Thomson Reuters and Affinity Investment Advisors Launch StarMine World Leaders Index Providing Investors Targeted Access to Developed Equity Markets  

LONDON/NEW YORK – Building on its commitment to help connect and empower the global financial community by harnessing proprietary data and analytics designed to add greater client value, Thomson Reuters has launched the Thomson Reuters StarMine Affinity World Leaders Index in partnership with Affinity Investment Advisors. The index is a more selective business sector and region-neutral index derived from Thomson Reuters Global Developed Index and powered by Thomson Reuters StarMine factors.

The Thomson Reuters StarMine Affinity World Leaders Index was created to serve investors seeking to invest in developed market equities that may be best positioned for future performance. This new index transparently uses factors which are proprietary to StarMine, creating a unique and differentiated index product. The index selects equities based on a variety of StarMine metrics such as Analyst Revisions Model, Relative & Intrinsic Valuation, Price Momentum, and Earnings Quality. This approach allows investors to access an index constructed using fundamental factors, rather than market capitalization alone.

“Today’s global equity investors, now more than ever, need indices that not only provide greater access to global markets, and related sub-sectors, but also provide a greater level of transparency” said Stephan Flagel, global head of benchmarks and indices at Thomson Reuters. “We are delighted to partner with Affinity Investment Advisors on this index. This forms a part of our larger indices services, alongside access to the vast depth and breadth of Thomson Reuters data, to give our customers the tools they may need to make better informed investment decisions.”

“Affinity is excited to continue and expand our partnership with Thomson Reuters StarMine”, said Greg Lai, CEO and CIO at Affinity Investment Advisors. “The index space is dominated by “passive” cap-weighted indices whose strategy is to just deliver an exposure. Thomson Reuters StarMine has been a leader in providing strategic factor exposure data that represent what we look for in companies. We foresee increasing demand for strategic beta indices, especially as pure passive strategies become extended and momentum abates.”

Thomson Reuters has over 30 years’ expertise in the indices business and has calculated many of the most widely held indices in the world. Thomson Reuters pure beta indices and smart indices address many investor objectives across asset classes, themes, regions and sectors. Thomson Reuters offers comprehensive institutional-quality solutions and a full-service indexing partnership to help you get your ideas to market efficiently. This is backed by its industry leading platform of financial intelligence and trust principles which guarantee integrity.

Thomson Reuters has aligned its practices with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Principles for Financial Benchmarks, to continuously improve the calculation management and governance of the benchmarks and indices it administers to help ensure they reflect the highest standards and meet all applicable regulation and industry guidance. 

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com.

Affinity Investment Advisors, LLC

Affinity has been managing equity portfolios since its founding in 1992. The firm believes that the equity markets are highly, but not completely, efficient. The behavioral tendencies of investors create inefficiencies that Affinity believes can be exploited through a quantitative model. The methodology underpinning Affinity’s quantitative model also underlies the Thomson Reuters StarMine Affinity World Leaders Index.

Affinity is headquartered in Southern California, with a satellite office in Pennsylvania. The firm, which is 100% employee-owned, manages domestic, international, and global equity strategies for retail and institutional clients.

For more information about Affinity, please visit www.affinityinvestment.com.

CONTACT

George Doel
External Communications
Thomson Reuters
+44 207 542 0146
george.doel@thomsonreuters.com

Lemuel Brewster
Senior PR Director
Thomson Reuters
+1 646-223-5147
lemuel.brewster@thomsonreuters.com