NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) announced today the results of the semi-annual reranking of the NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index (Nasdaq:ABQI), which will become effective with the market open on Monday, December 21, 2009.
The following seven securities will be added to the Index: Cardinal Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:CFNL), Columbia Banking System, Inc. (Nasdaq:COLB), CenterState Banks, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSFL) Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSBC), Nara Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:NARA), Union Bankshares Corporation (Nasdaq:UBSH), and Wilshire Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:WIBC).
The Index is designed to track the performance of banks and thrifts, or their holding companies, listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market(R). The Index is intended to serve as a benchmark for investment products by including the larger and more liquid community banks. The NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index is reranked on a semi-annual basis. For more information about the NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index, including detailed eligibility criteria, visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/.
As a result of the evaluation, the following thirteen securities will be removed from the Index: First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq:BUSE), Capital City Bank Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CCBG), ESSA Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:ESSA), First Community Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCBC), First Merchants Corporation (Nasdaq:FRME), Harleysville National Corporation (Nasdaq:HNBC), Northfield Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:NFBK), Pacific Capital Bancorp (Nasdaq:PCBC), Roma Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:ROMA), Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:SASR), 1st Source Corporation (Nasdaq:SRCE), Sterling Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:STSA), and ViewPoint Financial Group (Nasdaq:VPFG).
The First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Fund (Nasdaq:QABA) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the fund's fees and expenses) of the NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index.
About NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group
NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group is engaged in the design, development, calculation, licensing, and marketing of NASDAQ OMX Indexes. NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group specializes in the development of indexes focusing on NASDAQ OMX's brand themes of innovation, technology, growth, and globalization. NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group 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 https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/.
Access to essential historical index data for NASDAQ OMX indexes can be accessed from a single source, NASDAQ OMX Global Index Watch. For additional information, please visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/indexwatch.aspx.
About NASDAQ OMX Group
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 approximately 3,700 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. *Please follow NASDAQ OMX on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/NASDAQ-OMX/108167527653) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/nasdaqomx).
Notes to editors:
NASDAQ OMX(R), American Bankers Association(R), ABA(R), and NASDAQ OMX(R) ABA(R) Community Bank Index(SM) are trade/service marks of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (collectively, with its affiliates "NASDAQ OMX") and American Bankers Association ("ABA") respectively and are licensed for use by First Trust Advisors L.P. The First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Fund has not been passed on by NASDAQ OMX or the ABA as to its legality or suitability, and is not issued or sold by NASDAQ OMX or the ABA. Neither NASDAQ OMX nor the ABA makes any warranties or bears any liability with respect to First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Fund.
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