STOXX^® Willis Towers Watson USA 500 Climate Transition

The STOXX Benchmark ESG-X Indices are based on a selection of STOXX Benchmark Indices and apply standardized ESG exclusion screens. The screens are based on the responsible policies of leading asset owners and aim to reduce reputational and idiosyncratic risks.  

STOXX excludes companies that ISS ESG considers to be non-compliant with its Norms-based research, that are involved in controversial weapons or severe controversies, are tobacco producers, or that either derive revenues from thermal coal ext have power generation capacity that utilizes thermal coal.  

STOXX Benchmark ESG-X Indices are suitable as underlying indices for mandates, passive funds, ETFs, structured products and listed derivatives, with the ambition to increase liquidity and lower the cost of trading.

This index applies screens in alignment with the ESMA guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms, which include controversial weapons, Tobacco, Coal (>1%), Oil fuels (>10%), Gaseous fuels (>50%/ Power generation), UNGC principles / OECD guidelines.Per the ESMA guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms, this index meets an 80% threshold linked to the proportion of investments used to meet environmental or social characteristic or sustainable investment objectives in accordance with the binding elements of the investment strategy.

Index Guides, Benchmark statement, and other reports are available under the Data tab.

STOXX single and multi-factor indices aim to harvest the risk premia of several academically validated style factors – Value, Momentum, Quality, Size and Low Risk. At the same time the rules ensure tradability and diversification as well as limit untargeted systematic exposures.

STOXX uses Axioma's risk model and optimizer to construct the factor indices. The STOXX ESG-X single and multi-factor indices are based on the respective STOXX ESG-X country or regional benchmark indices.

This index applies screens in alignment with the ESMA guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms, which include controversial weapons, Tobacco, Coal (>1%), Oil fuels (>10%), Gaseous fuels (>50%/ Power generation), UNGC principles / OECD guidelines.Per the ESMA guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms, this index meets an 80% threshold linked to the proportion of investments used to meet environmental or social characteristic or sustainable investment objectives in accordance with the binding elements of the investment strategy.

Index Guides, Benchmark statement, and other reports are available under the Data tab.

The STOXX Europe Low Carbon Diversification Select 50 EUR Index captures the performance of low carbon emissions stocks with low correlation, low volatility and high dividends from the STOXX Europe 600 Index.

The component selection process first excludes all stocks that belong to the ICB Subsector 1771 (Coal), then selects in each ICB industry all stocks whose Carbon Intensity is the lowest. Next, it excludes all stocks with the highest 12-month average correlation with all other stocks in the benchmark, then excludes stocks whose 3- or 12-month historical volatilities are the highest. Among the remaining stocks, the 50 stocks with the highest 12-month historical dividend yields are selected to be included in the index. The percentage of exclusion/inclusion at each step is the same.  The index also exlcudes companies violating international norms, are involved with controversial weapons, tobacco, thermal coal, civilian firearms, military equipment, and unconventional oil and gas.

Those constituents are weighted according to the inverse of their volatility, with a cap at 10%. The indices are reviewed quarterly.

Index Guides, Benchmark statement, and other reports are available under the Data tab.

STOXX ESG Target indices aim to provide a strong ESG tilt to the benchmark index while maintaining low tracking error of the benchmark index. The weight of each constituent security is determined through an optimization process that is designed to ensure diversification and uses Axioma's Risk Models and Optimizer. Companies that are non-compliant based on the ISS ESG’ Norms-based research assessment or are involved in controversial weapons are not eligible for selection. Additional exclusion filters are applied, screening companies for involvement in tobacco production and distribution, thermal coal extraction and power generation, small arms manufacturing, military contracting, unconventional oil and gas exploration and production, high ESG risk, and ESG controversies.

This index applies screens in alignment with the ESMA guidelines on funds’ names using ESG or sustainability-related terms, which include controversial weapons, Tobacco, Coal (>1%), Oil fuels (>10%), Gaseous fuels (>50%/ Power generation), UNGC principles / OECD guidelines.

Index Guides, Benchmark statement, and other reports are available under the Data tab.