Dow Jones Indexes And FTSE Group Announce That New Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB) Is Available For Investors

Global index providers Dow Jones Indexes and FTSE Group today announced that their new joint classification system, the Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB), is now available. The ICB is embodied in a new and innovative classification database, covering 40,000 companies and 45,000 securities world-wide to represent a true global classification solution. It offers investors and the securities industry the most comprehensive and seamless classification system available, and serves as a versatile tool for global sector analysis.

The ICB already has been adopted by exchanges, index calculators and financial-services providers world-wide. All indexes calculated by Dow Jones Indexes have been converted to ICB. Indexes calculated by FTSE will be converted during 2005.

The two companies also announced the appointment of James Cemprola as managing director of the new business. Mr. Cemprola, brings with him more than 12 years of financial-services experience, most recently with Thomson Financial in New York.

“ICB is an exciting project, and we have already seen a great deal of interest from financial and data vendors, exchanges and investment houses in adopting the product,” Mr. Cemprola said. “I’m thrilled to be leading such an innovative and valuable venture.”

The ICB has been devised from Dow Jones Indexes and FTSE Group’s proprietary industry classification systems, and comprises a balanced, four-tier structure with Industry, Supersector, Sector and Subsector levels. This comprehensive design allows investors to monitor broad industry trends and to zero in on small-market niches, as well as facilitates detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis within a single system.

More information about the ICB can be accessed at a new Web site, www.icbenchmark.com.