Index

Dynamic risk mitigation, dynamic diversification and pre-defined protection are three strategies currently in demand when it comes to portfolio downside insurance. Tom Shuttlewood, Head of Strategy & Digital Indices, Product Development at STOXX, explains how each works and why they are increasingly being integrated into index-based investment solutions.

Capturing fast evolving technologies such as AI and quantum computing requires ever more precise tools. The STOXX Thematic indices address this by translating innovation trends into investable frameworks, supported by advanced data and classification insights from EconSight.

The EURO STOXX 50® continues to underpin an expanding range of trading and income strategies, with exchange-traded products offering leveraged, inverse and options-based exposure to the flagship Eurozone benchmark.

Gender diversity in corporate leadership is no longer a peripheral ESG theme but is increasingly linked to measurable business outcomes. The DAX Women Leadership index, which has outperformed the DAX benchmark by an annualized 300 basis points since 2018, seeks to provide both an underlying for investment products and an engagement tool for investors.

Celebrated each May 9, Europe Day is a fitting moment to take stock of the STOXX Europe 600 — which is attracting strong inflows into linked investment products while new ETFs are being introduced. With the latter, the set of trading and strategy possibilities around European equities continues to grow.

STOXX was present at the annual SimCorp Global Summit, where one panel explored the latest evolution of indices, and another one presented the concept of ‘4D’ index investing — which considers a systematic portfolio’s risk, return, sustainability and trading costs.

The STOXX Focus indices build portfolios based on constituents’ geographic revenue sources rather than their country of domicile, providing a more accurate representation of regional risk at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and global trade frictions. BlackRock’s iShares has launched the first in a planned series of ETFs tracking the indices.

ETFs tracking a STOXX or DAX European equity index received a net EUR 9.7 billion over the first quarter, or 36% of inflows in the segment. ETFs mirroring an equity index worldwide registered EUR 66.2 billion in net inflows last month even as markets tumbled, taking YTD inflows to EUR 318.2 billion.

The STOXX Europe 600 Energy index rose 37.2% in the first quarter, outperforming its benchmark by 38.1 percentage points, following a jump in crude oil prices. Several European nations have proposed a temporary tax on the industry’s windfall profits, while the European Union is set to unveil a new bill favoring electricity taxation across the bloc.

Experts from STOXX took part in four panels at the annual gathering organized by Eurex, shedding light on structural shifts in volatility markets, options-based strategies and thematic index innovation.

Changes are part of the March regular review of the DAX 50 ESG, DAX 50 ESG+, DAX 30 ESG, DAX ESG Target, DAX ESG Screened, MDAX ESG+, MDAX ESG Screened and DAX indices.

Products such as the Leverage Shares 3x Tesla ETP Securities and Leverage Shares 3x NVIDIA ETP Securities, which track STOXX indices, continue to see high demand as tactical tools for traders and investment firms seeking exposure to rising equity markets.