The Index Industry Association has published the results of its second annual global index survey. The results suggest that there are 3.727 million indices globally, an increase of approximately 438,000 indices since the survey was first conducted in June 2017. Fixed income saw the largest growth. Rick Redding, the CEO of IIA, said, “We are seeing a strong investment in research and development by index providers into building out their fixed income capabilities to offer to clients.”

It is often said that criticism is the price of success. This certainly appears to be the case with ETFs, which have enjoyed tremendous growth over the past few years but are the recipient of frequent criticism. Criticism has come from various quarters, but there is some unease that it often comes from individuals outside the industry who perhaps do not grasp all the technical intricacies of the product or from parties whose vested interests may be under threat. Industry experts from HANetf, Franklin Templeton, Lyxor and State Street Global Advisers scrutinise the latest allegations.