TACOMA, Wash. and NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) and Russell Investments today announced that NASDAQ OMX(R) has been selected as the primary source of real-time index values for Russell's global and ex-U.S. indexes.
In order to more broadly distribute this comprehensive, rules-based index information, NASDAQ OMX will begin disseminating real-time values for the Russell Global Indexes on January 11, 2010 via its premier index service, the Global Index Data Service(SM) (GIDS(SM)). GIDS subscribers have low administrative and technology costs and GIDS is designed to facilitate excellence in trading performance and portfolio valuation due to its frequent dissemination of index data. GIDS supports a diverse array of NASDAQ OMX-branded indexes that cover equities, bonds, commodities and exchange traded funds (ETFs), as well as third party partnered indexes.
"Russell and NASDAQ OMX clients worldwide will have instant access to our comprehensive global index data, equipping them with the sharpest picture of the global investment landscape," said Rolf Agather, Russell's director of index research and innovation. "This arrangement streamlines our process for efficiently delivering real-time, delayed and end-of-day data through existing data feeds."
"We are pleased to be selected to disseminate index values for a leading index provider like Russell Investments," said Randall Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Global Data Products, NASDAQ OMX. "By leveraging the capabilities of NASDAQ OMX, critical Russell index information is delivered to the market in real-time and in a highly scalable manner for customers. This agreement expands the relationship between our organizations which work closely together during the annual reconstitution of Russell indexes."
Since 2004, Russell has leveraged the NASDAQ Closing Cross for the annual reconstitution of its U.S. indexes. The NASDAQ Closing Cross is used to determine NASDAQ official closing prices (NOCPs) which are widely used throughout the financial industry.
NASDAQ OMX will disseminate values for these Russell Investment indexes through the NASDAQ OMX Global Access program. NASDAQ OMX Global Access offers Russell the opportunity to distribute its data through one of the largest and most successful data distribution organizations in the world, NASDAQ OMX Global Data Products. By leveraging the sales, administrative, technical and brand strength of NASDAQ OMX, Global Access provides customers turn-key access to a premier data business. For details, visit http://www.nasdaqtrader.com/Trader.aspx?id=globalaccessprogram.
About Russell
Russell Investments is a global investment company with US$174 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2009. Russell serves individual, institutional and advisor clients in more than 40 countries and provides investment solutions including mutual funds, retirement investments, institutional asset management, implementation services and global market indexes. Russell is world-renowned for its depth of manager research, quality of manager selection and access to some of the world's leading investment managers. It helps investors of all sizes put this access to work in corporate defined benefit and defined contribution plans and in the life savings of individual investors.
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 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).
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 not 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.
Russell Investment Group is a Washington, USA corporation, which operates through subsidiaries worldwide, including Russell Investments, and is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Russell Investments is the owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to its indexes.
Russell's indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.
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