NASDAQ Announces Dual Listing Program with Six Participating Companies

NASDAQ Announces Dual Listing Program with Six Participating Companies 


NEW YORK, Jan. 12  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
("NASDAQ;" OTC Bulletin Board: NDAQ) today announced its dual listing initiative
and concurrently the decision of six New York Stock Exchange companies to dually
list their stock on the NASDAQ(R) and the NYSE.  The six companies, the first to
list on both markets under this program, are Apache Corporation , Cadence Design
Systems , The Charles Schwab Corporation , Countrywide Financial , Hewlett-
Packard  and Walgreens .

"We can provide a unique opportunity for public companies to trade on NASDAQ and
to experience the benefits of an electronic model with multiple, competitive
participants," said Bob Greifeld, president and chief executive officer of The
NASDAQ Stock Market. "The companies who intend to dual list with NASDAQ are
leaders across a diverse range of industry types.  We believe that through dual
listing, these companies will have greater access to the benefits of highly
efficient trading in a highly transparent environment."

"This is an innovative concept that ratchets up the debate regarding the quality
of the trading environment for securities - and what is best for shareholders,"
said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, associate dean, Yale School of Management.  Sonnenfeld
continued, "This is certainly an option that CEOs and their Boards will need to
examine as they evaluate trading in their stock."

Companies wishing to dual list on NASDAQ must meet National Market listing
standards.  Firms listing on NASDAQ as well as the NYSE will trade under the
same three-letter symbol on both markets.

The six companies making the announcement today, with a total market
capitalization of approximately $156 billion, are the first stocks to
participate in NASDAQ's new dual listing program.

NASDAQ is the world's largest electronic stock market.  With approximately 3,300
companies, it lists more companies and, on average, trades more shares per day
than any other U.S. market.  It is home to category-defining companies that are
leaders across all areas of business including technology, retail,
communications, financial services, media and biotechnology.  For more
information about NASDAQ, visit the NASDAQ Web site at http://www.nasdaq.com/ or
the NASDAQ Newsroom(SM) at http://www.nasdaqnews.com/. 

DATASOURCE: The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.



CONTACT: Michael Polzin of Walgreens, [phone], or

; or Brian Humphries of Hewlett-Packard,

[phone], or ; or Rick Simon of Countrywide

Financial, [phone], or ; or Jennifer

Hallahan of Charles Schwab & Co. Inc, [phone], or

; or Giovanni Rodriguez of Eastwick

Communications, [phone], mobile: [phone], or

, for Cadence Design Systems; or Tony Lentini of Apache

Corporation, [phone], or ; or Bethany

Sherman, [phone], or Silvia Davi, [phone], both of NASDAQ; or

International: Peter Yandle of NASDAQ, [phone]



Web site:  http://www.nasdaqnews.com/

http://www.nasdaq.com/ 

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