| EuroStoxx 50 | Founded in 1998 and served as a benchmark index for Europe’s stock markets, it includes 50 companies that are listed in Euro Zone economic area, i.e. all countries that are members of the Euro currency. |
| DAX | The German share index Deutscher Aktien Index (DAX) tracks the 30 most heavily traded stocks based on the last three years of data. It is Market Cap weighted. |
| Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P) | Widely regarded as the best single gauge of the US equities market and thus the impact on the world’s economy, this world-renowned index includes a representative sample of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the US economy. Although the S&P 500 focuses on the large-cap segment of the market, with over 80% coverage of US equities, it is also an ideal proxy for the total market. The S&P 500 is part of a series of US indices that can be used as building blocks for portfolio construction. With more than $1 trillion in indexed assets, the S&P US indices have earned a reputation for being not only leading market indicators, but also investable portfolios designed for cost efficient replication, or the creation of index-linked products. The history of the S&P 500 dates back to 1923, when Standard and Poor introduced an index covering 233 companies. The index, as it is known today, was introduced in 1957 when it was expanded to include 500 companies. |
| NASDAQ 100 | The NASDAQ stands for National Association of Securities, and includes 100 of the largest companies traded on the NASDAQ exchange, and it is market cap weighted. It reflects companies across major industry groups including telecommunications, computer hardware, biotechnology, and computer software. |
| NIKKEI-225 | The CME Nikkei® 225 Stock Average is Japan’s most widely followed and frequently quoted equity index. This price-weighted index comprises 225 top-tier (the “bluest” chip) Japanese companies listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) | The DJIA is actually an index and not an average as it states in its name. The DJIA made its debut back on May 26th, 1896 when it comprised of 12 ‘smokestack’ companies. Twelve years earlier Charles Dow’s initial stock average contained 11 stocks, which included 9 railroad issues. It now lists 30 industrial companies that represent the market leaders for their sectors. |
| Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 (FTSE-100) | The FTSE-100 lists the largest 100 UK companies, and is capitalization weighted. The FTSE represents 70% of UK equity market capitalization, and represents the bulk of the UK market activity. |
| CAC 40 | The index contains 40 stocks selected among the top 100 market capitalization and the most active stocks listed on Euronext Paris, and is the underlying asset for options and futures contracts. |
