Leading international index provider Standard & Poor’s has signed an agreement granting Credit Suisse the right to use the main indicator of the Russian stock market, the RTS Index, to
Leading international index provider Standard & Poor’s has signed an agreement granting Credit Suisse the right to use the main indicator of the Russian stock market, the RTS Index, to create and launch a series of structured products linked to Russian equities.
‘Apart from being Russia’s flagship benchmark, the RTS Index is also a full-fledged investment tool, as evidenced in its growing use as an underlying [basis] for structured products and in the availability of a well-developed derivatives market based on it,’ says RTS chairman Roman Goryunov.
‘Of late, international market players have been showing a growing appetite for investing in Russian stocks. A modern global approach includes both direct investing into selected stocks and creation of structured products that combine reliability with high yield potential.
‘Availability of such products makes the Russian stock market even more appealing in the investors’ eye and helps its further growth. The fact that the RTS Index is chosen by major global financial institutions underscores its highly representative nature as the main indicator of the Russian market.’
Alexander J. Matturri, executive managing director for Standard & Poor’s index and portfolio services, says: ‘This agreement with Credit Suisse is a direct result of successful co-operation between S&P and RTS under our existing index partnership.
‘Recently S&P has signed a number of similar agreements with leading European financial institutions that chose the RTS Index as the basis for implementing their investment management strategies in the region.’
Charlie White-Thomson, head of Russia equities at Credit Suisse, says: ‘Credit Suisse is pleased to be partnering with S&P and RTS on this important index. We can now provide our clients with access to the entire RTS Index and Russian futures, and we look forward to offering them the ability to use OTC swaps to achieve their investment goals.’
