The Nasdaq OMX Group, Inc. announced Monday its intention to expand its trading offering to include equities listed in Norway, beginning with the 25 largest companies listed in the country.

The same trading rules and market surveillance to the trading of these new shares will apply as for its other listed shares. It intends to begin offering trading on March 23. The first phase will offer trading in the 25 largest Norwegian listed shares. In the next phases Nasdaq OMX will extend the trading to the remaining Norwegian issuers. Trading will take place on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm.

“We undertake this initiative in light of customer demand, which is dramatically changing the competitive landscape for exchanges. We want to extend our trading offering to include shares from all Nordic countries on one trading platform, thereby creating substantial benefits — such as lower cost of trading — to our customers. This will increase the attractiveness of the Nordic equity market,” says Hans-Ole Jochumsen, president Nasdaq OMX Nordic.

The move is a part of the company’s strategic roadmap for Nordic equities, which aims at increasing the attractiveness of the Nordic equity market. It also plans to introduce full central counterparty clearing by October 9, subject to regulatory approval, which will also apply for Norwegian shares.

IE