Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. raised its quarterly dividend by 15%, its
first dividend increase since 2012.
The dividend was boosted to 15 cents from 13 cents, with the
increase costing the stock exchange operator an additional $3.4
million a quarter.
The New York-based exchange operator has sought to diversify its
revenue as it, like its rivals, has struggled with a slide in stock
trading by individual investors and asset managers over the past
several years. Last year, it bought bond-trading and
investor-relations businesses and is expected to soon launch a
marketplace for trading private shares in pre-IPO companies.
In a separate release, Nasdaq said its Nasdaq Stock Market led
all U.S. exchanges for initial public offerings in the first
quarter. Nasdaq had 45 IPOs during the first quarter, more than
double the number than any other U.S. exchange. Nasdaq had a total
of 74 new listings during the period.
The company's shares are down about 6% so far this year.
Write to Ben Fox Rubin at ben.rubin@wsj.com
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