Bats Launches New Benchmark Indices for Ten European Markets 

Bats Europe (Bats), a CBOE Holdings, Inc. company and the region’s largest equities exchange operator, today announced the launch of new benchmark indices for ten additional European markets. Bats now offers real-time, high-quality and low-cost alternatives to those provided by the incumbent index providers across all major European markets.

The new Bats Indices covering ten markets include:

• Bats Austria 20
• Bats Belgium 20
• Bats Denmark 25
• Bats Netherlands 25 & Bats Netherlands Mid-Cap 25
• Bats Finland 25
• Bats Ireland 20
• Bats Norway 25
• Bats Portugal 20
• Bats Spain 35
• Bats Sweden 30

Each of the new indices comprises the largest companies listed in each market. The Bats Netherlands Mid-Cap 25 is comprised of the next 25 largest issuers by market capitalisation in that market.

Mark Hemsley, President of Europe for CBOE, which owns Bats Europe, said: “We now offer benchmarks across all of the 15 European markets we operate in. As the largest pan-European stock exchange, we have unique insights into the needs and challenges of investors across the continent, many of whom have become increasingly frustrated by the rising costs of index data. We will continue to push forward with our goal of bringing more competition and transparency to this market.”

Helle Søby Thygesen, Manager, Capital Markets at the Danish Securities Dealers Association, said: “We welcome Bats’ further expansion into the European indices market as we believe that the industry will benefit greatly from choice and competition in the benchmark index space.”

Following are key facts about the Bats Indices:

• The Bats Indices are published in real-time. This compares to commonly used indices whose values are often delayed by 15 minutes.
• The indices provide accurate and reliable index data, transparently calculated, and valued using Bats’ highquality market data. Bats Europe handles nearly a quarter of all European equities trading across 15 major European markets on any given day.
• The indices are highly correlated with comparable benchmarks that investors use every day and are designed to accurately reflect market moves.
• Bats has simplified index licensing arrangements, with a long-term commitment to materially reducing costs to all investors.
• All Bats indices are available free of charge to media clients to distribute in real time. The indices are also free of charge to vendors and for benchmarking purposes.

Bats launched its index business in June 2016 and now offers 39 indices (calculated in both price and net total return) across 15 markets. Last month, Bats also announced the launch of the Bats Brexit 50/50 Indices, two new benchmark indices designed to reflect the impact of Brexit on UK companies.

The exchange takes account of, and follows, the relevant International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Principles for Financial Benchmarks for its indices.

Source: Bats

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