The new fund, Ossiam ETF World Minimum Variance NR, replicates the performance of the Ossiam World Minimum Variance Index NR. The aim of the index is to deliver the net total return performance of a selection of the most liquid stocks from the S&P Global 1200® Index NR [2], weighted to minimize the risk of the total portfolio. The index is calculated and published on a real time and end-of-day basis by Standard & Poor’s [3]. It has a total expense ratio of 0.65% per annum.

The fund will be listed on October 22nd 2012 on NYSE Euronext Paris, Borsa Italiana in Milan, Deutsche Börse in Frankfurt and on October 29th 2012 on the London Stock Exchange.

In the UK, the new ETFs will be listed in GBP and USD and distributed and marketed through NGAM UK Limited.

The robust framework of Ossiam’s minimum variance investment strategy used in Ossiam’s other investment products has enabled them to achieve their objective of volatility reduction (as shown on the next page).

Bruno Poulin, CEO of Ossiam, said, “Following the success of its minimum variance strategy in other products, Ossiam recognised the opportunity to make available to investors a means of investing in a global equities portfolio that aims to reduce volatility. Ossiam’s Minimum Variance ETFs offer access to diversified portfolios - exposed to equity markets with on average a 30% [4] reduction in volatility and drawdowns in a systematic framework.”

This success has encouraged investors – institutional, wholesale and retail - to continue to steadily allocate to Ossiam’s strategies and ETFs since their launch in June 2011. As of September 30th, 2012, Ossiam’s AUM was €525.5 million including $264.4 million in Ossiam ETF US Minimum Variance NR; €137.3 million in the Ossiam ETF iSTOXX Europe Minimum Variance NR; £13 million in the Ossiam ETF FTSE 100 Minimum Variance; and $64.1 million in the Ossiam ETF Emerging Markets Minimum Variance NR.

Hervé Guinamant, President and Chief Executive Officer of NGAM International Distribution, said: “Volatility is here to stay and so are strategies to address it. Our recent global survey [5] demonstrated that the vast majority of institutional investors are finding it difficult to mitigate the impact of market volatility on portfolios. But an even greater proportion view market volatility as an investment opportunity. Ossiam’s strategies and funds are designed to both stand up to today’s volatile markets and help investors reach their return objectives, making them a key component in building more durable portfolios.”