BME is delighted to announce today’s launch of the new IBEX® ESG index family, which promotes investments that follow a sustainable approach. The ESG criteria provide information on the performance of companies in regards to environmental, social and governance aspects. Inrate, as an independent provider, developed this methodology and the necessary information for measuring the impact of companies.
With this new launch, BME is expanding its range of ESG indices, in addition to the FTSE 4Good IBEX® and IBEX® Gender Equality indices. The IBEX® ESG family comprises two types of indices: the IBEX® ESG, which selects its components according to certain sustainability criteria and is weighted by free float-adjusted capitalization, and the IBEX® ESG Weighted, which is made up of the same stocks, but with a weighting adjusted to their sustainability rating (ESG Impact Rating). These two IBEX® ESG indices are calculated in real time in three versions: price, total return and net return.
Any IBEX® 35 or IBEX® Medium Cap company with an ESG rating equal to or higher than C+ (there are 12 levels ranging from A+ to D-) is eligible for inclusion in these new indices. In addition, companies must comply with the United Nations Global Compact Principles, and certain exclusion criteria for business activities that are critical for sustainability are taken into account. The index will be reviewed annually in September.
The first composition of the index includes the following 47 listed companies:
Acciona, Acciona Energía, Acerinox, ACS, Almirall, Amadeus, Applus, Atresmedia, CAF, Sabadell, Bankinter, BBVA, Caixabank, Cellnex, Cie, Corporación Alba, Ebro, Edreams, Enagas, Ence, Faes, Ferrovial, Fluidra, Catalana Occidente, Gestamp, Dominion, Grenergy, Grifols, Iberdrola, Inditex, Colonial, Rovi, Linea Directa, Mapfre, Meliá, Merlin Properties, Pharma Mar, Prosegur, Redeia, Sacyr, Santander, Solaria, Técnicas Reunidas, Telefonica, Unicaja, Vidrala and Viscofan.
The new indices follow a similar methodology as the already established SIX ESG indices for the Swiss market and aim to drive the transition to a more sustainable economy among listed companies.
Marion Leslie, Head Financial Information at SIX, member of the SIX Executive Board and of the Board of Directors of BME, emphasizes that "this new family of indices encourages sustainability efforts of issuers and increases transparency for investors who want to invest in companies that have a well-founded sustainability profile”.
Carmen López, Head Index Services Spain at BME, explains that "with this launch we seek to offer a clear benchmark with transparent criteria that measures the sustainability impact of Spanish companies. This is something of enormous social and economic importance and to which BME, as a market infrastructure and also as a company, is firmly committed".
You can access BME's full range of indices via this link. SIX has been offering ESG Indices for the Swiss equity and bond markets since February 2021. For further information on the SIX ESG Indices, including their methodology, rules and composition, please click here. To access the list of all Index-Based Products of SIX, please click here.