Strategies & Capabilities
Index Equity
Our equity index funds have been helping institutional investors solve their investment challenges for over 40 years. Our clients include many of the largest pension funds in the world, as well as endowments, sovereign wealth funds and countless others.
Our Expertise
Our investment management business was founded on indexing. From introducing our first S&P 500 index fund in 1978 to launching the first exchange traded fund (ETF) in the US in 1993, there are few challenges our experienced portfolio management teams haven’t seen and can’t solve.
Equity Index Assets Under Management 1
Equity Index Investing Experience 2
Average Portfolio Manager Tenure 3
Why Us?
Depth and Flexibility
We track the nuances of over 500 indices spanning a broad range of custom smart beta and ESG, as well as standard market cap weighted indices. Whether offering indexes from leading providers or building them ourselves, our breadth of product and vehicle types enable flexibility and choice for investors.
Strength in Numbers
With more than 1,400 clients around the world, our internal crossing network and ability to identify trends and share insights across the globe saves clients tens of millions of dollars every year.
Robust Research
Research guides our investment decisions and strategy design, whether it is identifying index implementation value that can be gained from exploiting micro-inefficiencies, integrating ESG into index and factor-based strategies, or developing proprietary, rules-based indices.
State-of-the-Art Trading Platforms
Our seamless interface for all aspects of the trading lifecycle—connecting three regional trading desks to brokers, alternative trading systems and external crossing systems around the world—gives us exceptional control and trading cost advantages.
Asset Stewardship and Active Ownership
As fiduciaries and the third largest global asset manager, we have a responsibility to use our voice and vote to encourage portfolio companies to address issues that could impact long-term shareholder value. Through our engagements, hundreds of publicly traded companies have taken important steps to strengthen their business for the future, including increasing the diversity of their leadership teams and improving their readiness to respond to climate change challenges today and into the future.
Our Latest Thinking
Fee compression has focused investors’ index manager selection on one important but limited criterion: price. We believe investors should be asking more questions.
Our Approach
Being a truly global firm with a long track record of thoughtful implementation has helped us build long and lasting relationships with clients.
We Integrate Human Insight with Cutting Edge Technology
We Offer Precise Index Exposures & Superior Performance Management
We Prioritize Risk-Aware Implementation and Transaction Cost Minimization
We Innovate by Aligning Research with Client and Market Demands
We Focus on Long-Term Shareholder Value
Our Offering
Core Beta
Our clients have access to a range of funds through which we add incremental value through risk-aware implementation and cost-reduction strategies, as well as strategic execution of index changes.
We help our clients understand how factors are contributing to their overall portfolio return, as well as how they can harness the power of factors to meet an overall portfolio or plan objective. Our offerings include bespoke index solutions, custom-tilted or multifactor approaches, as well as access to additional third party index solutions.
We work with clients to identify and address specific ESG related investment concerns in a pragmatic way. Bespoke or off the shelf solutions range from exclusionary screens to best in class and thematic themes such as climate.
Our SPDR family gives institutional investors access to a range of trasnparent and cost-effective exchange-traded with tight spreads, deep liquidity and ample diversification.
Tax-Aware Beta Solutions
We help taxable investors meet their investment objectives by crafting customized beta exposures that efficiently weigh different competing objectives of tracking error minimization, along with minimizing their tax liability.
Defined Contribution Focus
We manage a range of index funds for defined contribution plans, including target date components and allocation, to help companies ensure their employees can plan for a secure, dignified retirement.
Contact Us
Reach out for more information about our index equity strategies.