NASDAQ has begun to make Institutional Shareholder Services' (ISS) Corporate Governance Quotient (CGQ) ratings available to listed companies through its award winning issuer-focused web site, NASDAQ Online. Beginning immediately, NASDAQ-listed companies will be able to view ISS' CGQ industry and index scores via NASDAQ Online using their proprietary log-in and password.

Initially introduced in 2002, ISS' Corporate Governance Quotient is a widely followed rating system, covering more than 8,000 companies worldwide. CGQ provides corporations with the ability to assess governance structures and protocols against a set of transparent criteria.

Bruce Aust, executive vice president of the NASDAQ Corporate Client Group, said, "The addition of ISS' ratings to our suite of products, services and information is part of an ongoing effort to enhance transparency and facilitate communication between companies and investors. This service enables our listed companies to determine how their governance practices stack up against others in their index and industry sector."

"Corporate governance ratings are widely used by the institutional market to uncover portfolio risk and, as an additional performance indicator," said John Deosaran, head of ratings products for ISS. "With CGQ scores now available through NASDAQ Online, investor relations officers and corporate secretaries have increased accessibility to their scores."