First Trust Portfolios launches ETF

The First Trust Dow Jones STOXX Select Dividend 30 Index was launched as an exchange traded fund by First Trust Portfolios LP and STOXX Ltd. on the American Stock Exchange today. To be included in the index, which measures the performance of the 30 highest dividend-paying stocks relative to their home markets in Europe, stocks must have a positive, five-year dividend-per-share growth rate, and a dividend-to-earnings-per-share ratio that is less than or equal to 60%. Index components are weighted by their indicated annual net dividend yield, with the highest dividend yielding companies have the heaviest weight in the index. Securities weighted in the index are capped at 15% and the index universe is reviewed on an annual basis each March. The index has a one-year return of 19.57% and a cumulative return of 44.71% since its introduction on April 13, 2005. First Trust is based in Lisle, Ill. and STOXX Ltd. is based in Zurich, Switzerland.