S&P Changes Include Expansion of Global Equity Index

The S&P /Citigroup Global Equity Indices will be combined with the S&P /IFCG and Frontier Index Series to form the S&P Global Equity Indices.

According to a release from Standard & Poor’s, the index series goes live October 1, and will provide coverage of 12,400 companies in 83 countries throughout the world. S&P said it made the decision following extensive market consultation and in recognition of the increased investor interest and liquidity in the emerging and frontier markets.

In addition, Standard & Poor’s announced a series of changes that will impact the methodologies of the S&P/Citigroup Global Equity, S&P Emerging Market and S&P Frontier Indices, including:

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Effective October 1, Standard & Poor’s will redefine the size splits of the S&P Global country indexes into a 70%, 15%, and 15% split, representing the large, mid, and small cumulative available capital level in each country.

The current Primary Market Index (“PMI”) will be replaced by the new S&P Large-Mid Cap Index, representing 85% of the cumulative available capital (15% of which will be represented by the new S&P Mid-Cap Index), and the current Extended Market Index (“EMI”) will be replaced by the new S&P Small Cap Index, representing the remaining 15% of the cumulative available capital.

Effective November 1 the S&P Emerging BMI Index, will become the continuation of the original S&P/Citigroup Emerging index, which already excludes South Korea. In addition, S&P will offer the S&P Emerging BMI Plus, which will include South Korea.

The premier, liquid and investable emerging market index, the S&P/IFCI, will retain its name. The Index will be a subset of the S&P Emerging BMI Plus Index and will continue to include Korea, as well as other existing markets.

The newly enhanced S&P Frontier BMI Index will include additional 11 markets for a total of 35 markets. The methodology for inclusion and deletion from this index will remain unchanged.


A paper detailing the changes can be accessed at www.standardandpoors.com/indices.

Former UBS Broker Sues Firm

A former UBS broker filed a lawsuit against the firm, alleging it forced him to resign for cooperating with regulators, the Boston Globe reported.

The former broker, Timothy P. Flynn, sold $30 million in auction-rate securities to Massachusetts towns and cities. In a complaint filed with the Department of Labor (DoL) in New York, the former UBS broker alleged UBS Financial Services Inc. locked him out of his office and cut him off from e-mail shortly after he testified as part of an investigation of the firm. A UBS spokesman denied Flynn’s allegations, the Globe reported.

UBS settled with state Attorney General Martha Coakley’s investigation of the firm by agreeing to buy back $37 million investments sold by Flynn and others to 17 towns and cities and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the newspaper reported.

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The testimony from Flynn implicated UBS in fraud. According to Flynn’s complaint, he told investigators in an April meeting that UBS had led its brokers to believe auction-rate securities were cash alternatives, similar to money markets, the paper reported.

His testimony preceded a fraud suit filed by the Massachusetts Securities Division last week against the firm, alleging UBS misrepresented the risks of auction-rate securities to customers and failed to disclose its conflicts in selling them. UBS said it would defend itself against the allegations, the Globe said (see UBS Securities Faces Charges of Fraud by Mass. Authority).

Flynn worked at UBS since March 2006, according to his broker record, and was a senior vice president. Flynn e-mailed his UBS superiors ahead of his meeting with the attorney general, saying he intended to cooperate, but UBS’ lawyer said e-mail was not an appropriate vehicle for such a discussion, the Globe reports.

Post-testimony, after being barred from his Manhattan office, Massachusetts clients, and computer, Flynn was ultimately suspended, the complaint says, then told he had to resign, or face being fired, the Globe reports.

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