A high-growth/low-inflation economy and robust political and economic institutions have helped Australia rank as the 14th largest economy in the world and the 4th largest in the Asia Pacific region.
ASX Group offers primary market and trading services through the Australian Securities Exchange, clearing through ASX Clearing Corporation and settlement and depository services through ASX Setttlement Corporation.
ASX Group recognises that its ability to achieve its commercial and operating goals is dependent upon the value its services deliver to customers. This section describes those services.
Underpinning ASX Group's long-term success as a market operator and provider of clearing and settlement services is its ability to reliably and fairly provide high-quality, high-performance systems and processes.
ASX Compliance oversees ASX Group's obligations as a market operator and clearing and settlement facility operator. This section contains all rules, notes and waivers pertaining to markets operated by ASX Group.
A searchable repository of documentation, speeches and announcements relevant to ASX shareholders, market participants, the media, and the general public.Corporate Social Responsibility
Workplace Giving
ASX Group employees currently support thirty-five charities through a workplace giving program that sees ASX match employee donations dollar-for-dollar. In FY10, 13% of staff participated in workplace giving, donating a total of $151,648 to charity.
Some charities currently associated with ASX Group's workplace giving program include Taronga Zoo, the Life Changing Experiences Foundation and the Red Cross Good Start Breakfast Club.
Volunteering and Fundraising
ASX Group's volunteering policy provides one day of paid leave per year for all employees to volunteer their services and skills to charities.
Charitable fundraising activities that ASX Group staff have organised and participated in over recent years include Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, Loud Shirt Day, RSPCA Cupcake Day, OzHarvest’s ‘Share Lunch Fight Hunger’, Genes for Jeans Day, Movember and Pink Ribbon Day.
ASX Group employees are also regular blood donors to the Australian Red Cross Blood Bank.
Additionally, ASX Group sponsors and volunteers for the Good Start Breakfast Club at an inner city Sydney public school with a 50% indigenous student population.
ASX Group Thomson Reuters Charity Foundation
ASX Group and Reuters Australia (now Thomson Reuters) joined forces in 1999 to form a charity foundation to support Australian-based childrens' and medical research charities by organising fundraising events within the financial markets industry.
The key fundraising events run by the foundation are an annual charity golf tournament and gala dinner, and an annual charity sailing regatta.
The Foundation’s six-person board includes two ASX Group executives. In addition, ASX Group provides the company secretariat and finance functions for the Foundation, and each year many ASX Group employees volunteer to assist with the fund raising activities.
For more information visit: http://www.asxreuterscharity.com.au
ShareGift Australia
ASX Group has been a supporter of ShareGift Australia since it began operations in 2007. ShareGift Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that allows shareholders to sell parcels of shares free of brokerage costs and donate the proceeds to charity. ASX Group reimburses to brokers all exchange fees on ShareGift Australia transactions.
ASX Group also gives its own shareholders the chance to support ShareGift Australia by enclosing a ShareGift Share Sale Donation Form with the final dividend letter from the Managing Director and CEO.
For more information visit: http://www.sharegiftaustralia.org.au
ASX Environment Committee
The ASX Environment Committee monitors the environmental impact of the Group’s activities against ASX's Environmental Risk Policy and Framework. In doing so, ASX ensures its ability to appropriately manage its environmental risk.
As a provider of trading, clearing and settlement services for the financial markets, ASX Group's carbon footprint is small. Nevertheless, it recognises the importance of minimising its environmental impact and communicating its environmental policy to stakeholders.
Aligned with this, ASX participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project as well as continuing to feature in two leading sustainability indices: the FTSE4Good Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Investment Index.
FTSE4Good Index Series
ASX Group is included in the international FTSE4Good Index Series. The Series was launched in 2001 by the UK-headquartered FTSE Group and is a series of benchmark and tradable indices for socially responsible investors. FTSE4Good inclusion criteria are developed using an extensive market consultation process and are approved by an independent committee of experts.
As a constituent within the FTSE4Good Index Series, ASX Group is demonstrating its commitment to environmental sustainability, developing positive relationships with stakeholders, and upholding and supporting universal human rights.
For more information visit: http://www.ftse.com/ftse4good
Dow Jones Sustainability Index
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) tracks the financial performance of the world’s leading companies according to corporate sustainability performance. The DJSI assessment aims to create value for companies by providing a benchmarking tool to measure progress against sustainability best practice.
The securities of DJSI members are potential investment targets for sustainability-driven portfolios. The DJSI family currently comprises a set of global benchmarks that include the ‘best-in-class’ companies internationally. ASX was first admitted to the DJSI in 2007.
Emergency Donations
ASX Group makes emergency donations to aid the victims of major natural disasters. In recent years these have included communities affected by the Pakistani floods and Haitian earthquake.
ASX Group is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific). The DJSI Asia Pacific tracks sustainability leaders on a global basis as well as a regional scale. It includes the top 20% of the largest 600 companies from among the developed Asia Pacific markets. ASX was first admitted in FY09.
For more information visit: http://www.sustainability-indexes.com