NASDAQ OMX Makes Investment in European Multilateral Clearing Facility N.V.

NEW YORK, Oct 16, 2008 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX News Network) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) today announced that it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire a 22% equity stake in European Multilateral Clearing Facility N.V. (EMCF) from Fortis Bank Nederland (Holding) N.V.(FBN). EMCF is a central counterparty clearing house for European equity trading on exchanges and multilateral trading facilities, including NASDAQ OMX Europe Ltd., Chi-X Europe Ltd. and BATS Trading Europe Ltd. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

NASDAQ OMX's and FBNs' objective is to reinforce EMCF's position as the leading cash equity central counter party clearing (CCP) in Europe. To achieve this, the ownership structure of EMCF will be opened to a select number of order flow providers and financial institutions. This will further strengthen order flow to EMCF, accelerate EMCF's operation as an independent entity and enhance EMCF's financial capacity.

Bob Greifeld, Chief Executive Officer of NASDAQ OMX, said, "Traders in Europe today face a fragmented post-trade landscape. Investing in EMCF allows us to provide a cohesive clearing solution to our customers and a cost and risk-efficient clearing model. We are committed to our relationship with EMCF and will work with them to become the leading cash equity central counter party clearing facility in Europe."

"We are proud to announce this partnership as it strengthens the EMCF position as a leading European clearing house. The appointment as CCP for the Nordic markets underlines the strong competitive proposition of EMCF. EMCF proved that its offering is reliable, cost effective and that EMCF is capable of handling large transaction volumes. Being owned by multiple industry players will guarantee that EMCF will continue to deliver benefits to the market participants," said Jan Booij, Chief Executive Officer of EMCF.

As part of the transaction, EMCF will take a five percent stake in NASDAQ Clearing Corporation (NCC), formerly Boston Stock Exchange Clearing Corporation. As previously announced, NASDAQ OMX intends to operate NCC as an equities clearing agency in 2009 to guarantee trades, act as a CCP and provide continuous net settlement for U.S. equity securities.

In a separate news release today, NASDAQ OMX announced that central counterparty clearing will be introduced for its cash equity markets in Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Iceland. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with EMCF to deliver clearing services to these Nordic markets.

ABOUT NASDAQ OMX GROUP

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world's largest exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services across six continents, and with over 3,900 companies, it is number one in worldwide listings among major markets. NASDAQ OMX offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market; the OMX Nordic Exchange, including First North; and the 144A PORTAL Market. The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products and ETFs. NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 60 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. OMX Nordic Exchange is not a legal entity but describes the common offering from NASDAQ OMX exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit www.nasdaqomx.com.

ABOUT EMCF

EMCF, a subsidiary of Fortis Bank Nederland Holding N.V., is a central counterparty clearing house, for equity trading on exchanges and multilateral trading facilities. EMCF is regulated by the Dutch Financial Services Authority (Autoriteit Financiele Markten) and The Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank). Using EMCF as a central counterparty across the markets will allow market participants to save on clearing fees substantially but also on consolidating risk exposures, thus mitigating balance sheet impact and solvency costs. EMCF offers its clearing participants a transparent fee schedule, charging only a fixed fee across markets. EMCF will continue to provide CCP solutions and maintain price leadership by lowering tariffs when volumes grow further.

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. There can be no assurance that the FSA will give the NASDAQ OMX applicant the authorization and permissions which it seeks.

NDAQF

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SOURCE: The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
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