The FTSE Group has joined with investment advisory firm AlphaSimplex Group to launch a range of risk-controlled multi-asset indices with 'relatively stable risk levels'.

The FTSE StableRIsk Index Series will aim to deliver long-term returns with less volatility in short-term risk levels across four asset classes, including: equities, commodities, currencies and interest rates. A further index featuring all four asset classes will also sit alongside its range.

The indices will be feature a portfolio of liquid futures contracts for each asset class, rebalanced often to maintain volatility at a given level.

Mark Makepeace, chief executive at FTSE, said, 'FTSE continues to be at the forefront of index innovation, and we are committed to meeting market demand and providing a range of sophisticated index solutions.'

Further indices, the FTSE StableRisk Trend Indices, will employ  a simple momentum portfolio policy holding long and short futures contract where  assets with prices trending upwards held long and those trending downwards are sold short.

Andrew Lo, chairman of AlphaSimplex, added, 'The dynamic nature of market risk can lead investors to take much greater risk than they want or expect.

'We think that the new FTSE indexes eliminate the false choice between risk-control and index tracking error.'