Indices

Indices measure the movement in value of the market or various sectors of the market.  They provide a broad outline as to how the market is performing.  Standard & Poor's (S&P) calculate many of the indices available over the Australian sharemarket.

S&P/ASX indices

Live index information is available on a range of different indices, from the widely known All Ordinaries and S&P/ASX 200 to smaller indices over a particular market sector.

Indices overview

The S&P/ASX Indices section provides information about each particular index including its constituent securities, historic changes, news, analysis, and calculation methodology.

The S&P website also provides more general information about indices.

GICS Sectors

The Global Industry Classification Standard (or GICS) allows for consistent classification of companies across various markets.

Sector indices overviews


Foreign entity data

S&P/ASX Buy-Write Index

The Buy-Write Index (XBW) is a passive total return index. The underlying index is the S&P™/ASX 200 Accumulation Index over which an S&P™/ASX 200 Index call option is sold each quarter.

Index related products

There are warrants, options, exchange traded funds and futures over certain indices. These instruments can be used to gain exposure to the performance of the index, provide leveraged exposure to movements in the index, or hedge your portfolio against losses.

Index consultation material

S&P and ASX released a consultation paper (PDF 76KB) on 6 May 2008 seeking market feedback on a proposal to extend index eligibility to Foreign Exempt companies listed on ASX. Under the proposal, Foreign Exempt companies with a primary listing on a major stock exchange within a developed market will be eligible for index inclusion provided all other index inclusion criteria in the S&P Index methodology is met. S&P and ASX will seek market feedback on the proposal until 31 May 2008.