NEW YORK, May 4, 2006 - CPMKTS^sm The Capital Markets Index, the first and only measure of the total value of the U.S. capital markets, launched today. The real-time index, representing all investment-grade U.S. equity, fixed income and money market instruments, is the only index to combine all three asset classes into a single measurement and the first to track money market investments.

The Capital Markets Index, created by Dorchester Capital Management Company of Houston, is being carried on The American Stock Exchange ticker under the symbol CPMKTS with data updates every 15 seconds. The Amex also will publish three sub-indexes - CPMKTE, CPMKTB and CPMKTL - tracking equities, bonds and liquidity respectively. Analyzing all four indexes in tandem allows investors not only to measure the total return of the U.S. capital markets, but also the relative strength of each asset class.

"The Capital Markets Index will redefine the way we view the U.S. market by including equity, fixed income and money market instruments in a single measure," said Warren Schmalenberger, Dorchester’s founder and chief executive officer.

"We often hear commentary about ‘market performance,’ but in reality, these assessments are based on market segments as defined by popular equities- and bond-based indexes," he explained. "In contrast, CPMKTS measures the markets as a whole, thereby enabling investors to make more informed asset-allocation decisions."

Many market participants already recognize the potential value of a total capital markets index, Mr. Schmalenberger said. Research conducted for Dorchester by Harris Interactive, showed that 69 percent of investment professionals, 65 percent of derivative traders and 54 percent of individual investors believe an index providing "the broadest measure of the capital market" would be valuable in making their investment decisions. Moreover, the research indicates that investment professionals also believe a capital markets index would be useful as a benchmark and in constructing portfolios, as well as a way to capture a broader client base.

To create CPMKTS, Dorchester collected more than four terabytes of compressed historical data - including statistics and market changes from data providers such as Reuters, Interactive Data, Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Ratings and the U.S. government - and updates this database daily with 200 million pieces of new information. The data is organized and processed using Dorchester’s patent-pending, rules-based approach to remove subjectivity and accurately reflect the actual asset allocation of U.S. capital markets.

To measure the percent increase this decade (January 1, 2000, to present), subtract 10,000 from the current value of CPMKTS - or any of the sub-indexes CPMKTE, CPMKTB and CPMKTL - and divide by 100.

Data for any period from January 1, 1980, to present can be accessed via the CPMKTS web site, www.cpmkts.com. This data includes cumulative total return, average return (daily, monthly or annual) and standard deviation.

Dorchester Capital Management Company is a Houston-based company principally focused on designing financial products for the professional investment community. The Company’s lead index, CPMKTS^sm The Capital Markets Index, measures the total return of U.S. capital markets, representing all investment grade equity, fixed income and money market instruments. For additional information, please visit the company’s Web site at www.cpmkts.com.

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