NEW YORK, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), one of the world's leading providers of financial market indices, announced today the launch of the S&P 500^® Low Volatility Rate Response Index. The Index has been licensed to Invesco Powershares for ETF development.

The S&P 500 Low Volatility Rate Response Index is designed to measure the performance of the top 100 companies of the S&P 500 that have exhibited low volatility and are less sensitive to changes in interest rates. The launch of this index further broadens S&P DJI's smart beta index offering and incorporates an event driven factor into the widely followed S&P 500 Low Volatility Index.

"With the backdrop of an anticipated rise in interest rates, the S&P 500 Low Volatility Rate Response Index is designed to serve as the basis for an exchange traded product that seeks to offer investors a way to protect a low volatility portfolio from a long-term interest rate increase," says Vinit Srivastava, Senior Director of Strategy Indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices. "The low volatility factor continues to be in high demand. By incorporating market events such as fluctuations in interest rates, this Index provides market participants with another measure for their investment strategy."

"We look forward to continuing to build on our successful relationship with S&P Dow Jones Indices by using the new S&P 500^® Low Volatility Rate Response Index to further expand our product line-up," said Dan Draper, Managing Director and Head of Invesco PowerShares.  "Invesco PowerShares is a leader in offering low volatility solutions, and we will seek to utilize the new index to design products which can potentially protect against rising interest rates."

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