National Quotation Bureau - NQB

A privately-owned company that was established in 1913 to provide investors with information on stocks and bonds traded over the counter (OTC). The company now mainly offers electronic services, including data access, on its website. NQB changed its name to Pink Sheets LLC in 2000 and then to Pink OTC Markets Inc. in 2008. It is considered a non-exclusive securities information provider by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

NQB published information on OTC stocks and bonds for decades in the Pink Sheets and Yellow Sheets, which were named for the color of paper on which they were printed. Stock quotes were published on the Pink Sheets, while corporate bonds were quoted on the Yellow Sheets.

Pink Sheet stocks include penny stocks and other companies that are not traded on exchanges. These stocks can pose added risk for investors, because they may not be current on filing financial statements, may not file at all, or, in extreme cases, may not even be legitimate companies. Information sources, such as Pink OTC Markets, help investors find information on these less liquid and less regulated stocks.