• ISS STOXX has agreed to acquire Milan-based sustainability index provider ECPI from Confluence Technologies.
• The deal expands STOXX’s sustainability index, data, and analytics capabilities for institutional investors.
• STOXX will become benchmark administrator for ECPI’s full index portfolio upon completion.

ISS STOXX acquires ECPI to expand sustainability offering

ISS STOXX acquires ECPI under a definitive agreement announced today, strengthening its position in sustainability indices, data, and analytics for institutional investors. ECPI, based in Milan, will be acquired from Confluence Technologies and will become part of the ISS STOXX GmbH group upon completion of the transaction.

The acquisition brings into ISS STOXX an established sustainability index provider with a long operating history and a broad range of investable ESG solutions.

ECPI’s role in sustainable investing

Founded in 1997, ECPI has focused on translating sustainability themes into investable products using proprietary research models. The firm launched its first sustainability index in 2001 and is considered an early pioneer in the space.

Today, ECPI offers more than 60 sustainability indices spanning global benchmarks, thematic strategies, hedged indices, and both equity and fixed income solutions. These indices are used by institutional investors for index-based investment products, portfolio screening, sustainability mandate compliance, risk and return analysis, and defining investable universes.

Following completion of the transaction, STOXX Ltd. will act as benchmark administrator for the full portfolio of ECPI indices.

Data, research, and analytics capabilities

ECPI’s sustainability solutions extend beyond index construction. Its proprietary research model focuses on performance factors that determine issuers’ sustainability characteristics and intangible market value.

The firm’s research coverage spans more than 6,800 issuers and supports one of the world’s largest corporate sustainability databases. ECPI applies an objective, sector-based best-practices approach to sustainability analysis, converting qualitative information into quantitative indicators and assigning each issuer a score and rating.

These capabilities are expected to complement ISS STOXX’s existing index and analytics platforms, particularly for clients seeking integrated sustainability data and index solutions.

Strategic rationale for ISS STOXX

ISS STOXX said the acquisition reflects its continued investment in differentiated sustainability index offerings and its goal of expanding access to high-quality ESG benchmarks globally.

Axel Lomholt, General Manager at STOXX, said the addition of ECPI and its team would “augment and strengthen our clients’ investment processes,” adding that the group is “pleased to be able to bring to a wider audience ECPI’s varied sustainability indices and broader offerings.”

ECPI joins the ISS STOXX group

ECPI leadership highlighted alignment between the two organizations, particularly around product innovation and tailored client solutions.

Lorenzo Pelizzola, Vice President of ECPI Index and ESG Research, said the team looks forward to joining ISS STOXX to advance their shared objective of providing institutional investors with “world-class and cutting-edge sustainability indices, ratings, data, and related offerings.”

Outlook

The acquisition positions ISS STOXX to deepen its role in sustainability-focused index construction at a time when institutional investors are increasing demand for transparent, time-tested ESG benchmarks and analytics. As ISS STOXX acquires ECPI, the combined platform is expected to offer broader sustainability index coverage alongside enhanced data and research capabilities for global markets.

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