New York, N.Y.—-The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("NASDAQ"; OTCBB: NDAQ), today reported first quarter 2003 net income of $2.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2003. Net income applicable to common stock holders was $1.9 million or $0.02 per basic and diluted share1.
"Throughout NASDAQ's 30 years of evolution, the focus of the Company has remained clear: to provide the most transparent and competitive marketplace for investors, listed companies and traders; a market that inspires and demands confidence and integrity," noted Wick Simmons, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The NASDAQ Stock Market. "The equity market environment is as challenging today as at any time in our past, from transactional, compositional and regulatory perspectives. I can assure you that NASDAQ will continue to take the appropriate steps to ensure that we maintain our focus for the benefit of all those who participate in our market."
First
Quarter 2003 and Year-to-Date Highlights
Mr. Simmons continued, "Until market conditions improve we will continue to take the decisive actions to right-size our business while providing increased value to our constituents."
Financial
Summary
In the face of increased pressure on revenue from lower share volume,
pricing competition and changes in market demographics, NASDAQ continued
to reduce its operating costs in the first quarter of 2003, focusing on
fundamental business operations and reducing discretionary spending:
NASDAQ's President and Deputy Chairman, Rick Ketchum, noted: "At NASDAQ, we are focusing on the factors impacting our portfolio of revenue streams that are within our control. We are implementing product enhancements and initiatives to further proliferate SuperMontage in Transaction Services, which translates into greater value for our proprietary data products. We continued to identify additional value added services for our listed companies, and we are expanding on our financial products business. All of the while, focusing intently on internal expense reductions and efficiencies."
Strategic
Initiatives
NASDAQ remained focused on its three main business initiatives during
the quarter:
Business Line Results
Transaction
Services
Transaction Services revenue was $67.9 million in the first quarter of
2003, down 35.5% compared with revenue of $105.2 million in the first
quarter of 2002.
Impacting the decline in NASDAQ's Access Services revenue was a reduction in the number of subscriber log-ons to its systems due to consolidation across the industry, cost savings initiatives by NASDAQ's customers and competition from third-party vendors providing access to the NASDAQ Market.
Underlying
the performance of NASDAQ's Execution and Trade Reporting businesses during
the quarter were continued lower share volumes across the equity markets.
Furthermore, increased competition and shifts in market composition continued
to place pressure on revenue during the first quarter of 2003 as firms
executed transactions and reported trades in NASDAQ-listed securities
outside of NASDAQ's systems to other exchanges and facilities:
To increase participation in SuperMontage, NASDAQ is working closely with participating firms on specific functionality enhancements. Additionally, the SEC has approved NASDAQ's initiative to allow its participants that are not registered market makers to represent limit orders in SuperMontage, thereby expanding the potential customer base for the trading platform.
NASDAQ Transaction Services derives revenue primarily from system access fees, transaction fees associated with SuperMontage and trade reporting fees associated with NASDAQ's Automated Confirmation Transaction Services ("ACT").
Market
Information Services
Market Information Services revenue declined 16.7% in the first quarter
of 2003 to $43.9 million from $52.7 million in the first quarter of 2002.
Market Information
Services revenue was largely impacted by continued competition for trade
reporting, which resulted in a higher level of revenue sharing starting
late in the first quarter of 2002. This competition has increased since
then with the addition of new alternative trading venues. Additionally,
lower share volume and cost cutting by customers had a negative impact
on data revenue during the first quarter of 2003.
Market Information Services derives revenue primarily from the sale of
Level 1, NQDS and ViewSuite data, as well as the receipt of Consolidated
Quotation Plan and the Consolidated Tape Association Plan (CQ/CTA) tape
revenue for trades processed through the NASDAQ InterMarket.
Corporate
Client Group
Corporate Client Group revenue decreased 3.0% in the first quarter of
2003 to $42.6 million from $43.9 million in the first quarter of 2002.
Corporate Client Group revenue is primarily earned through annual listing renewal fees, fees associated with the listing of additional shares and initial listing fees for new NASDAQ-listed securities. Initial listing fees and fees associated with the listing of additional shares are amortized over six-year and four-year periods, respectively, in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 101.
Other
Other revenue increased 21.1% in the first quarter of 2003 to $11.5 million
from $9.5 million in the first quarter of 2002. The increase is primarily
attributable to an increase in the number of option contracts issued on
QQQ for which NASDAQ receives trademark license revenues.
NASDAQ generates revenue related to the licensing of NASDAQ Indexes for financial instruments, including the NASDAQ-100 Index®, which is the benchmark for financial products such as the QQQ. The Index, launched in 1985, includes the 100 largest non-financial stocks traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The NASDAQ-100 Index® is one of the world's most widely watched financial barometers and has become the basis for a broad range of financial instruments, including futures contracts, mutual funds, index options, structured products and exchange-traded funds. NASDAQ also generates revenue from NASDAQ.com and advertising revenue from the MarketSiteSM tower.
Expenses
Total expenses decreased 6.2% in the first quarter of 2003 to $161.6 million from $172.3 million in the first quarter of 2002. Driving the improvement during the quarter was continued focus on reducing NASDAQ's overall cost base.
Direct
Expenses
Direct Expenses declined 6.6% in the first quarter of 2003 to $144.4 million
from $154.6 million in the first quarter of 2002.
During the quarter, NASDAQ continued to benefit from initiatives taken to reduce direct expenses, namely:
Offsetting
these efficiencies during the quarter:
Support
Costs from Related Parties
Support Costs from Related Parties, net, decreased 2.8% in the first quarter
of 2003 to $17.2 million when compared with the first quarter of 2002.
Two factors contribute to NASDAQ's support costs:
The improvement during the quarter is due to NASDAQ's decreased reliance on NASD for administrative support functions as NASDAQ continued the development of its independent infrastructure.
Net Income and Earnings Per Share
Net Income
Net income was $2.6 million in the first quarter of 2003, up $2.3 million
when compared with the fourth quarter of 2002, but down 87.8% from $21.3
million in the first quarter of 2002.
Earnings
Per Share
Net income applicable to common stockholders was $1.9 million or $0.02
per basic and diluted share in the first quarter of 2003, up $4.0 million
from a loss of $2.1 million or ($0.03) per basic and diluted share in
the fourth quarter of 2002, and down 89.9% from $18.9 million or $0.19
per basic share and $0.18 per diluted share in the first quarter of 20021.
NASDAQ's Chief Financial Officer, David Warren, noted: "NASDAQ remained
focused on reducing the overall cost of running our business. We eliminated
approximately $11 million in operating expenses from our business, when
compared with the first quarter of 2002, and furthered our separation
from the NASD. We are continuing our efforts to identify and reduce both
variable and fixed costs through process efficiencies and contract renegotiations.
We believe we are taking the appropriate measures to make NASDAQ an efficient,
for profit, publicly owned entity."
Conclusion
Mr. Simmons concluded: "NASDAQ continues to focus on initiatives designed to improve our competitive, regulatory and financial position despite the cyclical challenges of the marketplace. We are working closely with our customers to build value-added enhancements across all of our businesses and intend to continue this effort as NASDAQ looks to complete its separation from NASD."
"Finally, NASDAQ is excited about the opportunities for its future as Bob Greifeld takes over as NASDAQ's President and Chief Executive Officer and H. Furlong Baldwin as NASDAQ's non-executive Chairman on May 12th. The appointment of these two individuals to their respective roles will provide NASDAQ with the leadership that it needs to capitalize on its current initiatives and continue to focus on the needs of its customers."
With approximately 3,530 companies, NASDAQ lists more companies and, on average, trades more shares per day than any other U.S. market. It is home to category-defining companies that are leaders across all areas of business including technology, retail, communications, financial services, media and biotechnology industries.
For more information about NASDAQ, visit the NASDAQ Web site at www.NASDAQ.com or the NASDAQ NewsroomSM at www.nasdaq.com/newsroom.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The matters described herein may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond the control of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (the "Company"), which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results, performance or other expectations and from any opinions or statements expressed or implied with respect to future periods. These factors include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to implement its strategic initiatives, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations, government and industry regulation, interest rate risk, U.S. and global competition, and other factors detailed in the Company'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.
1 Dividends payable to NASD on the Series A Preferred Stock began accruing in March 2003. The Series A Preferred Stock carries a 7.6% dividend rate for the year commencing March 2003 and 10.6% in all subsequent years. NASDAQ is obligated to pay this dividend to the extent of its capital surplus. As of March 31, 2003, the dividend payable totaled $0.7 million. The dividend for all future quarters in 2003 will be approximately $2.5 million.
2
In order to use data more consistent with the separation of the Securities
Information Processor (SIP) function from The NASDAQ Stock Market that
began in July 2002, the methodology for calculating systems market share
of volume and trades was adjusted. As a result, information on volume
market share and trade market share provided here may not be comparable
to such data previously provided by NASDAQ for prior periods based on
the old methodology. A discussion of the SIP separation is contained in
NASDAQ's Form 10-K.
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