Dutch 25

The Dutch25 index is a market tool showcasing the capitalisation and ranking of the top 25 most highly-traded businesses on the Euronext Amsterdam (AEX or Amsterdam Stock Exchange).

It includes historical data, technical analysis and a host of charts showcasing business performance and projected share movements.

At present, companies which are ranked among the most traded on the AEX include Aegon, TNT Express, Philips, KPN, Fugro, ING Group, Azko Nobel, Unilever, Royal Dutch Shell, Randstad Holding and Heineken. However, these listings are reviewed on a quarterly basis and therefore movement in and out of the Dutch25 index is always a possibility.

It was launched in 1983 and reached its peak in September 2000 as a result of the dot-com market explosion. However, recent years have seen significant losses from its height of 703.18 points, with the index now trading around the more modest 300 point mark, after it shed more than half of its value between 2000 and 2003.

Calculations which are used to make up the individual listings for companies can be extremely complicated, but in brief, the factors which have a significant bearing on indexing include the number of shares a company has, the free float factor of these shares, their price on the day of calculation and the base capitalisation of the index.

Total market capitalisation for securities presently listed on the Dutch25 index stands at approximately €370.8 billion, while reviews of the constituents take place annually in March, with interim movements taking place in June, September and December.

Overall, the AEX is just one of the national indices listed among the pan-European stock exchange group the Euronext, with other markets including Brussels' BEL 20, the CAC 40 in Paris and Lisbon's PSI-20.