FTSE Italia Index Series

FTSE Group (“FTSE”), the global index provider and Borsa Italiana, part of the London Stock Exchange Group, today confirm the new Italian equity indices will be available from 1^st June 2009, to domestic and international investors. The FTSE Italia Index Series is designed to represent the performance of shares listed on the markets of Borsa Italiana, providing investors and intermediaries with a comprehensive and complementary set of indices, with which to measure the performance of the Italian equity market.

The FTSE Italia Index Series has been designed using FTSE’s world-renowned index standards, which are recognised and used by international investors. The methodology includes features such as a liquidity screen, a minimum free float level and exclusion of dual class shares. It also applies a nationality rule, which means that foreign listed stocks are not eligible for inclusion in the series, other than in the FTSE MIB and the FTSE Italia All-Share indices.

The FTSE MIB index methodology will remain the same as the current S&P/MIB, and starting from 1^st June Borsa Italiana will discontinue the publication of all its informative indices, such as Mibtel, Midex, Mex, Mib Sectoral, Mib R, All Stars.

On the same day, 1^st June, stock index futures and stock index options contracts traded on the IDEM of Borsa Italiana – London Stock Exchange Group – will use FTSE MIB as underlying.

The FTSE Italia Series offers a more structured and integrated range of representative market segments and sectors using the international ICB classification.  The new and retiring indices, as well as some of their high level design characteristics, are specified into the file attached:

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For more information on the index series, including constituent lists, comparative performance of the current BIt indices and the new FTSE Italia Index Series, please visit www.ftse.com/italia