ISE To Launch Two New Sector Indexes for Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology

The ISE-CCM Alternative Energy Index was developed as a result of growing interest in domestic commercially viable alternative energy sources in response to high oil prices, declining global supply and a strong global economy. The ISE-CCM Alternative Energy index provides investors with exposure to companies involved in the areas of Geothermal Heat, Hydrogen/Fuel Cells, Hydropower, Nuclear Fusion, Solar and Wind energy.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2006--The International Securities Exchange (NYSE:ISE) announced today that it is launching two new specialized sector index options, the ISE-CCM Alternative Energy Index (Ticker: POW) and the ISE-CCM Nanotechnology Index (Ticker: TNY). These were developed with Cronus Capital Markets (CCM), an independent and privately owned capital market research and consulting firm. Timber Hill LLC will serve as the Primary Market Maker in these products.


The ISE-CCM Alternative Energy Index was developed as a result of growing interest in domestic commercially viable alternative energy sources in response to high oil prices, declining global supply and a strong global economy. The ISE-CCM Alternative Energy index provides investors with exposure to companies involved in the areas of Geothermal Heat, Hydrogen/Fuel Cells, Hydropower, Nuclear Fusion, Solar and Wind energy.

The ISE-CCM Nanotechnology Index was conceived as a way to provide investors with exposure to the nanotechnology industry, which involves the science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology specifically covers matter size of 1 to 100 nanometers (a nanometer is a billionth of a meter). Applications involve the intended ability to manipulate materials to fundamentally improve processes, materials and devices on an 'atomic' scale with virtually unlimited research and development opportunities. The fields of biotechnology, chemistry, physics, information technology, engineering, and manufacturing are all actively studying nanotechnology. The index includes some of the largest, most liquid, and most mature companies within this sector.

"The new ISE-CCM Indexes offer investors an opportunity to gain exposure to the up and coming investment sectors of nanotechnology and alternative energy. We remain at the forefront in developing and launching innovative indices to anticipate market demand," said Bruce D. Goldberg, ISE's Chief Marketing Officer. "Our second collaboration with Cronus Capital Markets continues our record of innovation in the options market and adds to ISE's portfolio of unique, proprietary sector index options, to provide investors with additional trading strategies for managing their portfolios."

Michael Soni, President and CEO of Cronus Capital Markets, said, "Cronus Capital Markets is pleased to join the International Securities Exchange in launching these innovative new index products in nanotechnology and alternative energy for investors. CCM has focused its research on these important sectors for years and recognizes the value of providing investors with innovative tools to diversify their investments and manage their risk exposure."

ISE's uses rules-based methodologies for calculating and maintaining its sector indexes and makes the rules freely available to everyone, for easy use in testing the historic performance of the indexes. Additional information about these indexes, including methodology guides, component lists and weightings, performance metrics and historical data is available on ISE's website, www.iseoptions.com, on the Products Traded / Index Options page.

ISE Background

The International Securities Exchange, the world's largest equity options exchange, was founded on the principle that technology fosters and infuses new efficiencies and operational innovations into securities trading. After developing an innovative market structure that integrated auction market principles into an advanced screen-based trading system, ISE launched the first fully electronic US options exchange in May 2000. ISE continually enhances its trading systems to provide investors with the best marketplace to execute their options orders.

For more information about ISE, its products and its technology, visit www.iseoptions.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward looking statements." These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, to be materially different from those contemplated by the forward looking statements. We undertake no ongoing obligation, other than that imposed by law, to update these statements. Factors that could affect our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements and cause them to materially differ from those contained in the forward looking statements can be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our registration statement on Form S-1, current reports on Form 8-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as amended.

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