NASDAQ, S&P on Prowl for Index Acquisitions

NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes also offers a suite of dividend indices which are used by popular dividend ETFs such as the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEArca: VIG). The new First Trust NASDAQ Rising Dividend Achievers Index (NasdaqGS: RDVY) is also benchmarked to a Nasdaq dividend index. [These High Achieving Dividend Indices Delivered in 2013]

Reuters also reported that Barclays is mulling a sale of its index business and its expected MSCI (NYSE: MSCI), Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, FTSE and Markit could take a look at that operation.

While most ETF providers use third-party indices, some are increasingly using their own in-house indices. For example, the bulk of WisdomTree’s (NasdaqGM: WETF) ETFs are linked to the firm’s own indices and Market Vectors has, in recent years, converted a growing number of its ETFs to its own indices. [Nuclear Energy ETF Gets New Index]

In addition to S&P 500 ETFs, popular ETFs benchmarked to S&P Dow Jones Indices include the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (NYSEArca: SDY) and the nine sector SPDR ETFs issued by State Street Global Advisors.

ETF Trends editorial team contributed to this post. Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of IWM and QQQ.