Mauritius, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates to be Added On
October 1, 2008
Republic of Slovenia and Republic of Malta to be Reclassified to the
Developed Markets Subgroup From the Emerging Markets Subgroup On
April 1, 2009
NEW YORK, July 1, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, and Wilshire Associates, a global leader in investment services and consulting, today announced that Mauritius, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be added to the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index(sm) family. The additions will become effective as of the start of trading on October 1, 2008.
Additionally, the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Malta will be reclassified to the Developed Markets subgroup from the Emerging Markets subgroup in the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index family with the change effective on April 1, 2009.
"Including Mauritius, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE in the Dow Jones Wilshire Global index family reflects the growing importance of these emerging markets to the world's investment community and ensures the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market Index provides institutional investors with the broadest coverage of international equities," said Michael A. Petronella, president, Dow Jones Indexes. "The decision to transfer the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Malta to the Developed Markets subgroup is consistent with our goal of providing the most comprehensive measure of the equity markets for global economies from which institutional investors can make their asset allocation decisions," he added.
"Moving the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Malta to the developed market subgroup acknowledges the International Monetary Fund's findings that they have the infrastructure to deliver results in line with large, mature developed markets," noted Dennis A. Tito, chairman and chief executive officer of Wilshire Associates Incorporated and the individual credited with developing the then named Wilshire 5000 in 1974. "Adding Mauritius, Qatar, Oman and the UAE to the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market index recognizes not only growing investor interest in, but also their investment in these previously sparsely covered countries."
The inclusion of the four new countries Mauritius, Qatar, Oman and UAE to the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index family increases the total number of countries in the index from 61 to 65 on October 1, 2008. All four new countries will be added to the Dow Jones Wilshire Emerging Markets, Dow Jones Wilshire Global exUS and Dow Jones Wilshire Middle East & Africa indexes.
As of July 1, 2008, 23 companies from Mauritius, 25 companies from Qatar, 38 companies from Oman and 28 companies from the UAE would be added to the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market Index and respective regional and country indexes in October 2008. The final component count will be available on October 1, 2008.
The four new countries also will be available as country indexes. The Dow Jones Wilshire Mauritius Index, Dow Jones Wilshire Qatar Index, Dow Jones Wilshire Oman Index and Dow Jones Wilshire UAE Index will have initial index values of 1,000 on September 30, 2008. The Dow Jones Wilshire Global Indexes are calculated in price and total return and weighted by float-adjusted market capitalization.
The decision to transfer Slovenian and Maltese stocks from the Emerging to the Developed Markets subgroup of the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index family was triggered by the International Monetary Fund's reclassification of the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Malta as advanced economies.
As a result of the conversion, as it currently stands 14 Slovenian companies and 4 Maltese companies will be transferred from the Emerging to the Developed Markets subgroup in the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market, Dow Jones Wilshire Europe and Dow Jones Wilshire Global exUS indexes. The Slovenian and Maltese stocks will be deleted from the Dow Jones Wilshire Emerging Markets Index and will be added to the Dow Jones Wilshire Developed Markets and the Dow Jones Wilshire Developed Markets exUS Indexes as well as the Dow Jones Wilshire Europe Developed and the Dow Jones Wilshire Europe Developed exU.K. indexes.
As of the close of trading of June 30, 2008, the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market Index measures 12,782 stocks in 61 countries with a float-adjusted market capitalization of US$ 34.7 trillion. Further information can be found on www.djindexes.com.
About the Dow Jones Wilshire Index Family
Dow Jones Wilshire Indexes are global benchmarks which serve as informational tools to assist plan sponsors, asset managers and institutional investors fulfill fiduciary responsibilities.
The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000(sm) is the primary domestic component of the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market Index and a cornerstone of the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index Family. The development of the global family of indexes in 2006 marked 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.
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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 & Company (www.dowjones.com) is a News Corporation company (NYSE:NWS) (NYSE:NWS.A) (ASX:NWS) (ASX:NWSLV) (www.newscorp.com). Dow Jones 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, Dow Jones Factiva, Dow Jones Client Solutions, Dow Jones Indexes and Dow Jones Financial Information Services. Its Local Media Group operates community-based information franchises. Dow Jones owns 50% of SmartMoney and 33% of STOXX Ltd. and provides news content to radio stations in the U.S.
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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 approximately 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 ten 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.