6/13/2005 9:02:00 AM
BOTHELL, Wash., Jun 13, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Microvision, Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS), the world leader in the
development of scanned beam displays and imaging products, announced
today that it has been included on a preliminary list of companies
expected to comprise the Russell Microcap Index, a new benchmark for
microcap stocks launched this year by the Russell Investment Group.
The Russell Microcap Index is comprised of the smallest 1,000
securities in the small-cap Russell 2000(R) Index plus the next 1,000
companies below the index. A second preliminary list will be published
on June 17 and the final index will go into effect after the markets
close on June 24.
In a press release dated May 26, 2005, Steve Swartley, senior
manager research analyst at Russell said, “Microcaps have outperformed
small caps in three of the past four years, and the cumulative
four-year gap is impressive.” The Russell Microcap’s available
performance history reflects an annualized return of 9.03%, from June
30, 2000 through the end of the first quarter of 2005, versus 5.08%
for the Russell 2000. Swartley noted that the median microcap manager
that Russell follows has outperformed the Russell 2000 in nine of the
last 10 years. Furthermore, the median microcap manager has
outperformed the median manager in the small-cap universe in eight of
the past 10 years, and by more than 1,000 basis points in two of the
past four years.
In that same press release, Scott Johnson, chairman of Sterling
Johnston Capital Management, a firm that manages more than $600
million in institutional microcap equity said, “The index should prove
to be a useful tool that will ultimately help asset managers and
investors more accurately gauge the performance of their microcap
funds and we believe it will also create interest in this very
important asset class.”
About Microvision: www.microvision.com
Headquartered in Bothell, Washington, Microvision, Inc. is the
world leader in the development of high-resolution displays and
imaging systems based on the company’s proprietary silicon
micro-mirror technology. The company’s technology has applications in
a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and
consumer products.
Microvision and its scanned beam display technology have been
recognized by IEEE Spectrum Magazine as one of “10 tech companies for
the next 10 years.”
Forward Looking Statement
Certain statements contained in this release, including those
relating product applications are forward-looking statements that
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those projected in the
company’s forward-looking statements include the following: market
acceptance of our technologies and products; our ability to obtain
financing; our financial and technical resources relative to those of
our competitors; our ability to keep up with rapid technological
change; government regulation of our technologies; our ability to
enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary
technologies; the ability to obtain additional contract awards and to
develop partnership opportunities; the timing of commercial product
launches; the ability to achieve key technical milestones in key
products; and other risk factors identified from time to time in the
company’s SEC reports, including in its Annual Report on 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2004, and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
SOURCE: Microvision, Inc.
Microvision, Inc.
Matt Nichols, 425-415-6657 (Media)
Brian Heagler, 425-415-6794 (Investors)