NEW YORK and COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, April 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), one of the world's leading index providers, and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) today jointly announced the launch of the S&P/CSE Sector and Industry Group Indices. The comprehensive index series is designed to measure the performance of various sectors and industry groups within the Sri Lankan equity market, as defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®).

The S&P/CSE Sector and Industry Group Indices were developed based on the universe of common stocks listed on the CSE. Featuring a transparent, rules-based methodology, all indices are weighted by their total market capitalization. The index family includes the following sector indices, which are further divided into industry group indices (Appendix).

• S&P/CSE Energy Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Materials Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Industrials Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Consumer Discretionary Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Consumer Staples Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Health Care Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Financials Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Information Technology Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Telecommunication Services Sector Index
• S&P/CSE Utilities Sector Index

"Sri Lanka is a unique economy with numerous opportunities left untapped and we have seen growing interest in Sri Lankan equities from both domestic and international investors in recent years," said Alka Banerjee, Managing Director, Product Management at S&P Dow Jones Indices. "With the launch of the S&P/CSE Sector and Industry Group Indices, we are proud to introduce to the investment community a comprehensive set of benchmarks that effectively measure Sri Lanka's economy."

Mr. Vajira Kulatilaka, Chairman of CSE, commented "We are excited to elevate the visibility of the Sri Lankan equity market through the launch of this benchmark series by leveraging S&P Dow Jones Indices' expertise in index development and governance."

"We are confident that the launch of the S&P/CSE Sector and Industry Group Indices will further increase the sophistication of the financial market in our country," said Mr. Rajeeva Bandaranaike, CEO of CSE.

S&P DJI and CSE started their collaboration in 2012 when they jointly introduced the S&P Sri Lanka 20, an investible index comprised of the 20 largest and most liquid stocks listed on CSE. The launch of this latest index series signifies the deepening relationship between the two parties and S&P DJI's significant expansion in Sri Lanka. 

For more information about S&P Dow Jones Indices and the Colombo Stock Exchange, please visit their respective websites www.spdji.com and www.cse.lk.  

Appendix

The S&P/CSE Sector and Industry Group indices include the following:

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.

About CSE    
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) operates the only share market in Sri Lanka and is responsible for providing a transparent and regulated environment where companies and investors can come together. The CSE is a company that is limited by guarantee established under the Laws of Sri Lanka. The CSE is licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) and is a mutual exchange consisting of 15 Members and 14 Trading Members. All Members and Trading Members are licensed by the SEC to operate as Stockbrokers. For more information, please visit www.cse.lk.

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices