The IBEX 35 (IBerian IndEX) is the benchmark stock market index of the Bolsa de Madrid, Spain's principal stock exchange. Initiated in 1992, the index is administered and calculated by Sociedad de Bolsas, a subsidiary of Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME), the company which runs Spain's securities markets (including the Bolsa de Madrid). It is a market capitalization weighted index comprising the 35 most liquid Spanish stocks traded in the Madrid Stock Exchange General Index and is reviewed twice annually. Trading on options and futures contracts on the IBEX 35 is provided by MEFF (Mercado Español de Futuros Financieros), another subsidiary of BME. History The IBEX 35 was inaugurated on January 14, 1992, although there are calculated values for the index back to December 29, 1989, where the base value of 3,000 points lies. Between 2000 and 2007, the index outperformed many of its Western peers, driven by relatively strong domestic economic growth which particularly helped construction and real estate stocks. Consequently, while the record highs to date of the FTSE 100, CAC 40 and AEX, for example, were set during the dot-com bubble in 1999 and 2000, the IBEX 35's all-time maximum of 15,945.70 was reached on November 8, 2007. The financial crisis of 2007–2008 included extreme volatility in the markets, and saw both the biggest one day percentage fall and rise in the IBEX 35's history. The index closed 7.5% down on January 21, 2008, the second biggest fall in the Spanish equity market since 1987, and rose a record 6.95% three days later. Rules Selection The composition of the IBEX 35 is reviewed twice per year (in June and December) by the so-called Technical Advisory Committee, which consists of "representatives of the stock exchanges and derivatives markets, as well as... renowned experts from the academic and financial fields". If any changes are made, they come into effect the following trading day after the third Friday of the rebalance month In general, at each review, the 35 companies with the highest trading volume in Euros over the previous six months are chosen for inclusion in the index, provided that the average free float market capitalization of the stock is at least 0.3% of the total market cap of the index. Any candidate stock must also have either been traded on at least a third of all trading days in the previous six months, or rank in the top