NEW YORK, March 17, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) today announced the results of the quarterly re-ranking of the NASDAQ Q-50 Index® (Nasdaq:NXTQ), which will become effective prior to market open on Monday, March 24, 2014.

The following twelve securities will be added to the Index: Alkermes plc (Nasdaq:ALKS), Amdocs Limited (Nasdaq:DOX), FireEye, Inc. (Nasdaq:FEYE), Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ICPT), Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ISIS), Medivation, Inc. (Nasdaq:MDVN), Open Text Corporation (Nasdaq:OTEX), Pharmacyclics, Inc. (Nasdaq:PCYC), SolarCity Corporation (Nasdaq:SCTY), Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGEN), Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (Nasdaq:SLXP) and Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:SWKS).

NASDAQ Q-50 Index is a market-capitalization weighted index designed to track the performance of securities that are next-eligible for inclusion into the NASDAQ-100 Index®. The Index is comprised of 50 securities ranked by market capitalization and reflects companies across major industry groups including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade, and biotechnology. It does not contain securities of financial companies including banking and investment companies, as these are ineligible for NASDAQ-100 Index inclusion.

As a result of the re-ranking, the following twelve securities will be removed from the Index: Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:DNKN), First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSLR), lululemon athletica inc. (Nasdaq:LULU), MercadoLibre, Inc. (Nasdaq:MELI), Qiagen N.V. (Nasdaq:QGEN), Ryanair Holdings plc (Nasdaq:RYAAY), Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Nasdaq:SFM), Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:SHLD), Sina Corporation (Nasdaq:SINA), Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (Nasdaq:ULTA), Urban Outfitters, Inc. (Nasdaq:URBN) and Windstream Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:WIN).

About NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes

NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes has been creating innovative, market-leading, transparent indexes since 1971. Today, our index offering spans geographies and asset classes and includes diverse families such as the Dividend Achievers, Global, Nordic, Green Economy, Sharia and Commodity Indexes. We continuously offer new opportunities for financial product sponsors across a wide-spectrum of investable products and for asset managers to measure risk and performance. NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes also provides custom index services and design solutions to selected financial organizations. For more information about NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes, visit indexes.nasdaqomx.com.

Daily index values, weightings and historical data for NASDAQ OMX indexes are available via NASDAQ OMX Global Index Watch and NASDAQ OMX Global Index Data Service.

About NASDAQ OMX Group

NASDAQ OMX (Nasdaq:NDAQ) is a leading provider of trading, exchange technology, information and public company services across six continents. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, NASDAQ OMX enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 80 marketplaces in 50 countries, and approximately 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. NASDAQ OMX is home to more than 3,300 listed companies with a market value of over $7 trillion and more than 10,000 corporate clients. To learn more, visit www.nasdaqomx.com.

The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular financial product or an overall investment strategy. Neither The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any financial product or any representation about the financial condition of any company or fund. Statements regarding NASDAQ's proprietary indexes are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. ADVICE FROM A SECURITIES PROFESSIONAL IS STRONGLY ADVISED.

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CONTACT: Media Contacts:
         Joseph Christinat, NASDAQ OMX
         +1.646.441.5121
         Josh Machiz, NASDAQ OMX
         +1.212.231.5614
         
         Issuer & Investor Contact:
         Natasha Selzer, NASDAQ OMX
         +1.301.978.8623

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