A passive investment system based on indices created from various metrics
is disclosed. The indexes may be built with metrics other than market
capitalization weighting, price weighting or equal weighting. These
metrics may include, but are not limited to book value, sales, revenue,
earnings, earnings per share, income, income growth rate, dividends,
dividends per share, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortization, etc. Non-financial metrics may also be used to build
indexes to create passive investment systems. Additionally, a combination
of financial non-market capitalization metrics may be used along with
non-financial metrics to create passive investment systems. Once the
index is built, it may be used as a basis to purchase securities for a
portfolio. As the data underlying the indexes changes because of, e.g.,
economic activity, the index may be updated and may be used as a basis to
rebalance the portfolio. Alternatively, the index can be rebalanced when
a pre-determined threshold is reached. Specifically excluded are
widely-used capitalization-weighted indexes and price-weighted indexes,
in which the price of a security contributes in a substantial way to the
calculation of the weight of that security in the index or the portfolio.
Valuation indifferent indexes of the present invention avoid overexposure
to overvalued securities and underexposure to undervalued securities, as
compared with conventional capitalization-weighted and price-weighted.
Also specifically excluded are equal weighting weighted indexes.