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NYSE Liffe to Launch Futures on MSCI Factor Indices: Smart Beta Indices

ICE

IntercontinentalExchange Group (NYSE: ICE), the leading global network of exchanges and clearing houses, today announced that NYSE Liffe will expand its index derivatives franchise with the launch of futures based on MSCI Factor Indices.

NYSE Liffe expects to introduce the industry’s first futures contracts on MSCI Equal Weighted Indices and MSCI Minimum Volatility Indices, on February 3, 2014 via Bclear, the Exchange’s wholesale facility.

The following new contracts will be available:

  • MSCI Emerging Market Minimum Volatility and Equal Weighted Futures
  • MSCI Europe Minimum Volatility and Equal Weighted Futures
  • MSCI USA Equal Weighted Futures
  • MSCI World Minimum Volatility and Equal Weighted Futures

Also known as Smart Beta Indices, these benchmarks have become increasingly popular with the investor community as they seek to reflect the performance characteristics of a range of investment styles and strategies using transparent and rules-based methodologies.

“As we support the evolving requirements of our customers, the addition of Minimum Volatility and Equal Weighted index futures contracts will enable market users to directly implement smart passive strategies via NYSE Liffe’s flexible and cost effective Bclear platform,” said Ade Cordell, Executive Director of Equity Derivatives, NYSE Liffe. “We are pleased to be the first exchange to offer these futures contracts by working closely with users such as Seven Investment Management (7IM), leading banks and MSCI.”

Chris Darbyshire, Chief Investment Officer, 7IM, said: “We have been looking for the most efficient methods to implement smart passive strategies. NYSE Liffe futures provide us with our preferred smart passive strategy in one transaction. Using Bclear we also have clarity on trading frictions, we can avoid the cost of intermediary providers and are also able to eliminate counterparty risk - all a good result for our clients.”

“MSCI’s Factor Indices are designed to reflect the performance of systematic returns associated with certain key investment styles. Indices such as the MSCI Minimum Volatility and MSCI Equal Weighted families are fast becoming the market standard in capturing these systematic returns,” said Baer Pettit, Managing Director and Global Head of the MSCI Index Business. “The introduction of futures based on these indices on the Bclear platform shows NYSE Liffe’s commitment to continuously stay ahead of the trends in the investment and derivatives markets.”

About IntercontinentalExchange Group

IntercontinentalExchange Group (NYSE: ICE) is the leading network of regulated exchanges and clearing houses for financial and commodity markets. ICE delivers transparent, reliable and accessible data, technology and risk management services to markets around the world through its portfolio of exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, ICE Futures, Liffe and Euronext.

Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include IntercontinentalExchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE Euronext, NYSE, New York Stock Exchange, LIFFE and Euronext. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of IntercontinentalExchange Group, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located at https://www.theice.com/terms.jhtml and http://www.nyx.com/terms-use.

ICE Safe Harbour Statement

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 - Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, as filed with the SEC on February 6, 2013.

SOURCE IntercontinentalExchange

ICE-CORP