SEC Poised to Bless Nasdaq Plan to Spur Diverse Corporate Boards

Nasdaq Inc. is on the verge of securing the SEC’s support to help get more women and minorities on the boards of companies trading on the stock exchange.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to give initial, and potentially binding, approval of a Nasdaq board diversity proposal by Aug. 8. The endorsement would be the SEC’s most substantial action to encourage diversity and inclusion since the agency made environmental, social, and governance matters a top priority under the Biden administration.

Nasdaq’s plan would be the most significant diversity requirements in the U.S. since California passed laws in 2018 and ...