Pioneers in Sustainability Investing expand regional index offering
Nordic index meets institutional demand for focused regional sustainability benchmark
Strong platform to launch related products

NEW YORK (November 30, 2010) – SAM, the investment boutique focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing, and Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, today announced the launch of the Dow Jones Sustainability Nordic Index (DJSI Nordic). Out of the largest companies in the Nordic region by free-float market capitalization, the new index tracks the top 30% with regard to sustainability.

Designed to underlie financial products such as exchange-traded funds or mutual funds, the DJSI Nordic provides market participants with a reliable and independent sustainability benchmark for Nordic equities. The DJSI Nordic includes 29 sustainability leaders from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The index is calculated in EUR and USD and it will be rebalanced annually in September.

In keeping with all Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, the DJSI Nordic components are selected and weighted based on SAM’s systematic Corporate Sustainability Assessment, which analyzes company performance in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria. Specifically, the assessment looks at Nordic corporations in terms of general as well as industry-specific criteria such as energy use, corporate governance, climate change strategy, human resources development, stakeholder relations and knowledge management.

“Sustainability is a salient topic for Nordic corporations. Their progressive approach towards sustainability issues is reflected in their generally high performance on our annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment. In this respect, investors have requested a segregated benchmark that resonates with Nordic commitment to Sustainability, and we are eager to bring this product to the market,” said Rodrigo Amandi, managing director, SAM Indexes.

“We have seen increasing interest in regional sustainability indexes and with the expansive DJSI family we feel we have a strong platform to meet the Nordic demand for a regionally specific sustainability benchmark,” said Michael A. Petronella, president, Dow Jones Indexes.

Established in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability indexes are the longest running benchmarks for Sustainability Investing. Over the past decade, SAM and Dow Jones Indexes have remained committed to providing independent and reliable sustainability benchmarks while continually advancing and expanding in the sustainability arena. The Nordic Index marks another step towards meeting market demand and diversifying the product offering. Overall, more than USD 8 billion in assets under management is currently linked to the DJSI, as well as a broad range of financial products such as mutual funds, separate accounts, notes, and futures and exchange-traded funds.

DJSI Nordic Index Quick Reference:
Launch date: November 30, 2010
Market capitalization: EUR 245 billion (as of November 19, 2010)
Components: 29
Top holdings:
- Novo Nordisk A/S Series B
- Nokia Corp.
- L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co. Series B
- Hennes & Mauritz AB Series B
- Statoil ASA

For more information on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, please visit http://www.djindexes.com or http://www.sam-group.com