NEW YORK and STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 22, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The NASDAQ OMX
Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) announced the introduction today of two new
Sharia-compliant indexes based on two of the world’s most widely-followed
benchmarks: The NASDAQ-100 Index(R) (Nasdaq:NDX) and the OMX Stockholm Benchmark
Index (OMXSB). The new NASDAQ-100 Sharia Index(SM) (N100SI) and the OMX
Stockholm Benchmark Sharia Index(SM) (OMXSBSHARIA) are the first of a new family
of indexes launched by NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group that are designed to serve
investors who wish to develop and maintain an Islamic investment portfolio.
The NASDAQ-100 Sharia Index and the OMX Stockholm Benchmark Sharia Index are
designed to track the performance of securities in their underlying indexes that
meet the Sharia requirements as prescribed by the Accounting and Auditing
Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and adopted by NASDAQ
OMX with the guidance of the Sharia advisor, BMB Islamic UK Ltd.
The NASDAQ-100 Sharia Index is a modified market-capitalization weighted index
designed to track the performance of the Sharia-compliant securities of the
NASDAQ-100 Index. The NASDAQ-100 Index includes 100 of the largest domestic and
international non-financial securities listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market(R)
based on market capitalization. The index reflects companies across major
industry groups including computer hardware and software, telecommunications,
retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology.
The OMX Stockholm Benchmark Sharia Index is designed to track the performance of
the Sharia-compliant securities in the OMX Stockholm Benchmark Index. The OMX
Stockholm Benchmark Index consists of the 80 to 100 largest and most traded
stocks on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, representing all sectors.
“The NASDAQ-100 Sharia Index and the OMX Stockholm Benchmark Sharia Index were
developed to meet increasing demand for a wider variety of Islamic investment
opportunities,” said NASDAQ OMX Executive Vice President John Jacobs. “These new
Sharia-compliant indexes are a continuation of NASDAQ OMX’s commitment to
designing and calculating world-class indexes and to providing investors with
relevant, objective indexes.”
According to BMB Islamic’s CEO Dr. Humayon Dar, who heads the Sharia monitoring
process for the indices, “The new Sharia indices by NASDAQ OMX herald a new era
of Islamic investing, especially for those who are looking for sophisticated
Sharia compliant solutions beyond plain vanilla Islamic equity funds.”
The NASDAQ-100 Sharia Index began calculating on June 22, 2010 at a base value
of 1000.00, while the OMX Stockholm Benchmark Sharia Index began calculating on
May 31, 2010 — also at a base value of 1000.00.
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 www.nasdaq.com/indexes.
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 more than 3,600 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 may 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 not limited to, statements
about the NASDAQ-100 Sharia Index, the OMX Stockholm Benchmark Sharia Index and
NASDAQ OMX’s other 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.
The NASDAQ-100 Sharia Index and the OMX Stockholm Benchmark Sharia Index
(“Indexes”) are the exclusive property of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc., and with
its affiliates, is collectively “NASDAQ OMX”.
NDAQG
CONTACT: The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
Media Contact:
Wayne Lee
+1.301.978.4875
Wayne.D.Lee@NASDAQOMX.Com
Issuer & Investor Contact:
Lisa Chaney
+1.301.978.8281
Lisa.Chaney@NASDAQOMX.com