Semi-Annual Changes to the NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index

Sep 24, 2012

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) and Clean Edge, Inc. announced today the results of the semi-annual evaluation of the NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Global Wind Energy Index (Nasdaq:QWND), which will become effective with the market open today.

The following security will be added to the Index: BP PLC (BP/ LN).

The Index is designed to act as a transparent and liquid benchmark for the global wind energy sector. The Index includes companies that are primarily manufacturers, developers, distributors, installers, and users of energy derived from wind sources. The securities must also meet other eligibility criteria which include minimum requirements for market capitalization and average daily dollar trading volume. The NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Global Wind Energy Index is evaluated semi-annually in March and September. For more information about the NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Global Wind Energy Index, including detailed eligibility criteria, visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/.

The NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index is the basis for the PowerShares Global Wind Energy Portfolio (Nasdaq:PWND), which seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of the NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index before fees and expenses.

As a result of the evaluation, the following 15 securities will be removed from the Index:

Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy Co. Ltd. (0579 HK), DONGKUK STRUCTURES & CONSTRUCTION Co. Ltd. (100130 KS), Guodian Technology & Environment Group Co. Ltd. (1296 HK), China Datang Corp. Renewable Power Co. Ltd. (1798 HK), China WindPower Group Ltd. (182 HK), Arise Windpower AB (AWP SS), Eolus Vind AB (EOLUB SS), Falck Renewables SpA (FKR IM), Greentech Energy Systems A/S (GES DC), Gurit Holding AG (GUR SW), Innergex Renewable Energy, Inc. (INE CN), China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd. (MY UN), PNE Wind AG (PNE3 GY), Terna Energy S.A. (TENERGY GA), and Western Wind Energy Corp. (WND CN).

About NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes

NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes has been creating innovative, market-leading, transparent indexes since 1971. Today, our index offering spans geographies and asset classes and includes diverse families such as the US All Market, Nordic, Green Economy, Sharia and Commodity Indexes. We continuously offer new opportunities for financial product sponsors across a wide-spectrum of investable products and for asset managers to measure risk and performance. NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes also provides custom index services and design solutions to selected financial organizations. For more information about NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes, visit www.nasdaq.com/indexes.

About NASDAQ OMX Group

The inventor of the electronic exchange, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc., fuels economies and provides transformative technologies for the entire lifecycle of a trade - from risk management to trade to surveillance to clearing. In the U.S. and Europe, we own and operate 24 markets, 3 clearinghouses and 5 central securities depositories supporting equities, options, fixed income, derivatives, commodities, futures and structured products. Able to process more than 1 million messages per second at sub-40 microsecond speeds with 99.999% uptime, our technology drives more than 70 marketplaces in 50 developed and emerging countries into the future, powering 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Our award-winning data products and worldwide indexes are the benchmarks in the financial industry. Home to approximately 3,400 listed companies worth $6.2 trillion in market cap whose innovations shape our world, we give the ideas of tomorrow access to capital today. Welcome to where the world takes a big leap forward, daily.  Welcome to the NASDAQ OMX Century.  To learn more, visit www.nasdaqomx.com. Follow us on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/NASDAQ) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/nasdaqomx). (Symbol: NDAQ and member of S&P 500)

About Clean Edge, Inc.

Clean Edge, Inc., founded in 2000, is the world's first research and advisory firm devoted to the clean-tech sector. Clean Edge managing director Ron Pernick and senior editor Clint Wilder released their latest book, Clean Tech Nation (HarperCollins) in September 2012, offering a bipartisan Seven Point Action Plan for Repowering America (www.cleantechnation.com). For more than a decade, the firm has delivered timely data, expert analysis, and comprehensive insights to governments, corporations, investors, nonprofits, and other key stakeholders. The company offers an unparalleled suite of index, benchmarking, and advisory services, including the Clean Energy Leadership Index subscription service which tracks states and metro regions, sponsored publications including the annual Clean Energy Trends report, and benchmark clean-tech stock indexes with NASDAQ. To keep abreast of the latest clean-tech news; access industry reports; learn more about Clean Edge, or sign up for the firm's free e-newsletters; visit www.cleanedge.com.

NDAQG

CONTACT: NASDAQ OMX Media Contact:

         Wayne Lee

         +1.301.978.4875

         Wayne.D.Lee@NASDAQOMX.Com



         NASDAQ OMX Issuer and Investor Contact:

         Lisa Chaney

         +1.301.978.8281

         Lisa.Chaney@NASDAQOMX.Com



         Clean Edge Contact:

         Ron Pernick

         +1.503.493.8681

         pernick@cleanedge.com

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Source: The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

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