Nasdaq to List FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund

Accessible and Efficient Investment Product Providing Exposure to U.S. Corporate Debt

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nasdaq today announced that FlexShares® Exchange Traded Funds, sponsored and managed by Northern Trust, will list a new exchange-traded fund, FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund (Symbol: SKOR), on The Nasdaq Stock Market. SKOR will begin trading today, November 13th, 2014. "Regulatory changes impacting the fixed income capital markets and persistent low interest rates have caused institutional investors and financial advisors to reassess their investment options for exposure to corporate bonds," said Shundrawn A. Thomas, Executive Vice President and Head of Northern Trusts' Funds and Managed Accounts Group. "The FlexShares® Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund employs a rules-based methodology that incorporates forward looking financial metrics to optimize credit risk while providing improved transparency and liquidity as compared to legacy corporate bond benchmarks." SKOR is a fixed income portfolio consisting of corporate debt securities selected using a proprietary credit scoring process. The fund focuses on an intermediate maturity, with securities ranging from two to ten years in maturity. SKOR is an accessible and efficient investment product which provides exposure to U.S. corporate debt. The fund seeks to maximize the credit score while maintaining a similar spread and duration to the intermediate maturity corporate debt universe. "It's our pleasure to welcome a new FlexShares exchange-traded fund to The Nasdaq Stock Market," said Walt Smith, Vice President, Head of U.S. Equities at Nasdaq. "Nasdaq offers FlexShares the opportunity to access new markets and expand SKOR's reach to a full spectrum of investors." Nasdaq operates an efficient platform for successfully introducing a product suite into one of the single largest pools of liquidity, including market participants which represent a full spectrum of investors. ETF issuers benefit from an end-to-end solution that provides ongoing product support including index licensing, listings opportunities, data offerings and trading services. As the home to some of the world's most innovative ventures, Nasdaq generates opportunities for issuers to access new markets and deliver new concepts that change the way the industry develops, manages and applies ETFs.