NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) announced that following the close of trading on Tuesday, October 21, the company will be added to the membership of the S&P 500 Index, aligning the company with America's most prominent corporations.
With "leading companies in leading industries" as the guiding principal for S&P 500 inclusion, the index is widely considered to be the single best gauge of the U.S. equities market.
"NASDAQ OMX's selection to the S&P 500 recognizes the company's growth and evolution as a leading global financial services company," said NASDAQ OMX Group CEO Robert Greifeld. "We are pleased that the selection committee has recognized our success and that we are aligned with a distinguished list of corporate America's most formidable companies."
Since Mr. Greifeld was appointed CEO of NASDAQ in 2003, the company has transformed itself from a domestic equities market into a leading global exchange and technology provider. NASDAQ OMX's stock has returned 244% to investors over the last three years, net revenues have grown 213%, and since going public in 2005 the company's market capitalization has risen from $710 million to over $6 billion today.
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world's largest exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services across six continents, with over 3,900 listed companies. NASDAQ OMX Group 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 Group technology supports the operations of over 70 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 Group exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit http://www.nasdaqomx.com.
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