Semi-Annual Changes to the NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index

NEW YORK, March 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. NDAQ and Clean Edge, Inc. announced today the results of the semi-annual evaluation of the NASDAQ OMX^® Clean Edge^® Global Wind Energy Index QWND, which will become effective with the market open today.

The following 13 securities will be added to the Index: Dongkuk Structures & Construction Co. Ltd. (100130 KS), Guodian Technology & Environment Group (1296 HK), Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy Co. Ltd. (579 HK), Arise Windpower AB (AWP SS), Eolus Vind AB (EOLUB SS), Falck Renewables SpA (FKR IM), Greentech Energy Systems A/S (GES DC), GDF Suez (GSZ FP), Iberdrola SA (IBE SM), China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd. MY, PNE Wind AG (PNE3 GY), Terna Energy SA (TENERGY GA), and Western Wind Energy Corp. WND.

The Index is designed to act as a transparent and liquid benchmark for the global wind energy sector. The Index includes companies that are primarily manufacturers, developers, distributors, installers, and users of energy derived from wind sources. The securities must also meet other eligibility criteria which include minimum requirements for market capitalization and average daily dollar trading volume. The NASDAQ OMX^® Clean Edge^® Global Wind Energy Index is evaluated semi-annually in March and September. For more information about the NASDAQ OMX^® Clean Edge^® Global Wind Energy Index, including detailed eligibility criteria, visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/.

The NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index is the basis for the PowerShares Global Wind Energy Portfolio PWND, which seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of the NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind Energy Index before fees and expenses. 

As a result of the evaluation, the following security will be removed from the Index: Infigen Energy (IFN AU).

About NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group

NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group is engaged in the design, development, calculation, licensing, and marketing of NASDAQ OMX Indexes. NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group specializes in the development of indexes focusing on NASDAQ OMX's brand themes of innovation, technology, growth, and globalization. NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group also provides custom index services and design solutions as a third-party provider to selected financial organizations. For more information about NASDAQ OMX indexes, visit www.nasdaq.com/indexes.

About NASDAQ OMX Group

The inventor and transformer of the electronic exchange, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc., fuels economies with revolutionary technologies for the entire lifecycle of a trade - from risk management to trade to surveillance to clearing. In the U.S. and Europe, we own and operate 24 markets, 3 clearinghouses and 6 central securities depositories supporting equities, options, fixed income, derivatives, commodities, futures and structured products. Able to traffic more than 1 million messages per second at sub-80 microsecond speeds with 99.999% uptime, our technology drives more than 70 exchanges in 50 developed and emerging countries into the future, powering 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Our award-winning data products and worldwide indexes are the benchmarks in the financial industry. Home to 3,400 listed companies worth $5.1 trillion in market cap whose innovations shape our world, we give the ideas of tomorrow access to capital today. Welcome to where the world takes a big leap forward, daily. Welcome to the NASDAQ OMX Century. To learn more, visit www.nasdaqomx.com. Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/NASDAQ) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/nasdaqomx). NDAQ

About Clean Edge

Clean Edge, Inc., founded in 2000, is the world's first research and advisory firm devoted to the clean-tech sector. For more than a decade, the firm has delivered timely data, expert analysis, and comprehensive insights to governments, corporations, investors, nonprofits, and other key stakeholders. The company offers an unparalleled suite of index, benchmarking, and advisory services, including the Clean Energy Leadership Index subscription service, sponsored publications including the annual Clean Energy Trends report, the annual Clean-Tech Investor Summit conference (co-produced with IBF), and benchmark clean-tech stock indexes with NASDAQ. To keep abreast of the latest clean-tech news; access industry reports; learn more about Clean Edge, or sign up for the firm's free e-newsletters; visit http://www.cleanedge.com.

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