NEW YORK, July 15, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) today announced the second quarter and mid-year activities report for NASDAQ OMX Global Financial Products (NOGFP). NOGFP creates and licenses indexes and related financial instruments for investors and provides full-scale index services to financial product issuers, sponsors and investors.
Business Highlights
* The NASDAQ OMX Carbon Excess Return Index gained 28.90% in the second quarter of 2008 and was NASDAQ OMX's top year-to-date performer through June 30, 2008. The NASDAQ OMX Middle East North Africa Index increased 5.46% through mid-year. * NASDAQ OMX launched 19 new indexes in the second quarter and a total of 21 through the first half of 2008. * The NASDAQ ETF Market listed ten new exchange traded funds (ETFs) in the first half of 2008, including four ETFs that are based on NASDAQ OMX indexes.
Index Performance
During the second quarter and the first half of the year, NASDAQ OMX indexes -- the benchmark for 28 ETFs worldwide -- paced the market for both broad-based and sector performance. The table below shows the second quarter and mid-year performances of some of NASDAQ OMX's key indexes:
Name YTD (6/30/08) 2nd Quarter NASDAQ OMX Carbon Excess Return Index(1) 36.50% 28.90% OMX Nordic Energy Index 6.79% 13.72% NASDAQ OMX Middle East North Africa Index(1) 5.46% 4.15% OMRX Real Return Bond Index 2.60% 0.47% NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index(1) -4.41% 9.84% NASDAQ Biotechnology Index -4.97% 1.60% NASDAQ Q-50 Index -5.96% 5.32% OMX Copenhagen 20 Index -7.86% -0.88% NASDAQ-100 Index -11.89% 3.10% NASDAQ Composite Index -13.55% 0.61% NASDAQ Internet Index -16.64% 0.96% FTSE NASDAQ Small Cap Index -17.51% -3.37% OMX Helsinki 25 Index -17.68% -8.13% NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Liquid Series Index -19.80% 7.73% NASDAQ China Index -20.57% -0.67% OMX Stockholm 30 Index -20.69% -9.92% NASDAQ Financial-100 Index -21.60% -12.57% OMX Nordic 40 Index -22.20% -11.01%
New Indexes
In the first and second quarters, NASDAQ OMX developed the following new indexes:
Name Ticker NASDAQ OMX 100 Index QOMX NASDAQ OMX 100 EUR Index QOMX100EUR NASDAQ OMX Carbon Excess Return Index NOCO NASDAQ OMX Carbon Excess Return EU Index NOCO2 NASDAQ OMX Carbon Benchmark Index NOCO2BUS NASDAQ OMX Carbon CER Excess Return Index NOCO2EUAUS NASDAQ OMX Carbon EUA Excess Return Index NOCO2CERUS NASDAQ OMX Carbon CER Benchmark Index NOCO2CERBUS NASDAQ OMX Carbon EUA Benchmark Index NOCO2EUABUS NASDAQ OMX Carbon Benchmark Index NOCO2BEU NASDAQ OMX Carbon CER Excess Return Index NOCO2EUAEU NASDAQ OMX Carbon EUA Excess Return Index NOCO2CEREU NASDAQ OMX Carbon CER Benchmark Index NOCO2CERBEU NASDAQ OMX Carbon EUA Benchmark Index NOCO2EUABEU NASDAQ OMX Middle East North Africa Total Return Index QMNX NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Total Return Index QWNX NASDAQ OMX Middle East North Africa Index QMEA NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index QWND NASDAQ Internet Total Return Index NETX NASDAQ Q-50 Total Return Index NTQX NASDAQ OMX AeA Illinois Tech Index ILTI
New ETF Listings
The following ETFs listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market during the first half of 2008:
* iShares FTSE China (HK Listed) Index Fund (Nasdaq:ICLN) * iShares MSCI ACWI ex US Index Fund (Nasdaq:ACWX) * iShares MSCI ACWI Index Fund (Nasdaq:ACWI) * iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index Fund (Nasdaq:FCHI) * iShares S&P Global Nuclear Energy Index Fund (Nasdaq:NUCL) * iShares S&P Global Timber & Forestry Index Fund (Nasdaq:WOOD) * PowerShares FTSE NASDAQ Small Cap Portfolio (Nasdaq:PQSC) * PowerShares NASDAQ-100 Buywrite Portfolio (Nasdaq:PQBW) * PowerShares NASDAQ Internet Portfolio (Nasdaq:PNQI) * PowerShares Next-QQQ Portfolio (Nasdaq:PNXQ)
About NASDAQ OMX Global Financial Products
NASDAQ OMX Global Financial Products (NOGFP) is engaged in the design, development, calculation, licensing, and marketing of NASDAQ OMX indexes. NOGFP specializes in the development of indexes focusing on NASDAQ OMX's brand themes of innovation, technology, growth, and globalization. NOGFP also provides custom index services and design solutions as a third-party provider to selected financial organizations. For more information about NASDAQ OMX indexes, visit www.nasdaq.com/indexes.
About NASDAQ OMX
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world's broadest and most diverse exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology, and public company services across six continents, and with over 3,900 companies, it is number one in worldwide listings among major markets. NASDAQ OMX offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market; the OMX Nordic Exchange, including First North; and the 144A PORTAL Market. The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products, and ETFs. NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 60 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. OMX Nordic Exchange is not a legal entity but describes the common offering from NASDAQ OMX exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit www.nasdaqomx.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The matters described herein may contain forward-looking statements that are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond NASDAQ's control. These factors include, but are not limited to, factors detailed in NASDAQ's annual report on Form 10-K, and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements.
(1)Index performance includes back-tested index values prior to the index's dissemination date, which are indicative and NASDAQ OMX makes no guarantee of the accuracy of the back-tested data.
NDAQG