VANCOUVER, March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Great Basin Gold Ltd. ("Great Basin Gold" or the "Company") (TSX: GBG; NYSE Amex: GBG; JSE: GBG) today announced that Standard and Poor''s (S&P) has added Great Basin Gold to its S&P/TSX Global Gold Index as well as its S&P/TSX Global Mining Index, effective before market open on Monday, March 22, 2010.
"This is a very positive development for Great Basin Gold that complements our listing in the S&P/TSX Composite Index, and the S&P/TSX Small Cap Index," commented Ferdi Dippenaar, President and CEO. "Our inclusion is also testament to our Company''s value and recognition of the significant progress and growth we have achieved thus far."
S&P/TSX Global Gold Index is designed to be a dynamic international benchmark, tracking the world''s leading gold companies, and aims to offer investors broad exposure to the world''s gold markets. Listed securities eligible for inclusion in the index must meet certain criteria including market capitalization and the liquidity of its stock relative to other stocks in the index. Great Basin Gold has met all of the criteria.
About the S&P/TSX Composite Index ---------------------------------
Introduced in 1977, the S&P/TSX Composite is the headline index and the principal broad-market measure for Canadian Equity markets. It includes common stock and income trust units and serves as the benchmark for the majority of Canadian pension funds and mutual funds. With approximately 95% coverage of the Canadian equities market, it is the primary gauge for Canadian-based, Toronto Stock Exchange listed companies.
About the S&P/TSX Global Mining Index -------------------------------------
The S&P/TSX Global Mining Index is a premier international benchmark tracking the world''s leading mining companies. It aims to offer investors the full spectrum of exposure to the world''s mining markets by providing an investable representative index of publicly-traded international mining companies.
About the S&P Small Cap Index -----------------------------
The S&P/TSX SmallCap index provides an investable index for the Canadian small cap market. It includes common stock and income trust units, and is calculated in real-time. The index is also the basis for the S&P/TSX Equity SmallCap index, which is calculated end-of-day and excludes income trusts. The S&P/TSX SmallCap index is calculated and managed by Standard & Poor''s.
No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.
Great Basin Gold Ltd.
CONTACT: For additional details on Great Basin Gold Ltd. and its gold
properties, please visit the Company''s website at http://www.grtbasin.com/ or contact
Investor Services: Tsholo Serunye in South Africa 27 (0)11 301 1800; Michael
Curlook in North America 1-888-633-9332; Barbara Cano at Breakstone Group in
the USA (646) 452-2334
