UPDATE 1-US court upholds Nasdaq board diversity rule

A U.S. appeals court upheld Nasdaq's board diversity rule on Wednesday, requiring companies listed on the exchange to have women and minority directors on their boards or explain why they do not. In a lengthy opinion, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected lawsuits seeking to block the rule by the National Center for Public Policy Research and the Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment, a group formed by conservative legal activist Edward Blum. The SEC acted within its authority in approving the rule, and was allowed to consider the opinions of investors who said board diversity information was important to their investment decisions, the court said.