NASDAQ Stock Market

The NASDAQ Stock Market

Highest Global Listing Standard Market Tier

Corporate Fact Sheet

Overview

In celebration of NASDAQ’s 35 years of innovation and performance, The

NASDAQ Stock Market® has created a new market tier to be effective July 2006.

For the first time in its 35-year history, NASDAQ will offer three market tiers:

• The NASDAQ Global Select MarketSM

• The NASDAQ Global MarketSM (Formerly the NASDAQ National Market)

• The NASDAQ Capital MarketSM (Formerly the NASDAQ SmallCap Market)

The NASDAQ Global Select MarketSM is for public companies that meet the

highest listing standards in the world, with measures including market value,

liquidity and earnings.

Inclusion in Global Select is a mark of achievement and stature for qualified

companies. Listing on NASDAQ marks their choice to be on the best market for

their investors. Investors benefit not only from lower trading costs on NASDAQ

but also by knowing that Global Select companies are models of leadership and

have met the highest standards of any market in the world.

Market Tier Designations

Companies qualifying for the NASDAQ Global Select Market make up

approximately one third of NASDAQ listings and reflect the diversity of NASDAQ

as a whole, in terms of market cap and across industry sectors.

14% 25%

2%

18%

3%

10%

26%

2%

Health Care Informatio

n

Technolog

y

Financials

Telecom

Industrials

Energy &

Utilities

Consumer

Materials

By number of companies. Consumer is consumer discretionary and consumer staples.

Source: FactSet Research Systems, Inc. January 2006.

Expected Global Select Eligible Company Breakout

Effective July 1, 2006 and pending Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

approval, NASDAQ® is reclassifying its listings into three market tier

designations:

• The NASDAQ Global Select Market is being created for companies that

meet the most stringent initial financial listing standards ever set by a

stock market.

• The NASDAQ Global MarketSM, formerly the NASDAQ National Market®,

has a new name that more accurately reflects the global leadership and

international reach of our market and our listed companies.

• The NASDAQ Capital Market®, formerly The NASDAQ SmallCap Market,

was renamed in 2005 to reflect the core purpose of this market which is

capital raising.

As a market for both

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