NEW YORK, July 31, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, and Wilshire Associates, a global leader in investment technology, investment consulting and investment management, announced today that Iowa Peace Officers Retirement System has adopted the Dow Jones Wilshire Index Family, including the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000(sm), to benchmark its equity investment portfolio.
The announcement comes after Iowa Peace Officers, a US$300 million system with oversight provided by the Treasurer of the State of Iowa, conducted a series of studies demonstrating the value of the Dow Jones Wilshire Indexes as an effective tool to monitor their domestic equity manager's process and performance.
Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald said, "The Dow Jones Wilshire Indexes are an important benchmarking tool that helps us oversee our equity managers more effectively by providing the most accurate comparison of active and passive investment strategies."
About the Dow Jones Wilshire Index Family
The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 is the primary domestic component of the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market Index(sm) and a cornerstone of the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index Family. The development of the global family of indexes in 2006 marks a new phase of the Dow Jones Wilshire relationship. The affiliation began in 2004 when Dow Jones Indexes and Wilshire co-branded and marketed the Dow Jones Wilshire family of indexes. By extending the Dow Jones Wilshire methodology used in the U.S. internationally, the global indexes provide unprecedented breadth, consistent global coverage, and objective and transparent rules.
Dow Jones Wilshire indexes are available on market-data vendor platforms -- many in real-time format -- and on the Dow Jones Indexes (www.djindexes.com) and Wilshire Associates (www.wilshire.com) Web sites. The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000(sm) Composite Index, the only true broad market index, is calculated and distributed by Dow Jones Indexes pursuant to an agreement between Dow Jones & Company and Wilshire Associates Incorporated. The Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market Index, the broadest measure of global equities, was launched in October 2006.
The Dow Jones Indexes and Wilshire Associates logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2464
Journalists may email questions regarding this press release to PRIndexes@dowjones.com or contact Dow Jones Indexes/STOXX press office:
New York: +1-212-597-5720 Frankfurt: +49-69-29-725-290
To contact Wilshire Associates public relations, please email kim.shepherd@wilshire.com or call: Chicago: Kim Shepherd, +1-312-762-5504.
Note to Editors:
About Dow Jones Indexes A full-service index provider, Dow Jones Indexes develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment products. Best known for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Dow Jones Indexes also is co-owner of the Dow Jones STOXX indexes, the world's leading pan-European indexes, and together with Wilshire Associates, provides the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index family, which is anchored by the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 and covers more than 12,000 securities in 59 markets. Beyond equity indexes, Dow Jones Indexes maintains a number of alternative indexes, including measures of the hedge fund and commodity markets. Dow Jones indexes are maintained according to clear, unbiased and systematic methodologies that are fully integrated within index families. www.djindexes.com
Dow Jones Indexes is part of Dow Jones & Company (NYSE:DJ) (dowjones.com), which is a leading provider of global business news and information services. Its Consumer Media Group publishes The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch and the Far Eastern Economic Review. Its Enterprise Media Group includes Dow Jones Newswires, Factiva, Dow Jones Licensing Services, Dow Jones Indexes and Dow Jones Financial Information Services. Its Local Media Group operates community-based information franchises. Dow Jones provides news content to CNBC and radio stations in the U.S.
About Wilshire Associates
Wilshire Associates is a leading global investment technology, investment consulting and investment management firm with four business units: Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire Funds Management, Wilshire Consulting, and Wilshire Private Markets. The firm was founded in 1972, revolutionizing the industry by pioneering the application of investment analytics and research to investment management for the institutional marketplace. Wilshire also is credited with helping to develop the field of quantitative investment analysis that uses mathematical tools to analyze market risks. All other business units evolved from Wilshire's strong analytics foundation.
Wilshire developed the index now known as the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index(sm), the first asset/liability models for pension funds, the first U.S. equity style metrics work and many other "firsts" as the firm grew to nearly 350 employees serving the investment needs of institutional and high net worth clients around the world.
Based in Santa Monica, CA, Wilshire provides services to clients in more than 20 countries representing in excess of 600 organizations with assets totaling more than $12.5 trillion. With nine offices on four continents, Wilshire Associates and its affiliates are dedicated to providing clients with the highest quality counsel, products and services. Please visit www.wilshire.com for more information.