On Its 10th Anniversary, Nasdaq Evacuated for a Bomb Scare

The Nasdaq (NDAQ) MarketSite in New York's Times Square was evacuated briefly Wednesday afternoon while a bomb squad investigated an abandoned van in the area. The broader stock market shrugged off the news, but the bomb scare could put a damper on a closing-bell ceremony marking the 10-year anniversary of the exchange's Midtown home.

%%DynaPub-Enhancement class="enhancement contentType-HTML Content fragmentId-1 payloadId-61603 alignment-right size-small"%%A bomb squad was using a robot-based camera to approach the vehicle, the Associated Press reported. The white van, a 1992 Dodge with tinted windows, has a placard from a nonexistent law-enforcement agency on the dashboard and no license plate, according to the AP.

Police blocked off the area around 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway -- home to publishing giant Conde Nast as well as the Nadsaq MarketSite -- as a precaution. Police responded around 8:30 a.m. after a 911 call about a suspicious vehicle, the AP said.

As a purely electronic exchange, the Nasdaq doesn't have a bustling trading floor like the New York Stock Exchange (NYX). The MarketSite, which first opened on Dec. 28, 1999, gives Nasdaq a physical presence and houses a TV studio for financial reporters. The evacuation was canceled around 1 p.m. And a Nasdaq spokesperson says the anniversary ceremony will proceed as scheduled, with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ringing the bell.