London Stock Exchange – FT to reenter stock index business with Wilshire as provider

TOKYO — The Financial Times will begin a stock index business, the London-based news organization said on Wednesday.

Through a partnership with U.S. investment service provider Wilshire Associates, the FT will develop a new index, under the brand name FT Wilshire 5000, that seeks to provide new insights and meet the demands of global investors. The two will also collaborate in areas like data and information analysis services.

Wilshire serves clients worldwide and is known for publishing the Wilshire 5000 index, a U.S. equity benchmark designed to reflect the entire movement of the U.S. stock market.

The FT will grant Wilshire the rights to use its brand, with the index relaunched as the FT Wilshire 5000 US Series.

In addition to enhancing the brand value of the benchmark, the two companies will join hands in developing new indexes that target areas of investor interest, such as digital financial instruments and activities related to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues.

The collaboration will also seek to offer new investment services that utilize FT’s content and Wilshire’s database, as well as investment analysis tools. It will also consider cooperating with Nikkei, the parent company of the FT, regarding the expansion of the index business into Asia.

Mark Makepeace, the chief executive officer of Wilshire, said, “We would like to bring together the knowledge of both companies and contribute to global investors with our excellent information and data services.”

The FT Group was previously linked to the FTSE index series. It sold its 50 per cent stake to the London Stock Exchange in 2011.