[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) today announced that trading of Yandex, Russia's largest search engine and leading internet and technology company, commenced on The NASDAQ Stock Market on May 24, 2011. Yandex is listed under the ticker symbol (Nasdaq:YNDX) and is one of the most highly anticipated IPOs of this year.

“In Russia's emerging technology market and on a global scale, Yandex has been exceptionally successful at advancing technology with unique, innovative ideas and solutions at all levels of creation and execution,” said Bruce Aust, Executive Vice President, NASDAQ OMX Corporate Client Group. “At NASDAQ OMX, we have been long-time supporters of the technology and internet industry and list more of these companies than any other exchange in the US. We are thrilled to welcome Yandex to the NASDAQ Stock Market and look forward to supporting their journey as they expand their investor base, enhance their global brand and continue to inspire innovative, growth-oriented companies worldwide.”

Building off of Russia's long-standing educational focus on mathematics and engineering, the founding team of Yandex has been developing and optimizing search technology for over 20 years. In 2010, Yandex generated 64% of all search traffic in Russia and was the largest Russian internet company by revenue. In March 2011, the yandex.ru website attracted 38.3 million unique visitors. Outside of the Russia, the company operates in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

NASDAQ OMX has celebrated and supported innovative internet and technology companies since its inception. As a leader in this space, NASDAQ OMX is now home to 83% of Internet Software and Service Companies and 77% of Information Technology Companies in the US. Yandex joins leading companies including Baidu, Google, Cisco, Microsoft and Apple on The NASDAQ Stock Market. Yandex is the first Russian IPO on The NASDAQ Stock Market since 2006.