Index Transparency – A Survey of European Investors’ Perceptions, Needs and Expectations

The present study, which finally gives a voice to end-investors and not only to index providers, who too often express themselves on behalf of the investors, is the occasion to recall that the need for transparency expressed by the former is just as great as the dissatisfaction with respect to the information provided by the latter. In light of this observation, EDHEC-Risk Institute has constantly reaffirmed that there can be no serious reason for authorising an index provider to publish the performances of an index without the market being able to guarantee their veracity, credibility and robustness due to a lack of sufficient information. Therein lies the challenge for EDHEC-Risk Institute’s participation in the European and international debate on the regulation of indices, which should not substitute enhanced governance for the necessary transparency both on the methods and on the historical compositions of the indices.