CME Is The World’s Most Valuable Stock Exchange Brand

• The CME is the most valuable stock exchange brand with a value of US$1.7 billion
• The NYSE is second in terms of brand value, but is the most powerful brand
• SGX anticipates further benefits from the Baltic Exchange transaction

For the first time, the brand values of the world’s biggest exchanges have been calculated and ranked, showing the often overlooked role that brands can play in the world’s financial markets. The list has been created by leading valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance, which evaluates thousands of brands from all industries every year. The most valuable exchange brands can be found in the Brand Finance Exchanges 20.

One quarter of the brands in the table are United States-based, though with a combined value of US$4.7 billion, they make up nearly half the total value of the top 20 (US$9.7 billion). The United Kingdom and Germany are home to three exchange brands each, with total values of US$991 million and US$983 million, respectively.

CME is the most valuable and fastest growing exchange brand, its value increasing 32% to US$1.7 billion. This is largely due to the impressive year on year growth in four of its six product lines. Furthermore, CME has boosted efforts to expand its core exchange business via strategic alliances and acquisitions, new product initiatives and increased global presence. The second most valuable is the NYSE with a value of US$1.3 billion. With an AAA rating, it is also the most powerful exchange brand, its status boosted by the recent acquisition of Interactive Data Corp (IDC), allowing NYSE to offer pricing data on corporate bonds.   

The HKEx is the third most valuable exchange brand. The 11% dip in value to US$1.1 billion is partially due to the decline across all major revenue drivers. As a result of the weakening Chinese economy, HKEx’s equities experienced a decrease, negatively affecting brand value. In contrast, the only other East Asian brand in the table, the SGX, rose 21% to a value of US$380 million, making it the second fastest growing brand this year. In 2015, it was named the Global Exchange of the Year for the first time. SGX’s forthcoming acquisition of the Baltic Exchange is intended to position Singapore as a hub for shipping finance. Despite the recent slump in shipping due to oversupply and falling commodity prices, we can expect the brand value of SGX to rise again next year.

The 20 Most Valuable Exchange Brands (USDm)