The new FTSE NASDAQ Index Series is comprised of four indexes, whose components are selected from the NASDAQ Composite Index and are based on market capitalization. The indexes, whose values begin disseminating today, are:

-- FTSE NASDAQ 500 (Symbol: Q500) - consists of NASDAQ's largest 500 companies;
-- FTSE NASDAQ Large Cap (Symbol: QLGC) - consists of the largest 70% of NASDAQ-listed companies;
-- FTSE NASDAQ Mid Cap (Symbol: QMID) - consists of the next 20% of NASDAQ-listed companies; and
-- FTSE NASDAQ Small Cap (Symbol: QSMC) - consists of the smallest 10% of NASDAQ-listed companies.
This index series is a product of a powerful collaboration between two leading financial services organizations, and the index series carries the hallmarks of both brands. FTSE's cutting-edge index design facilitates a new perspective on NASDAQ's diverse market, which is comprised of industry-leading companies across technology, financial services, retail, transportation and all sectors of the economy. A recently completed study of the FTSE NASDAQ Index Series by FTSE International Limited shows that:

-- The FTSE NASDAQ Small, Mid and Large Cap Indexes have all outperformed their comparative Russell Growth Indexes over the last two years; and
-- Over the majority of the last five years, the FTSE NASDAQ Small Cap Index has outperformed the S&P 500, the Russell 2000 and Dow Jones Wilshire 500 Indexes.

In a joint statement, NASDAQ Executive Vice President John Jacobs and Mark Makepeace, Chief Executive of the FTSE Group, said: "This is another important milestone in NASDAQ and FTSE's partnership. By sharing our companies' core skills, we've been able to create a unique and powerful set of tools which access new parts of the NASDAQ market. We are confident the indexes will be welcomed by both institutional and retail investment houses, and we anticipate products based on the series will follow."