With the Morningstar Profile Report, NASDAQ OMX will now be able to provide all NASDAQ OMX companies with basic research coverage at no cost to the issuer. This is particularly important for many small- and mid-cap companies that have seen their research coverage shrink or disappear altogether. There are currently approximately 1,400 public companies in the United States that do not have any research coverage.

The Morningstar Profile Report will include a lengthy company profile, comprehensive data about the company and its industry, and industry context written by a Morningstar analyst. It does not include Morningstar's more detailed analyst research report, a Morningstar Rating, or a buy/sell/hold recommendation.

"As public companies seek to tell their story to investors, it is an imperative to have accurate, reliable information out in the marketplace. At the same time, investors need to be able to access insightful and trusted data and research to make investing decisions.

Together, NASDAQ OMX and Morningstar are filling a void that has existed for some time, particularly among small- to mid-cap companies," said Bruce Aust, Executive Vice President of NASDAQ OMX. "Our collaboration with Morningstar, which is one of the largest independent sources for stock analysis in the world, exemplifies NASDAQ OMX's ongoing commitment to provide its issuers with global visibility, valuable services and access to important market information," he added.

"We see a strong need in the market for this type of research," said Catherine Odelbo, President of equity research for Morningstar, Inc. "Our profile reports will give investors, advisors, and institutions important data and industry context for more than 3,600 companies worldwide. The depth and breadth of our data, and our analysts' industry knowledge, enables us to offer comprehensive information about publicly held companies. The landscape for equity research is shifting, and we're exploring new ways to get our research to investors."

NASDAQ OMX and Morningstar expect to begin publishing the Morningstar Profile Reports by the third quarter for both NASDAQ-and Nordic-listed companies. The Morningstar Profile Reports will be updated daily and be available on NASDAQ OMX's Web sites, Nasdaq Online and through Nasdaq.com as well as in most of Morningstar's key platforms, including Morningstar.com, its Web site for individual investors; Morningstar Advisor Workstation, its Web-based investment research platform for financial advisors; and Morningstar Direct, its Web-based investment research platform for institutions.