FAQ: beS&P^® Index Solutions

1. What is beS&P?  S&P Dow Jones Indices’ (S&P DJI) beS&P offering brings new, customer-driven index concepts to life. Leveraging our world-class index governance framework and unmatched indexing expertise, we work with customers to launch indices that comply with applicable regulatory standards and industry best practices while tapping into targeted, less standard exposures. Through beS&P, customers can provide input into an index methodology designed by S&P DJI. beS&P is a separate offering from S&P DJI’s custom index solutions.
2. What types of customers might be interested in beS&P solutions?  The beS&P offering is capable of being used across a broad spectrum of customers. We see interest from customers seeking to apply their own sustainability requirements, particularly with regard to specific security-level exclusions based on their specific theme or objective.

3. What is the customer’s role in beS&P indices? Customers may have input into discrete aspects of the index methodology at the inception of the index and on an ongoing basis. Examples of these aspects can include defined screens, thresholds of exclusion and exclusion lists. Aspects under the customer’s control will be rules based and fully disclosed in the beS&P index methodology, including the name of the customer. Customers will need appropriate mechanisms in place to ensure the ongoing integrity of the index aspects under its control.

4. How is S&P DJI involved in the development of beS&P indices? Due to the bespoke nature of beS&P indices, there is no “one size fits all” approach to developing these indices. As such, the S&P DJI R&D Services and S&P DJI Index Governance teams are involved in designing all new beS&P indices to ensure they are robust and fit to meet the index objectives.
5. What other roles does S&P DJI play in beS&P indices? S&P DJI is the index sponsor and benchmark administrator of beS&P indices.
6. How are beS&P indices branded? beS&P indices carry S&P DJI trademarks. Branding is differentiated from traditional S&P DJI indices through the use of the beS&P brand in the index name. Any customer discretion and/or determination of the index will be fully disclosed in the index methodology. The customer's name will be included in the index methodology in addition to a description of the customer’s role in providing input into the index construction and/or maintenance. If applicable, there may also be a link in the index methodology to a customer-owned website where the customer details the aspect of its methodology under its control, such as a securities exclusion list.

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