Why do we journalists always fall for it? Nasdaq, the U.S.
stock market group, just persuaded a bunch of us to trek way up a steep, slippery hillside in the cold to watch them open trading against a backdrop of yodel-ay-ee-oo Switzerland. There we were, TV cameras rolling and stills snapping (or whatever digitals do), while corporate America waved, yelled and grinned in front of us.

Actually, as a PR stunt it was pretty good. Nasdaq likes to
call itself a virtual market model and reckons a Swiss hillside
is as good a place as any to show that it can get global traders off to a start wherever it wants.

Coincidently (because they did the same thing last year) it
also showed their European aspirations. It is embroiled in a
hostile takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange for a start. I had hoped that the “High Tea” on offer to guests beforehand was a dig at Britain but it turned out more Davosian with chocolates and champagne.

Anyway, Nasdaq boss Bob Greifeld was nice enough to talk to me beforehand for a non-blog story on his thoughts on the LSE bid and I did get this blog out of it, so I supposed the trek was worth. Reckoned they missed one trick though by not ringing the open with a cow bell.