"FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Germany's stock exchange operator said Thursday it plans to close its Neuer Markt after the German equivalent of the Nasdaq lost almost all of its value in a two-and-a-half year slide. The exchange also plans tougher reporting standards for listed companies on its main market. The exchange said the move is intended to reassure investors, who have seen a 96 percent drop in the Neuer Markt's value from its peak in March 2000, about the reliability of the companies listed. Other tech markets across Europe have suffered steep declines as well: Italy's similarly named Nuovo Mercato and Paris' Nouveau Marche are each down 93 percent from their 2000 peaks. " Yahoo! News - Germany Shuts Down High-Tech Market | 
