S&P Dow Jones Indices has launched its first index tailored to the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme with its S&P Access China A Dividend Opportunities Index.

The index tracks the performance of high-yielding common stocks traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange that are available to foreign investors through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program. This is S&P Dow Jones Indices second China A shares index, its S&P Access China A Index launched in February 2015.

“As investors increasingly look for more sophisticated approaches to access China’s financial market, we are excited to unveil the S&P Access China A Dividend Opportunities Index, which informs investors seeking high-dividend yields and supports easy access to China’s onshore equity market,” said Tianyin Cheng, associate director, strategy indices, at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

“Since its inception, the Stock Connect program has offered greater accessibility and flexibility to international investors looking to invest in the world’s second largest economy as well as to Chinese investors reaching beyond their home market."

The index is made up of 75 stocks with the highest-dividend yields from the S&P Access China A Index. It is part of the S&P dividend opportunities series which benchmarks the performance of global high-yielding common stocks that with certain diversification, stability, and tradability requirements.

S&P Dow Jones Indices has launched a number of China-focused indices across various asset classes over the past few years including the S&P Total China BMI Indices and the S&P China Composite Select Bond Index.