SEOUL and NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), one of the world's leading providers of financial market indices, and the Korea Exchange ("KRX") today announced an agreement for S&P DJI to manage the commercial licensing of all existing KRX indices including the KOSPI 200, the premier gauge of equity market performance in South Korea, to potential clients worldwide. The two parties will also work together to launch a new series of equity indices in the market. The agreement was signed today at S&P Dow Jones Indices' world headquarters in New York, New York.

According to the agreement, the two parties will leverage S&P DJI's rich experience in global index sales and marketing to license and promote the KRX indices to overseas investors.

The KRX and S&P DJI also plan to launch the following new indices for the Korean market:

1. An intrinsic value version of the KOSPI 200 based upon the GIVI™ ("Global Intrinsic Value Index") methodology. GIVI is a rules based methodology designed to deliver both lower volatility and performance weighted by intrinsic stock value rather than by traditional market capitalization.
2. A new family of Korea equity style indices.
3. GICS® based local sector indices to potentially serve as the basis for derivatives, ETFs, funds, and OTC products in the Korean market. The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) was developed by S&P DJI and MSCI, and aims to enhance the investment research and management process for financial professionals worldwide by assigning classifications based on a company's principal business activity.

"S&P Dow Jones Indices is very excited to expand our relationship with the KRX via the licensing arrangement and the development of greater index-based solutions and benchmarking tools that will allow investors inside and out of Korea to access its tremendous growth story," says Alex Matturri, CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices. "Today's announcement and signing ceremony symbolizes another exciting step in the growing collaboration between our two great companies."

"Our years of collaboration with S&P Dow Jones Indices have proven to be mutually beneficial," says Kyoungsoo Choi, Chairman and CEO of Korea Exchange. "By leveraging S&P DJI's established index development caliber and global reach, we are confident that we will further strengthen our product offerings and market presence in both domestic and international markets. We look forward to deepening our constructive and fruitful relationship with S&P DJI on both the commercial and R&D fronts."

For more information, please visit: www.spdji.com.

About S&P Dow Jones Indices
S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a part of McGraw Hill Financial, is the world's largest, global resource for index-based concepts, data and research. Home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC has over 115 years of experience constructing innovative and transparent solutions that fulfill the needs of investors. More assets are invested in products based upon our indices than any other provider in the world. With over 1,000,000 indices covering a wide range of asset classes across the globe, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC defines the way investors measure and trade the markets. To learn more about our company, please visit www.spdji.com.  

S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"), a part of McGraw Hill Financial. Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"). These trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P and their respective affiliates (collectively "S&P Dow Jones Indices") do not sponsor, endorse, sell, or promote any investment fund or other investment vehicle that is offered by third parties and that seeks to provide an investment return based on the performance of any index. This document does not constitute an offer of services in jurisdictions where S&P Dow Jones Indices does not have the necessary licenses. S&P Dow Jones Indices receives compensation in connection with licensing its indices to third parties.

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices