Thomson Reuters has launched a new suite of index families specializing in infrastructure and utilities, slated for release by the middle of March 2015, based on the Thomson Reuters Business Classification (TRBC).
Earlier today, Thomson Reuters reported its matching and FXall spot volumes which remained flat YoY, but rose swiftly when compared to the previous month, as overall volumes came in at the highest levels since September 2014.
The Thomson Reuters Infrastructure Indices will focus on sector and industry classifications of every listed company in a panel of over 130 countries. Moreover, TRBC also yields five levels of classification enabling a more accurate and composite selection of companies.
More specifically, the Thomson Reuters Infrastructure Indices will include global companies involved in such sectors as diverse as utilities, transport infrastructure, energy infrastructure and telecommunications infrastructure. This cascade of sectors will encompass approximately 300 companies ranging from developed to emerging countries.
According to Stephan Flagel, Head of Indices at Thomson Reuters, in a recent statement on the launch, “We are delighted to be launching an index series which provides a rules-based performance measurement solution for investors in this increasingly popular, but sometimes hard to define asset class.
The index will be included in our global equity index package or as a stand-alone product, under our “Simple” fee framework. The index allows us to more accurately and transparently identify companies which generate the majority of their revenues from infrastructure activities.”
“Our TRBC classification system is supported by a dedicated team of 30 analysts, speaking over 20 local languages who classify approximately 65,000 companies globally. TRBC’s additional 5th level of classification detail allows us to be very specific in the identification of companies for the index. For example, fund managers feel that marine ports should be included in the index, but not port warehousing service companies; unlike other classifications, TRBC differentiates these two,” added Mr. Flagel.
