S&P Adds Three Shariah Compliant Indexes

Standard&Poor’s has launched three new Shariah-compliant indexes covering the Pan Arab region and publicly traded property companies in developed and emerging markets.

According to an S&P press release, the S&P/Citigroup Global Property Shariah Index represents and measures the investable universe of publicly traded property companies from developed and emerging markets. It has 130 companies from 26 countries with an adjusted market cap of $231 billion. Significant countries represented include the United States (19.54%), Australia (19.19%), China (11.14%), Hong Kong (10.53%) and Japan (9.80%).

The S&P/Citigroup World Property Shariah Index is a subset of the S&P/Citigroup Global Property Shariah Index and includes property companies from the developed markets only. It has 89 companies from 16 countries with an adjusted market cap of $191 billion. Significant countries represented include the United States (23.63%), Australia (23.21%), Hong Kong (12.74%), Japan (11.85%) and France (10.59%).

Never miss a story — sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters to keep up on the latest retirement plan adviser news.

The S&P Pan Arab Shariah Index includes 129 stocks from listed companies in 11 countries – Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia (48.24%) and Kuwait (20.07%) are the two biggest country constituents, while financials (35.92%), materials (26.67%) and telecom services (19.24%) are the biggest sector constituents.

Each Shariah-compliant index uses explicit selection criteria defined by Islamic law, the press release said. All S&P Shariah Indices are screened by Ratings Intelligence Partners, a Kuwait-based consulting company specializing in the Islamic investment market. Ratings Intelligence Partners researchers interface directly with a dedicated Shariah Supervisory Board.

The S&P Global Shariah Index Series, introduced in April, so far includes Shariah-compliant versions of the S&P 500, the S&P Europe 350 and the S&P Japan 500, as well as the S&P GCC Middle East Shariah Index Series, the S&P BRIC Shariah Index S&P, and the Pan Asia Shariah Index.

More information can be found at www.globalindices.standardandpoors.com.

Dollar Bill?

They say that money talks – and the US Mint is certainly hoping that is the case, as it “rolls″ out the new Thomas Jefferson $1 coin today.
“That’s what’s great about the Presidential $1 Coin Program,” said United States Mint Director Ed Moy in a press release. “This series of circulating coins provides the perfect opportunity for Americans to learn more about our Presidents and the critical role they played in some of our Nation’s historic milestones.”
A survey commissioned by the United States Mint says that less than a third (30%) of Americans knew that Thomas Jefferson was the Nation’s third President, though more than half (57%) were able to recognize his role as a primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Just 35% knew that Jefferson was featured on the nickel, according to the survey conducted by the Gallup Organization.
The Presidential $1 Coin Survey also found that only:
  • 22% of Americans know that there have been 43 U.S. Presidents to date.
  • 21% of Americans know that the faces of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt are carved on Mount Rushmore.
  • 68% knew that George Washington led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
The United States Mint inaugurated the Presidential $1 Coin series with the George Washington $1 Coin in February 2007. The John Adams $1 Coin followed in May. The public may obtain Thomas Jefferson $1 Coins at most banks and financial institutions throughout the country beginning today. Thomas Jefferson $1 Coins in collector bags and rolls will be available for purchase on the United States Mint’s website, http://www.usmint.gov, at 12:00 noon (ET) on August 16.
Congress authorized and President Bush signed the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005. The Act requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins honoring the United States Presidents in the order in which they served, with four new designs annually. Each President will be honored with a single Presidential $1 Coin, regardless of the number of consecutive terms he served, except for Grover Cleveland, the only U.S. President to serve non-consecutive terms. He will be honored on two coins. No living, former or current President can be honored on a Presidential $1 Coin.
You can check out the release date(s) HERE

«