Mergent Announces Launch of Three New Dividend Achievers(TM)-based ETFs on the American Stock Exchange

The ETFs offer a wide range of dividend-focused investment strategies 


NEW YORK, Oct. 3  /PRNewswire/ -- Mergent, Inc. announced today that three new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on its Dividend Achievers(TM) methodology began trading on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) on September 15, a day that was declared Dividend Achievers Day at the AMEX.

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The new ETFs, managed by PowerShares Capital Management LLC, include the Broad Dividend Achievers(TM) Portfolio (ticker "PFM"), the High Growth Rate Dividend Achievers(TM) Portfolio ("PHJ"), and the International Dividend Achievers(TM) Portfolio ("PID").

With the introduction of these three new products, there are now a total of four Dividend Achievers-based ETFs on the market. The fourth product is the PowerShares High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers(TM) Portfolio ("PEY"), which was launched in December 2004.

All four of these ETFs - based on Mergent's Dividend Achievers(TM) methodology and indexes -- have outperformed their benchmark indexes over the past 10 years, with lower risk/volatility.

A Wide Range of Dividend-Focused Strategies

Taken together, these four funds offer a wide range of dividend-focused investment strategies, with each fund appealing to investors with different investment objectives:

   - Broad Dividend Achievers (PFM) for total return. This fund represents
     the "growth and income" middle ground between the High Yield (PEY) and
     High Growth (PHJ) funds. The PFM fund tracks the performance of
     Mergent's Broad Dividend Achievers(TM) Index (aggregate total return of
     all the Dividend Achievers stocks). This index (AMEX ticker "DAA"), has
     outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 Index in the 5-, 10-, 15- and
     20-year periods ended August 31, 2005, with lower risk/volatility.

   - High Yield (PEY) for yield and stability. With the highest yield among
     the four ETFs, PEY is appropriate for more conservative, income-
     oriented investors. The fund tracks the performance of The Dividend
     Achievers 50(TM) Index (ticker "DAY"), which includes the 50 highest
     yielding Dividend Achievers stocks.

   - High Growth Rate (PHJ) for capital gains. This fund tracks the
     performance of the High Dividend Growth Rate Dividend Achievers(TM)
     Index (ticker "DAH"), covering the 100 Dividend Achievers with the
     greatest 10-year dividend growth rate. Going forward, anticipated
     faster earnings growth should support faster share price appreciation,
     and given the fund's relatively lower yields, a bigger portion of
     returns are expected to come from capital gains.

   - International Dividend Achievers (PID) for valuation. This fund tracks
     the performance of the International Dividend Achievers(TM) Index
     (ticker "DAT"), which includes approximately 50 securities (stocks and
     ADRs) from Canada, Europe and Asia that both meet the Dividend
     Achievers requirements and are listed on the U.S. market. The case for
     this fund goes beyond the diversification motivation for foreign
     exposure. Valuations of these foreign securities trading on U.S.
     markets are modestly cheaper than their domestic counterparts, even
     though their profitability is on a par with the U.S. stocks.



"We are meeting ever-increasing demands for investment products related to our Dividend Achievers Indexes, and are very pleased to continue our relationship with the Amex and with PowerShares. We create and deliver the best dividend-focused investment products to institutional and individual investors," said Mergent CEO Jonathan Worrall.

"These new ETFs come at a time of strong interest in dividends as a component of overall returns," said Cliff Weber, senior vice president of the Amex's ETF Marketplace at the launch of the new ETFs. "They give investors an opportunity to participate in an area of tremendous growth, and unite two innovative market participants with strong ties to the Amex."

Dividend Achievers: The Potential for Long-Term Outperformance

Mergent, Inc. developed the proprietary methodology that identifies Dividend Achievers -- companies that have consistently increased their regular annual dividends to shareholders for at least the past ten or more consecutive years (five years or longer for foreign companies). It has been identifying Dividend Achievers since 1979. Companies that meet this stringent requirement tend to be high quality firms, with strong cash flows and solid balance sheets, and with the potential for long-term outperformance. Each year, less than 3% of the U.S. stocks listed on the NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ qualify as Dividend Achievers. In 2005, 314 companies have met that standard.

About Mergent

Mergent, Inc., a Xinhua Finance company (TSE Mothers: 9399), is the preferred leading provider of business and financial data on global publicly listed companies. The company is headquartered in New York, NY, and Charlotte, NC, with sales offices in key North American cities as well as London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto, and Sydney. Mergent's databases include information on more than 15,000 U.S. public companies and 20,000 non-U.S. public companies in more than 100 countries. Mergent is the publisher of the Dividend Achievers(TM) family of indexes including Broad, International, High Growth and Canadian. Mergent products and services include Ford Equity Research, independent equity research with buy, sell and hold recommendations; Mergent Online; Mergent Manuals, Handbooks and Investment Guides; EventsData, web- based reporting of corporate actions and events; BondSource, access to municipal and corporate fixed income data and end-of-day evaluation pricing. For more information, visit our websites, http://www.dividendachievers.com/ and http://www.mergent.com/.

About Xinhua Finance Limited

Xinhua Finance Limited is China's premier financial services and media company and is listed on the Mothers board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (symbol: 9399) (OTC ADRs: XHFNY).  Rooted in China with a global presence, Xinhua Finance services financial institutions, corporations and re- distributors through four focused and complementary service lines:  Indices, Ratings, Financial News and Investor Relations. Founded in 1999 and based in Hong Kong, the Company has 17 offices and 22 news bureaus across Asia, Australia, North America and Europe and covers key Chinese and international markets.  For more information, please visit http://www.xinhuafinance.com/. 

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DATASOURCE: Mergent, Inc.



CONTACT:  Lew Koflowitz of Strategic Design Group of NY, Inc.,

[phone], or cell, [phone]; or Shirley Petersen, Vice

President, Index Licensing of Mergent, Inc., [phone], or

 



Web site:  http://www.mergent.com/

http://www.dividendachievers.com/

http://www.xinhuafinance.com/ 

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