Bloomberg has launched a new suite of equity benchmarks designed to give investors greater control over how they apply values-based exclusions to their portfolios.
The Bloomberg Screened Choice Indices are market cap-weighted and allow users to either adopt existing benchmarks or customise them fully to reflect their specific investment criteria.
Bloomberg Index Services Limited global head of sustainable indices index product Zarina Nasib said, “The launch of Screened Choice Indices demonstrates Bloomberg Indices’ ongoing investment into expanding our equities offering and providing transparent and customizable sustainable investment solutions.
“Whether clients have explicit exclusion policies requiring custom solutions or are seeking a foundational benchmark off-the-shelf, this index family offers a flexible framework to meet their needs.”
The Screened Choice Indices are built on a rules-based, modular methodology that groups exclusions into six themes. These can be applied individually or in combination to suit investor mandates. The six modules include: Core, which excludes companies involved in coal, tobacco, controversial weapons, or those not compliant with UNGC Principles; Fossil Fuels and Non-Renewable Energy; Fossil Fuels Enhanced; Vice Products, which targets areas such as gambling, alcohol and adult entertainment; Weapons; and Controversial Conduct, which excludes companies linked to serious ESG controversies or UNGC violations.
At launch, 66 off-the-shelf indices are available. These include the Bloomberg Select Indices, built on the Core module; Bloomberg Select FossilEX Indices, which combine Core with Fossil Fuels and Non-Renewable Energy; and the Bloomberg Screened Choice Indices, which integrate all six modules. This range offers investors both pre-designed benchmarks and the ability to adjust exclusions with significant flexibility.
The construction of these indices is underpinned by Bloomberg’s proprietary technical systems and entity mapping capabilities, ensuring high precision in screening. They also make use of the Bloomberg Industry Classification System (BICS), which categorises more than 60,000 listed equities with up to seven levels of detail. This allows for improved consistency and accuracy across sectors when exclusions are applied.
The indices are available in both USD and EUR and cover 11 global regions, including developed and emerging markets. Regional categories span Europe, the Eurozone, the Nordics, APAC excluding Japan, Japan itself, the US, and Sweden, alongside broader global indices.
As with other Bloomberg indices, the Screened Choice range can be used for benchmarking, asset allocation, and product creation. Investors and clients can access them directly via the Bloomberg Terminal at {IN EQ <Go>}, with research and methodologies provided on the Bloomberg Indices Documentation page.
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