The first two ETFs in Europe tracked STOXX indices and are still tradable today: iShares Core EURO STOXX 50 UCITS ETF and iShares STOXX Europe 50 UCITS ETF. What role did STOXX play in the launch of the first ETFs?

Even before ETFs were introduced, stock indices existed. STOXX and Deutsche Börse already offered indices. The two indices introduced in 1998, EURO STOXX 50 and STOXX Europe 50, were particularly well-suited as underlying assets for ETFs because they were rules-based, tradable, and thus easily replicable. The DAX also quickly played an important role in the development of the new ETF segment on Xetra. It was introduced by Deutsche Börse in 1987 but is now part of the STOXX product range. The first DAX ETF was launched in 2001 by Indexchange and is now managed by iShares. The assets under management of this ETF have now risen to over €7 billion.

What role does STOXX play in the growth of the ETF market today?

STOXX plays a central role in the ETF market by providing over 17,000 indices. Our regional benchmark indices, such as the STOXX Europe 600 and its sector indices, are essential underlying assets for ETFs. These indices offer broad market coverage and efficient diversification options. Building on these benchmarks, we also develop thematic indices that enrich the ETF market – for example, in the areas of sustainability or megatrends such as artificial intelligence and crypto. STOXX thus makes a significant contribution to innovation and growth in the ETF segment on Xetra.

What has been your greatest success in connection with ETFs?

For STOXX, and measured by assets under management (AuM), the most successful ETFs focus on our evergreen indices. ETFs on the EURO STOXX 50 represent a total of €31 billion, on the STOXX Europe 600 over €20 billion AuM, and DAX ETFs account for slightly over €18 billion AuM.

For me personally, I have developed many indices at STOXX that serve as the basis for ETFs. The flexibility of the ETF segment, but also of STOXX, allows new themes to be quickly translated into product concepts. That's what makes the segment so exciting for me. Nevertheless, the DAX ETFs always have a special significance for me. As the product manager for the DAX index family, this reflects my daily work externally. Over the years, you naturally feel connected to such a topic.

What trends and innovations do you see in new indices?

For some years now, we at STOXX have seen a strong trend toward thematic indices. Thanks to ever-improving data availability, we can fully exploit our innovative strength and flexibility here. At the same time, our clients benefit from our broad range of regional benchmarks, which underlie every thematic index as a universe. This creates the prerequisites for placing thematic indices in many regions. Current exciting themes are of course artificial intelligence and crypto, and we recently launched the ISS STOXX Biodiversity and Net-Zero Transition Indices. We see these themes as the "next steps" in sustainable indices and have expanded our offering accordingly.

Our classic products, DAX and EURO STOXX 50, are constantly being further developed and adapted to new market requirements. They are here to stay and are an integral part of our offering.