The purpose of FTSE international equity indices is to help you, as an investor, know in which global markets to invest your hard-earned money. They provide information on international stock market trends so that you can more easily determine what stocks are likely to provide an acceptable return in the future.

FTSE international includes a number of indices, such as the FTSE All-World Index Series, FTSE Emerging Markets Index, FTSE Global Equity Index Series, FTSE Global Sector Index Series and FTSE Global Small Cap Index Series. When considering an FTSE index, take the following into account:

1. FTSE international indices provide investment analysis and performance measurements for over 8,000 securities globally.

2. Working with UNICEF, the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, since 1997, FTSE raises funds to help support poverty reduction and healthcare for the world’s children.

3. The market information FTSE indices provide is objective; they don’t provide financial advice to clients.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand the system for choosing components for the international equity index FTSE

Index committees, made up of global pension plan trustees, investment managers and financial analysts, choose the components of an FTSE directory. They base their decisions to add or remove the stocks for a company upon market capitalization, the value of the companies, and strict liquidity, free float and multiple lines standards.

I recommend: Obtain detailed information on methodology and calculations process for FTSE international indices by visiting the FTSE website. Heavens-Above.com provides further information on the FTSE company and their indexes.

Invest in the global market through FTSE international indices

FTSE's main purpose is to accurately portray the global stock market to potential investors. One of their most popular global indices is the capitalization-weighted FTSE 100. The top 100 companies traded in the London Stock Exchange make up the FTSE 100 index. In addition, FTSE provides the FTSE Global Equity Index, which portrays over 8,000 securities for 48 countries, representing 98% of the global stock market.

I recommend: Find the currents standing of the FTSE 100, as well as a list of components, on Bloomberg.com. Receive monthly performance reports for the FTSE Global Equity Index by registering with SurveyMonkey.com. Download the monthly issues of the FTSE Global Markets Magazine on FTSE’s website or register for the FTSE All-World Review, a monthly publication for institutional investors, at FTSE/Nomura.

Use a FTSE international index to measure global sector stocks

The 13 indices in the FTSE Global Sector Index Series represent 35 international markets from the FTSE Global Classification System (GCS). Each index includes 80% to 90% of the market capitalization for that index sector. These 13 indices include the following markets: automobiles, banks, financial industries, basic industries, general industrials, cyclical, non-cyclical, energy, utilities, media, technology, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.

I recommend: Visit the FTSE website for FTSE information on each specific global sector index. Obtain real time data on the FTSE Global Sector indices from DPM New Agency.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consult with a financial adviser before investing in any stock, regardless of its record on a market index. There is risk involved in stock investments and no guaranteed return, so be sure you choose a stock that best suits your financial situation.