MSCI Barra, a leading provider of benchmark indices and risk management analytics products, announced today the launch of the MSCI KOKUNAI (Domestic) Japan Equity Indices. Consisting of over 2,500 securities from all major Japanese exchanges, the MSCI KOKUNAI Japan Equity Indices have been designed specifically for investors requiring a broad and complete benchmark alternative to current domestic Japanese indices.
"Many institutional investors are looking at ways to more precisely segment their domestic Japanese equity investments, taking advantage of the complete opportunity set," said Henry Fernandez, President and CEO of MSCI Barra, today. "Indices designed to represent each segment of the market are key enablers of this process."
The MSCI KOKUNAI Indices are segmented by capitalization size, value/growth investment styles and industries, providing a more precise approach to asset allocation. By better reflecting available investment opportunities, the MSCI KOKUNAI Indices also offer a more appropriate benchmark for performance measurement and attribution.
The ability to segment the entire investable opportunity set means that the MSCI KOKUNAI Indices can also be used as the basis for research and derivative products targeted at specific size and style segments, such as options, futures and exchange traded funds (ETFs).
"The launch of the MSCI KOKUNAI Japan Equity Indices is in direct response to demand from both domestic and international investors. As the market leader in international indices, MSCI Barra is now leveraging its expertise and commitment to quality to bring clients an innovative new family of domestic Japanese indices," said Mr Fernandez.
Designed for cost-effective asset management, the MSCI KOKUNAI Indices benefit asset owners and asset managers alike. Features such as buffer zones, liquidity criteria and free float-adjusted market capitalization aim to limit index turnover and foster investability. Constituent and index level data for the MSCI KOKUNAI Indices is available from MSCI Barra via FTP, email and Barra Aegis since the base date of May 31, 2005 and on an ongoing basis. The major MSCI KOKUNAI Indices will be calculated in real time and distributed by Bloomberg and Reuters. MSCI Barra is planning to add additional vendors and full historical data is scheduled for release in early 2006.
About MSCI Barra
MSCI (www.msci.com) develops and maintains equity, REIT, fixed income, multi-asset class and hedge fund indices that serve as the benchmark for an estimated USD 3 trillion on a worldwide basis and owns Barra, Inc. ("Barra"). Barra analytics (www.barra.com) help the world's largest investors analyze, measure and manage portfolio and firm-wide investment risk. MSCI Barra is headquartered in New York, with research and commercial offices around the world. Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm and a market leader in securities, asset management, and credit services, is the majority shareholder of MSCI, and Capital International Inc., part of the global investment management group of The Capital Group Companies, Inc., is the minority shareholder. MSCI Barra is a service mark of Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. ("MSCI" or "MSCI Barra").
For further information on MSCI indices or MSCI data, please visit our web site at www.msci.com or contact:
| Dorsey Horowitz, MSCI, New York | + 1 212 762 5790 | |
| Sonal Patel, MSCI, London | + 44 20 7425 6660 | |
| Sarah Chan, MSCI, Hong Kong | + 852 2848 6740 | |
| Masao Ikeda, MSCI, Tokyo | + 813 5424 5470 | |
| PR: | ||
| Ben Curson/Clare Rowsell, Penrose Financial, London | + 44 20 7786 4888 | |
| Ann Taylor Reed, Abernathy MacGregor, New York | + 1 212 371 5999 | |
The information contained in this document, including all text, data, graphs, charts and all other information (collectively, the "Information") is the property of Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc. (MSCI) and is provided for informational purposes only. Any use of MSCI indices, data or other information requires a license from MSCI. The Information may not be used to verify or correct other data, to create indices, or in connection with offering, sponsoring, managing or marketing any securities, portfolios, financial instruments or products. None of the Information constitutes an offer to buy or sell, or a promotion or recommendation of, any security, financial instrument or product or trading strategy, and MSCI does not endorse, approve or otherwise express any opinion regarding any issuer, securities, financial instruments or products or trading strategies that may be described or mentioned herein. Further, none of the Information is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. The user of the Information assumes the entire risk of any use it may make or permit to be made of it. NEITHER MSCI, ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN MAKING OR COMPILING ANY OF THE INFORMATION MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION (OR THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE USE THEREOF), AND MSCI, ITS AFFILIATES AND EACH SUCH OTHER THIRD PARTY HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall MSCI, any of its affiliates or any other third party involved in making or compiling any of the Information have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Morgan Stanley Capital International, MSCI®, ACWI, EAFE®, Barra®, MSCI Barra and all other service marks referred to herein are the exclusive property of MSCI or its affiliates, except as provided below. All MSCI indices are the exclusive property of MSCI and may not be used in any way without the express written permission of MSCI. The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) was developed by and is the exclusive property of MSCI and Standard & Poor's. "Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)" is a service mark of MSCI and Standard & Poor's.