NEW YORK-- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. today announced the launch of options trading on the NASDAQ OMX Government Relief Index(sm) (Nasdaq:QGRI), the only existing benchmark that enables investors to track the performance of U.S.-listed securities that are participating in U.S. government sponsored relief programs such as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) or other direct government investments. Options trading on the NASDAQ OMX Government Relief Index will begin today on NASDAQ OMX PHLX, Inc. Susquehanna Securities is the specialist for this new product.

"This development gives investors the opportunity to trade options on a basket of U.S. companies that are participating in the government's financial relief plan," said John Jacobs, Executive Vice President, NASDAQ OMX Global Index Group. "This is the first of several products that enables investors to develop trading strategies involving some of the companies most directly affected by the current relief efforts."

"We are excited to have Susquehanna Securities as the specialist for this product," stated Thomas Wittman, President of NASDAQ OMX PHLX, Inc. "We hope that Susquehanna's participation will serve to enhance liquidity and efficiency in the trading of the new options."

The NASDAQ OMX Government Relief Index is the latest index launched by NASDAQ OMX Index Group and underscores its commitment to designing and calculating relevant world-class indexes.

The NASDAQ OMX Government Relief Index includes public companies that have received a direct investment from the U.S. government of at least $1 billion. The Index is the first of the Government Relief Index Series that NASDAQ OMX is planning to launch in the coming weeks.

The Index is calculated in real-time across the combined exchanges and is disseminated in dollars. The index began calculation with a value of 1000.00 on January 5, 2009. For more information about The NASDAQ OMX Government Relief Index, including the list of component companies, visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/history.aspx?IndexSymbol=QGRI&menuIndex=0 .

NASDAQ OMX is a global leader in creating and licensing strategy indexes and is home to the most widely watched indexes in the world.

As a premier, full-service provider, NASDAQ OMX is dedicated to designing powerful indexes that are in sync with a continually changing market environment. Utilizing the expanded coverage of our global company, NASDAQ OMX has nearly 2,000 diverse equity, commodity and fixed-income indexes in the U.S., Europe, and throughout the world.

In addition, our calculation, licensing and marketing support provide the tools to measure and replicate global markets. The NASDAQ OMX Index Group range of services covers the entire business process from index design to calculation and dissemination. For more information about NASDAQ OMX indexes, visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/.