Wilshire Launches Enhanced FT Wilshire 5000 Index Series

Complete coverage of total US investable market; More precise targeting of market exposure; More efficient implementation of asset allocation strategies

LONDON & NEW YORK & SANTA MONICA, Calif.,--()--Wilshire, a global investment technology and advisory company, today announced the modernization and rebranding of the Wilshire 5000 and launch of a new FT Wilshire 5000 Index Series in association with The Financial Times, a trusted global financial media brand. The new series provides US and global investors with complete coverage of the US investable market.

Launched in 1974, the Wilshire 5000 Index is the oldest broad-based US index covering the whole of the US investable market. The new FT Wilshire 5000 Index Series provides a modernized, free float weighted and modular view of the US market, allowing investors to target US market exposure more accurately and implement their asset allocation strategies with precision.

The new series applies a modular approach to segmenting the US market by size, allowing investors to analyze discretely the performance of mega, large, mid, small and micro-cap stocks. All segments combine to form the broadest US benchmark – now renamed the FT Wilshire 5000 Index (as of June 30, 2021) and capturing 100 percent of the total investable market. The FT Wilshire 2500 Index excludes micro-cap stocks and provides a broad-based benchmark covering 98 percent market coverage suitable for most US institutional investors.

The definition of size segments by percentage coverage rather than the number of securities ensures that size definitions remain relevant over time. As large technology companies have continued to grow and the number of listed companies has decreased over the years, basing size segments on a fixed number of securities that do not adjust as total market size shifts distorts the performance view of large and small stocks. Additionally, it creates size benchmarks that do not accurately track the holdings of funds focused on size segments.

“We’re thrilled to partner with The Financial Times on the new series,” said Mark Makepeace, Chief Executive Officer of Wilshire. “We share the same ambition, which is to provide investors with real insight into the performance of markets as well as the information and tools to make better informed investment decisions.”

"This is an important milestone in our relationship with Wilshire and a significant first step in building a global index business,” said John Ridding, Chief Executive Officer of The Financial Times Group. “The US is a growth market for the FT and developing this venerable benchmark to capture rapidly-changing business and investment dynamics will serve the needs of investors and our readers there and globally."

Reza Ghassemieh, Chief Benchmarking Officer of Wilshire commented, “Investors today want tools that are intuitive, efficient and responsive to the speed of modern markets. Using a percentage-based approach with market segment exposures that expand and contract dynamically, we provide clients with the right building blocks to gain access to a better baseline for passive and active mandates.”

FT Wilshire 5000 Series

  • FT Wilshire 5000 Index (FTW5000)
  • FT Wilshire 2500 Index (FTW2500)
  • FT Wilshire US Mega Cap Index (FTWUSG)
  • FT Wilshire US Large Cap Index (FTWUSL)
  • FT Wilshire US Mid Cap Index (FTWUSD)
  • FT Wilshire US Small Cap Index (FTWUSS)
  • FT Wilshire US Micro Cap Index (FTWUSO)

More information on the FT Wilshire 5000 Index Series can be found at https://www.wilshire.com/ft-wilshire-5000-index-family.

Follow us on Twitter at @FTW5000 for daily updates on the FT Wilshire 5000 Index Series.

About Wilshire

Wilshire is a leading global investment technology and advisory company dedicated to improving outcomes for investors worldwide. Founded in 1972, it was acquired by Motive Partners and CC Capital in January 2021. Wilshire advises on over $1.3 trillion in assets and manages $87 billion in assets. Specializing in innovative investment solutions, consulting services and multi-asset analytics, Wilshire serves more than 500 institutional and intermediary clients worldwide, delivering a high quality, coordinated platform of client-centric investment solutions that leverage the entire firm’s resources to the maximum benefit of our clients.

More information on Wilshire can be found at www.wilshire.com.

About The Financial Times

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading business news organizations, recognized internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. The FT has a record paying readership of more than one million, three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the global business community.

More information on The FT can be found at www.ft.com.

Contacts

Lisa Herbert
+1 310 899 5325 (O)
+1 310 728 5341 (C)
lherbert@wilshire.com

Contacts

Lisa Herbert
+1 310 899 5325 (O)
+1 310 728 5341 (C)
lherbert@wilshire.com