Lyxor lists on Borsa Italiana the Japan-based ETF
Lyxor (Société Générale) lists on Borsa Italiana the world’s most cost-effective and diversified Japan-based “UCITS III compliant” ETF with TOPIX Index as underlying
On Thursday, April 6th, Lyxor AM, Société Générale’s wholly-owned subsidiary and European leader as regards the ETF market*, will introduce for trading on Borsa Italiana Lyxor ETF Japan (TOPIX), the most cost-effective and diversified “UCITS III compliant” (fiscally optimised) Japan-based ETF in the world.
The ETF replicates the performance of the TOPIX index, composed of 1,692 securities listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) First Section. In terms of number of securities, the TOPIX index is the most representative of the Japanese economy since it offers a much broader diversification compared to the other indices: the Nikkei in fact comprises 225 securities, while the MSCI Japan index considers approximately 370. “The TOPIX index is widely used as key benchmark by institutional investors throughout the world, for measuring the performance of the Japanese economy” confirms Isabelle Bourcier, ETF global Co-ordinator for Lyxor AM.
Mr. Taizo Nishimuro, Chairman & CEO of Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), Inc. comments: “TSE warmly welcomes the listing of an ETF based on the TOPIX index published and calculated by the TSE on the Borsa Italiana, allowing Italian investors better access to the Japanese equity based ETF. We firmly believe that through our good business relationship, the cross-border flow of capital between Europe and Japan will be further enhanced”.
As explained by Mr. Massimo Capuano, CEO of Borsa Italiana S.p.A.: "Borsa Italiana is pleased to list on its markets the first ETF based on the TOPIX, one of the Japanese market’s most important equity indices. The listing of Lyxor ETF Japan (TOPIX) is confirmation of the excellent relations existing between the two stock exchanges and represents a first significant result of the cooperation set up on May 30th of last year in Tokyo with the signing of the MOU".
The high number of securities included in the index enables a strong effective diversification of the portfolio. The top 10 securities according to capitalization in fact represent approximately 20% of the basket’s entire value and the top 20, less than 30%. The TOPIX index sectors with most weight are cyclical consumer goods (25%), financials (over 23%) and industrials (approximately 20%). Exposure to the more volatile sectors is low: energy and technology account for, respectively, 1% and 4.4%.
Lyxor ETF Japan (TOPIX) was launched on 17 November 2005, it will be admitted to continuous trading on Borsa Italiana as an equity, carries no entry/exit/performance fee and the annual management fee is 0.5%.
With the Japanese ETF, Lyxor enhances its range of equity ETFs which already offered the possibility to invest in the most important European (including the only ETF on the Italian S&P/MIB index) and American equity asset classes and those of the emerging Countries (China and Eastern Europe), through global and style instruments (growth, value, small cap). Lyxor also offers a wide range of bond ETFs that allow investors to take positions in Government Securities issued by the Eurozone Countries with various fixed durations (1-3 years, 3-5 years, 10-15 years, global) or inflation-linked.
Lyxor AM, a Société Générale group company, is market leader for ETFs in Europe and Italy. Its market share in Europe amounts to 23.4% in terms of assets (corresponding to USD 12.85 billion, source Morgan Stanley as at 31/12/2005) while its market share on Borsa Italiana, in terms of turnover, amounts to 43% (year 2005, data elaborated by Bloomberg and Reuters).
Technical Characteristics: Lyxor ETF Japan (TOPIX)
ETF Name Lyxor ETF Japan (TOPIX)
Management Company Lyxor AM (Société Générale group)
Launch date 17th November 2005
Listing date on Borsa Italiana 6th April 2006
Benchmark Index TOPIX
Trading Code of Borsa Italiana JPN
ISIN code FR0010245514
UCITS III compliant Yes
Legal form French mutual fund (FCP)
Front/back-end load 0%
Performance fee 0%
Management fees 0,50 % including VAT / year
Dividends frequency Yearly
Minimum trading lot 1 ETF (EUR 122,07 as of 30th March 2006)
Currency Euro
Italian free toll number, Internet, e-mail 800.92.93.00, www.LyxorETF.it, info@LyxorETF.it