HONG KONG, April 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Xinhua Finance (TSE
Mothers: 9399), China's premier financial services and media company, and
global index provider FTSE Group (FTSE) today announced the launch of the FTSE
Watch List Series, a series of indicative indices including China "A" shares
which are expected to eventually enter global indices.
The series is designed to help international investors prepare for
significant shifts in global investment allocations that may result when China
"A" shares become eligible for inclusion in global indices.
The new indices are the only tools available to investors to assess
precisely the influence of turnover, investment flows and country weightings
that the addition of China "A" shares to global equities will have on
international portfolios. They provide an interim view of current market
conditions in Asia Pacific portfolios, if China "A" shares were already
eligible for inclusion.
The progressive opening of China's domestic A share markets to foreign
investors means global asset managers want to prepare for the anticipated
impact of China A shares being added to global portfolios.
Details of Xinhua FTSE products including the FTSE Watch List Series can
be found on Xinhua Finance's China Insight product, accessed at
http://www.china-insights.com . Pricing details for monthly subscriptions to
the product can be obtained through the e-mail address
chinainsight@xinhuafinance.com.
Xinhua Finance CEO Fredy Bush said the creation of the FTSE Watch List,
showing China listed companies within the global indices is a crucial step in
the integration of China's equity markets into the global capital markets
system.
"The Watch List will allow investors to precisely assess the impact that
the addition of China "A" shares to global equities will have on international
portfolios," Ms Bush said.
China has recently started to allow foreign investors to buy domestic
shares denominated in the local currency, known as "A" shares. Investments are
made through the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme.
Chinese regulators have indicated their intention to gradually relax
restrictions on foreign investors in the "A" share market, and the Watch List
Series will help investors to prepare for the inclusion of China "A" shares in
the FTSE Global Equity Index Series.
Mark Makepeace, Chief Executive of FTSE Group said the launch of the Watch
List series reflects the growing interest amongst international investors in
investing in China as the market opens up.
"The FTSE Watch List Series allows them to take a measure of the China
market as the QFII extends and improves," Mr Makepeace said.
About FTSE Xinhua Index
Established in late 2000, FTSE Xinhua Index (FXI), a joint venture between
Xinhua Financial Network, a subsidiary of Xinhua Finance Limited (TSE Mothers:
9399) and FTSE Group, came into being to facilitate the creation of real-time
indices for the Chinese market. The indices can be used as a basis for the
trading of derivatives, index-tracking funds, Exchange Traded Funds and as
performance benchmarks. The combination of FTSE's expertise in international
indexing with Xinhua Finance's strong presence and capabilities in China
creates a level of expertise in the Chinese market that is unprecedented.
Providing the combined coverage for the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges, all
of the FTSE Xinhua indices are designed according to internationally proven
index methodology to ensure products are transparent, clear and consistent.
For daily data and further information, please visit
http://www.ftsexinhua.com .
About Xinhua Finance Limited
Xinhua Finance Limited is China's premier financial services and media
company, listed on the Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol:
9399). The Company provides financial news and information, as well as a
broad array of financial products and services unique to the China markets.
Xinhua Finance provides real time coverage of Chinese and Asian equity markets,
delivering an integrated platform of China-specific indices, financial news
feeds, credit ratings, and investor relations services to global financial
institutions and re-distributors via leased line, Internet, and satellite
technology.
Founded in 1999, the Company is headquartered in Hong Kong and has 21
offices and 19 news bureaus across Asia, Australia, North America and Europe.
For more information, see http://www.xinhuafinance.com .
About FTSE Group
FTSE Group is a world-leader in the creation and management of indices.
With offices in London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Madrid, Paris, New York, San
Francisco and Tokyo, FTSE Group services clients in 77 countries worldwide.
It calculates and manages the FTSE Global Equity Index series, which includes
world-recognised indices ranging from the FTSE All-World Index, the FTSE4Good
series and the recently launched FTSEurofirst Index series, as well as
domestic indices such as the prestigious FTSE 100. The company has
collaborative arrangements with the AMEX, Athens, Cyprus, Euronext,
Johannesburg, London, Luxembourg, and Madrid exchanges, as well as with Nikkei
of Japan (Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc), and Xinhua Financial Network of China.
FTSE recently signed an agreement with Dow Jones Indexes to develop a single
sector classification system for global investors, named the Industry
Classification Benchmark (ICB).
FTSE indices are used extensively by investors world-wide for investment
analysis, performance measurement, asset allocation, portfolio hedging and for
creating a wide range of index tracking funds. Independent committees of
senior fund managers, derivatives experts, actuaries and other experienced
practitioners review all changes to the indices to ensure that they are made
objectively and without bias. Real-time FTSE indices are calculated on
systems managed by Reuters. Prices and FX rates used are supplied by Reuters.
For further information:
CHINA
Ms Jean Li
Tel: +86-10-6515-9265
Email: jean.li@xinhuafinance.com
HK
Ms Joy Tsang
Tel: +852 3196 3983 or +852-9486-4364
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com
JAPAN
Mr Sun Jiong
Tel: +81-3-3500-5328
Email: jsun@xinhuafinance.com
US
The Ruth Group (PR Contact in the US)
Mr Gregory Tiberend
Tel: +1-646-536-7005
Email: gtiberend@theruthgroup.com
Mr Jason Rando
Tel: +1-646-536-7025
Email: jrando@theruthgroup.com
SOURCE Xinhua FTSE Index
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Related links:
http://www.xinhuafinance.com
http://www.ftsexinhua.com http://www.china-insights.com
CONTACT:
In China, Ms Jean Li, +86-10-6515-9265, or
jean.li@xinhuafinance.com, in Japan, Mr Sun Jiong,
+81-3-3500-5328, or jsun@xinhuafinance.com, in HK, Ms Joy Tsang,
+852-3196-3983, or, +852-9486 4364 or
joy.tsang@xinhuafinance.com, all of Xinhua Finance; in US, Mr
Gregory Tiberend, +1-646-536-7005, or,
gtiberend@theruthgroup.com, or Mr Jason Rando, +1-646 536-7025 or
jrando@theruthgroup.com , both of the Ruth Group for Xinhua
Finance
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