Stockholm/Helsinki/Copenhagen/Iceland, May 29, 2009 — NASDAQ OMX Nordic, part of the NASDAQ OMX Group (NASDAQ:NDAQ) reports that it will make the following amendments to its market capitalization (market cap) classification standards. o Effective July 2009, the annual review (based on average market cap in May 2009) will consider the total number of shares in the calculation of market cap, instead of only including shares listed on a regulated market. Effective January 2010, each segment (small-, mid- and large cap) will be reviewed annually (based on average market cap in November) instead of bi-annually. o Effective July 2009, companies with a market cap value of more than 50 percent of the minimum or maximum threshold of each segment will be transferred into the new segment with immediate effect. Companies with a market cap value of less than 50 percent of the minimum or maximum segment threshold, will have a transitional period until the next review (or at least 12 months), and thus be subject to one more review before transferring into the new segment. “Following the decision to cancel the amendments in January due to extreme market conditions, we took the opportunity to review the market cap classification standards to try to find a more sustainable model,” said Hans-Ole Jochumsen, President NASDAQ OMX Nordic said. “We have listened carefully to our customers to ensure that the amendments we are implementing match their needs as well as the needs of investors.” Jenny Rosberg, Deputy President NASDAQ OMX Nordic said: “Through these amendments we keep our current market cap classification structure in line with international standards, while adopting a model that is built to withstand strong market fluctuations and thus support financial stability for our listed companies.” The decision to carry out the above mentioned amendments is made in accordance with NASDAQ OMX Nordic's segmentation classification practices. About the market cap segments Companies belong to a market cap segment (small-, mid- and large cap) based on its average market value during the given review month. Companies with a market value exceeding EUR 1 billion are in the group of “Large Cap”, while companies with a market value smaller than EUR 150 million belong to “Small Cap”. Companies with a market value between EUR 150 billion and EUR 1 billion belong to the “Mid Cap” segment. SUMMARY OF MARKET CAP CLASSIFICATION AMENDMENTS Calculate total number of shares Today NASDAQ OMX Nordic markets only include the number of shares that are listed on a regulated market. According to the classification amendments the total number of shares, i.e. both listed and non-listed shares, of a company will be considered in the calculation of market cap. This amendment is effective July 2009 (based on average market cap in May 2009). Annual review of segments Today the NASDAQ OMX market cap segments (small-, mid- and large cap) are updated bi-annually in July and January (based on average market cap in May and November respectively). From January 2010 each segment will be reviewed annually instead of bi-annually. Annual revision will be based on average market cap value in November each year and take effect January 1st the following year. 12 month transitional period Companies with a market cap value of more than 50 percent of the minimum or maximum threshold of each segment will be transferred into the new segment with immediate effect. Companies with a market cap value of less than 50 percent of the minimum or maximum threshold of each segment will have a transitional period until the next review (or at least 12 months), and thus be subject to one more review before transferring into the new segment. Hence, based on the EUR 1 billion Large-cap and EUR 150 million Mid-cap thresholds, a Large-cap a company whose market cap value has not fallen below EUR 500 million, and a Mid-cap company whose market cap value has not fallen below EUR 75 million, will be subject to a second review before moving down to the new segment. Similarly, a Mid-cap company whose market cap value has not exceeded EUR 1.5 billion and a Small-cap company whose market cap value has not exceeded EUR 225 million, will be subject to a second review before moving up to the new segment. About NASDAQ OMX 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 3,800 listed companies. NASDAQ OMX offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market, NASDAQ OMX Nordic, NASDAQ OMX Baltic, NASDAQ OMX First North, and the U.S. 144A sector. The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products and exchange-traded funds. NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 70 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. NASDAQ OMX Nordic and NASDAQ OMX Baltic are not legal entities but describe the common offering from NASDAQ OMX exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit http://www.nasdaqomx.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are no limited to, statements about NASDAQ OMX's products and offerings. 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 OMX's control. These factors include, but are not limited to factors detailed in NASDAQ OMX'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. There can be no assurance that the FSA will give the NASDAQ OMX applicant the authorization and permissions which it seeks. - # - Media Contacts: Anna Rasin +46 8 405 66 12 anna.rasin@nasdaqomx.com Carl Norell +46 8 405 66 39 carl.norell@nasdaqomx.com
Amendment of Market Cap Classification Standards at NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchanges
| Source: Nasdaq Nordic