News

Nasdaq invests in Burkenroad Reports

March 9, 2006

Where do you go to find companies that reach out to others in their time of need? NASDAQ.

The Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. recently awarded Burkenroad Reports a $50,000 gift to help the program get back up and running in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Nasdaq also made substantial donations to the employee relief funds of its listed companies in affected areas and to the American Red Cross as part of its overall hurricane relief efforts.

“Like everyone else, we at Nasdaq were deeply affected by what happened in Louisiana and Mississippi,” says Bruce Aust, executive vice president of NASDAQ’s corporate client group. “I’m from Mississippi and went to school at Southern Miss, so I’m particularly sensitive to the issues facing the region.”

“This gift will go a long way toward helping us increase the number of companies we cover at Burkenroad Reports,” says Peter Ricchiuti, assistant dean and research director of the program. “Hurricane Katrina has focused the eyes of the world on the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. Many of the smaller, regional companies we follow have come to the forefront and investors have become increasingly interested in our reports since the storm.”

A sponsor of the annual Burkenroad Reports Investment Conference for the past several years, Nasdaq has long demonstrated a commitment to higher education. “We believe strongly in supporting business schools around the country because those MBA students are hopefully going to be NASDAQ leaders one day,” says Aust. “Burkenroad Reports is a great program and we wanted to ensure that it continues to prepare students for successful careers in finance.”

NASDAQ is the largest electronic screen-based equity securities market in the United States, both in terms of number of listed companies and traded share volume. With approximately 3,200 listed companies, it is home to category-defining companies that are leaders across all areas of business including technology, retail, communications, financial services, transportation, media and biotechnology industries.

Founded in 1993, Burkenroad Reports is an investment research program that puts teams of students to work researching and writing equity analysis reports on small and undervalued companies across the region. From its humble beginnings covering six Louisiana-based “stocks under rocks,” Burkenroad Reports has grown into a nationally acclaimed program with more than 140 student analysts following 48 companies in six states.