The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ), parent of the world's first electronic stock market and a leading index provider, today announced the results of the semi-annual evaluation of the NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index (Nasdaq:ABQI), which will become effective prior to market open on Monday, December 24, 2012.
The following ten securities will be added to the Index: Camden National Corporation (Nasdaq:CAC), First Connecticut Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:FBNK), First Financial Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:FFCH), German American Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:GABC), Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSBC), HomeStreet, Inc. (Nasdaq:HMST), Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (Nasdaq:HTLF), Southwest Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:OKSB), Peoples Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq:PEBO) and Park Sterling Corporation (Nasdaq:PSTB).
The Index is designed to track the performance of banks and thrifts, or their holding companies, listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market®. The Index is intended to serve as a benchmark for investment products by including the larger and more liquid community banks. The NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index is reviewed on a semi-annual basis. For more information about the NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index, including detailed eligibility criteria, visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/.
As a result of the evaluation the following six companies will be removed from the Index: Citizens Republic Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:CRBC), Financial Institutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:FISI), OceanFirst Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:OCFC), Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania (Nasdaq:UVSP), Virginia Commerce Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:VCBI) and West Coast Bancorp (Nasdaq:WCBO).
The First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Fund (Nasdaq:QABA) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the fund's fees and expenses) of the NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index.