Research house and credit rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) is to acquire the Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI) and two other sector indices from the investment bank.
The GSCI, created in 1991, includes 24 commodities and has around $60 billion in institutional investor funds tracking it, most of which comes through over-the-counter derivatives transactions.
"A well-diversified portfolio now routinely includes exposure to commodities, as investors seek ways to reduce risk, preserve capital and generate alpha," S&P managing director Robert Shakotko said.
The index will be renamed the S&P GSCI Commodity Index.
"The Australian market, which has a strong historical interest in this asset class, should be well served by this acquisition," S&P director of index services Jason Hill said.
S&P will also acquire the Goldman Sachs Sector Indices, representing indices for healthcare, financial institutions, utilities, consumer companies and cyclical industries; and the Goldman Sachs Technology Index, a broad composite measure of US traded technology stocks and six technology sub-indices.
S&P is best known as the provider of the S&P 500 equities index, but runs many others.
Terms of the transaction were undisclosed.
