NASDAQ/Greater Dallas Chamber Index Launches

DALLAS, Jan 12, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- The Greater Dallas Chamber, in collaboration with The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (Nasdaq: NDAQ), today unveiled a new one-of-a-kind regional technology and life sciences index, the NASDAQ/Greater Dallas Chamber Index ("the Index"). This index will track the performance of publicly held technology and life sciences companies in Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW).

The DFW region commands one-third of all tech activity in Texas. A total of 41 companies totaling approximately $250 billion in market capitalization will be included in the Index. The purpose of the index is to highlight the strength of the technology and life sciences sector in the DFW region and to provide increased visibility for DFW based businesses.

This Index measures the health and growth of the DFW region's localized technology economy by tracking the leading public technology and life sciences companies driving this growth, as determined by the Greater Dallas Chamber's definition and eligibility. This impressive array of U.S. and foreign companies represents all four core technology areas: high tech manufacturing, information activities, professional and technical services, and bio/life sciences.

"We expect the index to bring more visibility to NASDAQ's high technology and life science issuers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area," said NASDAQ Executive Vice President John Jacobs. "We believe the increased interest created by the index will result in greater liquidity and fairer valuations." He added, "By focusing on high technology and life sciences, NASDAQ and the Greater Dallas Chamber have created a useful index for companies that play a vital role in local economic development and serve the unique needs of their customers and their communities."

W. Michael Cox, senior vice president and chief economist, Federal Reserve Bank stated, "What gets measured gets done. Thus it is with much enthusiasm that I welcome the Greater Dallas Chamber's creation of a new Technology and Life Sciences Index for North Texas. It couldn't have been done at a better time, for a better place, or a better way. We all hope to watch the North Texas economy develop even faster through the lens of the Chamber's new Technology Index."

"Stock prices, although volatile, are good indicators of how the market values companies. Hence the Chamber's Technology Index should prove to be a good representation of the performance and outlook for high-tech and bio- science companies in North Texas. It will be an interesting and important index for us to monitor," Mine Yucel, vice president and head of regional analysis Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Lyssa Jenkens, chief economist for the Greater Dallas Chamber stated, "Think Dallas technology is all about telecom? Think again. The top three publicly traded tech companies in DFW, with market caps of $40 to $60 billion dollars each, include Ericsson (telecom), TI (semiconductors) and Alcon (pharma)." She continues, "The new tech index with 41 publicly traded companies headquartered in DFW defies the myths about this region. With a total market cap approaching $250 billion, these companies are engaged in virtually every kind of tech activity the sector has to offer: manufacturing, information, technical services and bio/life sciences. Some are well known -- EDS, TI, Celanese. Others are small or new to the U.S. technology scene: Retalix, Digital Recorders. Together, they provide a window into the nation's tech sector as captured in the new index which tracks their performance real time."

NASDAQ assigned the ticker symbol (DTEC) to identify The Index. The ticker went live today on the Nasdaq website (http://www.nasdaq.com) and on the TBC website (http://www.dallastbc.org) and will remain. It will be updated every 15 seconds.

Companies eligible for this initial index include: Public companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange or American Stock Exchange with U.S. headquarters located within the 12 county DFW metropolitan area that are classified in the technology industries as defined by either the American Electronics Association or BIO (using NAICS or SIC codes) and have intellectual property (IP) as a core asset as declared in their 2005 SEC 10k statements.

Subsidiaries of foreign-owned companies with their primary U.S. location in DFW and meeting all other requirements are also eligible. Subsidiaries of U.S. companies, however, were excluded.

Although the list is generally stable, companies can be added or delisted as circumstances change or new information emerges (for example, a company may be removed from or added to one of the three identified stock markets).

At this time, Over the Counter Bulletin Board companies are not included. Quarterly snapshots will be taken from the public, private and OTCBB companies that contribute to the health of DFW's technology and life sciences economy.

To view the public company listings, log onto http://www.dallastbc.org.

The Greater Dallas Chamber promotes regional prosperity through public policy, economic development and member service.

SOURCE The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.; Greater Dallas Chamber

Jo Trizila, Director, Media Relations of Greater Dallas Chamber, +1-214-746-6690,
Non-Published Cell: +1-214-232-0078, jtrizila@dallaschamber.org; or Bethany Sherman,
SVP Corporate Communications of Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., +1-212-401-8714,
Non-Published Cell: +1-917-836-1724, bethany.sherman@nasdaq.com

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