December 8, 2006
It is both costly and difficult for listed companies to switch from one exchange to the other. Because of this, I am adamantly opposed to the proposed fee increase which will force NASDAQ listed companies to buy media services from a vendor owned by NASDAQ. The NASDAQ announcement clearly explains that listed companies can choose alternative vendors but will still be required to pay the increased fee that includes the media service thus paying doubling the cost of those services.
This hardly seems like a fair business practice and is a clear abuse of monopolistic power. If allowed to proceed it is not hard to imagine what will happen next NASDAQ will identify another service required by its listing members, it will then acquire a company in that space and then force its listed members to use that service by including that service in its fees. If NASDAQ is successful in this foray, the NYSE would be foolish not to follow with similar fee increases.