S&P/TSX 60 ESG Index Launched by S&P Dow Jones Indices, RobecoSAM and Toronto Stock Exchange

• A sustainable version of Canada's premier benchmark: the S&P/TSX 60
• ESG factors of companies analyzed using RobecoSAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA)

NEW YORK and ZURICH, June 16, 2014 /CNW/ - S&P Dow Jones Indices, one of the world's largest providers of financial market indices, RobecoSAM and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) today announced the launch of the S&P/TSX 60 ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) index. The Index is designed to track the performance of the constituent companies of the S&P/TSX 60, Canada's leading equity benchmark, while taking into account each company's sustainability performance relative to the corresponding industry-specific standards. RobecoSAM, the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing, evaluates companies' sustainability profiles using their proprietary assessment methodology.

The S&P/TSX 60 ESG index is designed for market participants who currently use the S&P/TSX 60 and are looking to deepen the scope of their stock analysis to include sustainability criteria. The construction methodology is based on the S&P/TSX 60, while companies' sustainability profiles are evaluated using the RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). Companies are then re-weighted according to their sustainability score, meaning those with a higher score are weighted higher in the S&P/TSX 60 ESG index than in the S&P/TSX 60.

Alka Banerjee, Managing Director of Global Equity Indices, S&P Dow Jones Indices: "We are excited to expand our ESG offering with the launch of the S&P/TSX 60 ESG index. This index provides investors in the Canadian equity market with an objective, investible benchmark against which they can measure their sustainability investment portfolios. With the launch of our latest ESG index, S&P Dow Jones Indices continues to play a leading role in providing investors with the benchmarks needed to gauge the environmental consciousness of some of the world's most followed companies."

Guido Giese, PhD, Head of Indices, RobecoSAM: "The launch of the S&P/TSX 60 ESG index marks an important step towards enabling investors in the Canadian equity market to benchmark their portfolios against an index that is grounded in sophisticated ESG information. Expanding our offering is also a response to an overall increasing interest in regional sustainability indices and we are pleased that we can satisfy investor thirst for an investible, regional ESG benchmark."

Eric Sinclair, President, TMX Datalinx and Group Head of Information Services, TMX Group:  "We are very pleased to launch the S&P/TSX 60 ESG index, which recognizes Toronto Stock Exchange issuers for their ESG efforts and performance.  As interest in ESG continues to grow, we believe investors should value this index offering."

For additional information on the S&P/TSX 60 ESG Index, please visit:
http://www.sustainability-indices.com/ and http://www.djindexes.com/sustainability/.

S&P/TSX ESG 60 is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC.  S&P® is registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P") and TSX® is a registered trademark of TSX Inc.  These trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, S&P and their respective affiliates and licensors (including TSX Inc.)(collectively "S&P Dow Jones Indices") do not sponsor, endorse, sell, or promote any investment fund or other investment vehicle that is offered by third parties and that seeks to provide an investment return based on the performance of any index. This document does not constitute an offer of services in jurisdictions where S&P Dow Jones Indices does not have the necessary licenses. S&P Dow Jones Indices receives compensation in connection with licensing its indices to third parties.

About S&P Dow Jones Indices
S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a part of McGraw Hill Financial, is the world's largest, global resource for index-based concepts, data and research. Home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average™, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC has over 115 years of experience constructing innovative and transparent solutions that fulfill the needs of investors. More assets are invested in products based upon our indices than any other provider in the world. With over 1,000,000 indices covering a wide range of asset classes across the globe, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC defines the way investors measure and trade the markets. To learn more about our company, please visit www.spdji.com. 

About TMX Group (TSX-X)
TMX Group's key subsidiaries operate cash and derivative markets and clearinghouses for multiple asset classes including equities, fixed income and energy. Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, TMX Select, Alpha Group, The Canadian Depository for Securities, Montréal Exchange, Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation, NGX, BOX Options Exchange, Shorcan, Shorcan Energy Brokers, Equicom and other TMX Group companies provide listing markets, trading markets, clearing facilities, depository services, data products and other services to the global financial community. TMX Group is headquartered in Toronto and operates offices across Canada (Montréal, Calgary and Vancouver), in key U.S. markets (New York, Houston, Boston and Chicago) as well as in London, Beijing and Sydney. For more information about TMX Group, visit our website at www.tmx.com. Follow TMX Group on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tmxgroup.

About RobecoSAM
Founded in 1995, RobecoSAM is an investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing. It offers asset management, indices, engagement, voting, impact analysis, sustainability assessments, and benchmarking services. Asset management capabilities cater to institutional asset owners and financial intermediaries and cover a range of ESG-integrated investments (in public and private equity), featuring a strong track record in resource efficiency theme strategies. Together with S&P Dow Jones Indices, RobecoSAM publishes the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Based on its Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual ESG analysis of 2,800 listed companies, RobecoSAM has compiled one of the world's most comprehensive databases of financially material sustainability information.

RobecoSAM is a member of the global pure-play asset manager Robeco, which was established in 1929 and is the center of expertise for asset management within the ORIX Corporation. As a reflection of its own commitment to advocating sustainable investment practices, RobecoSAM is a signatory of the UNPRI and a member of Eurosif, ASrIA and Ceres. Approximately 130 professionals work for RobecoSAM, which is headquartered in Zurich. As of December 31, 2013, RobecoSAM had assets under management, advice and/or license in listed and private equity* of approximately USD 10.2 billion. Additionally, RobecoSAM's Governance & Active Ownership team** had USD 74 billion of assets under engagement and USD 51.8 billion of assets under voting.

Important legal information:
The details given on these pages do not constitute an offer. They are given for information purposes only. No liability is assumed for the correctness and accuracy of the details given. The securities identified and described may or may not be purchased, sold or recommended for advisory clients. It should not be assumed that an investment in these securities was or will be profitable. *RobecoSAM Private Equity is the marketing name of the combined private equity divisions of Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. ('Robeco') and its fully owned subsidiary, RobecoSAM AG ('RobecoSAM'). Any funds or services offered by RobecoSAM Private Equity are managed and offered by Robeco, who may have delegated certain investment advisory functions to RobecoSAM. ** RobecoSAM's Governance & Active Ownership team is a brand name of Robeco. Copyright © 2014 RobecoSAM – all rights reserved.

SOURCE: TMX Group Inc.

S&P Dow Jones Indices, David Guarino, Head of Global Communications, 55 Water Street 27th Floor, New York, NY, 10041, ([phone], [email protected], www.spdji.com; RobecoSAM, François Vetri, Head of Corporate Communications, Josefstrasse 218, 8005 Zurich / Switzerland, ([phone], [email protected], www.robecosam.com; TMX Group, Catherine Kee, Manager, Corporate Communications, 416-814-8834, [email protected], www.tmx.com