Global X Funds launched the Global X FTSE/ASEAN 40 Index ETF on Thursday. It is the fifth ETF introduced by Global X based on a FTSE index and the first U.S.-listed exchange-traded fund to represent the performance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to FTSE.
It trades under the ticker symbol ASEA.
The FTSE/ASEAN 40 Index measures the performance of the 40 largest companies in the broader FTSE/ASEAN Index, which tracks the performance of large- and mid- cap companies from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
As of February 11, 2011, the index break down was: Singapore (41.19%), Malaysia (32.82%), Indonesia (14.77%), Thailand (10.58%), and the Philippines (0.61%), according to Global X.
The Southeast Asian nations have profited from considerable growth and a combined market capitalization of $1.75 trillion in 2010, larger than that of both India and Brazil, according to the World Federation of Exchanges.