Facebook Inc. (FB) Debuts on NASDAQ-100 Index Wednesday

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) has been on quite a recovery of late, as its stock price has jumped about 45 percent in about a month, and has moved up about 2.5 percent since it received word that it would be added to the NASDAQ-100 Index, which constitutes the 100 largest nonfinancial companies traded on the NASDAQ market.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) was slated to join the NASDAQ-100 later this month, but the stock got into the index a little early, as it is debuting Wednesday after former index member Infosys Ltd., jumped to the New York Stock Exchange. With the move, Facebook becomes the 23rd-largest stock component on the index with its %60 million market cap, and that makes up 1 percent of the overall index. With the addition, Facebook may likely continue to see a bit of a boost in its price, as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will be required to own about $350 million in Facebook shares to be equivalent to Facebook’s weight on the index. The most popular ETF, the PowerShares QQQ Fund, is expected to carry about 88 percent of NASDAQ-100 holdings, or just north of $310 million in Facebook stock.

Facebook Inc. (FB)

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) stock jump of 2.5 percent since the announcement of joining the index was notably higher than the average of 1.2 percent jump for stocks in the days following their announcements of joining the index since 2001. Facebook’s $65 billion market cap is nearly three times higher than the former index member Infosys, which was at about $24 billion.

While this is a significant step for Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) – though expected for a while, as the NASDAQ-100 re-evaluates itself annually, and Facebook was due because of its size – the general thought is if Facebook can get itself onto the S&P 500 Index, that might be where the stock will have its most dramtic move and be its most prominent. However, the company likely won’t get that invitataion for several years, based on history.

How significant is this step for Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB)? How do you think investors like billionaire Paul Tudor Jones of Tudor Investment Corporation will or should handle Facebook shares now that they are part of the NASDAQ-100?