital business and financial news and information. Dow Jones Indexes is a premier global provider of investable indexes, including the Dow Jones Averages and the Dow Jones Global, Regional, Country and Sector Titans Indexes and is co-owner of the Pan-European Dow Jones STOXX Indexes. Together with Wilshire Associates, Dow Jones Indexes markets and licenses the Dow Jones Wilshire index family, which includes the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 and its size, style, and sector indexes. Dow Jones Indexes also offers a number of specialty indexes including hedge fund, commodity and credit derivative indexes.
In addition to Dow Jones Indexes, Dow Jones & Company (NYSE:DJ) (dowjones.com) publishes The Wall Street Journal and its international and online editions, Barron's and the Far Eastern Economic Review, Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch and the Ottaway group of community newspapers. Dow Jones is co-owner with Reuters Group of Factiva, with Hearst of SmartMoney and with NBC Universal of the CNBC television operations in Asia and Europe. Dow Jones also provides news content to CNBC and radio stations in the U.S.
The Dow Jones Indexes logo can be found at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1289