Deutsche Börse calculates and publishes over 2,000 indices under national and international registered trademarks which make its markets transparent, and facilitate both comparison and investment. Investors, asset managers, financial services providers and private investors use these indices as a benchmark for traded financial instruments in general, or for actively managed portfolios.

Deutsche Börse indices are also used as an underlying for a large number of financial instruments worldwide. These include structured products, ETFs, passively managed index funds, index-linked notes, OTC options, swaps, insurance policies and other index-linked financial assets. The growth of the market for structured products in particular has led to the wide distribution and use of Deutsche Börse indices.

Companies that want to issue financial instruments based on the index concepts and indices underlying the licensed trademarks must conclude an index licensing agreement with Deutsche Börse. Under an Index licensing agreement Deutsche Börse grants the licensee the right to issue, distribute, have listed, trade and advertise specific financial instruments which are based on licensable indices and their index concepts, using the trademark concerned.