Nasdaq plans blank-check company listing standardsNEW YORK, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Nasdaq Stock Market Inc (NDAQ.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday it will propose standards for listing "blank-check" companies, an increasingly popular type of entity formed solely to acquire other businesses.
Blank-check companies, also known as special-purpose acquisition vehicles, raised more than $12 billion last year in initial public offerings, more than four times the record $2.6 billion in 2006, according to research firm Dealogic.
Nasdaq said it plans to ask the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a rule change to allow it to list blank-check companies. It said it plans to require such companies to meet more stringent standards than typical companies before winning Nasdaq listings. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Phil Berlowitz).
