SOX-bashers say Sarbanes-Oxley and US accounting regulations are deterring companies from listing in the US.

But the numbers tell a different story.

Like Mark Twain's death, reports of the demise of the US exchanges are premature.

Sure, the number of foreign listings on US exchanges is down but look at the money trail!

The amount of money being raised through US-listed initial public offerings is up, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The $5.8 billion in stock through U.S.-listed IPOs in 2006 is the highest year-to-date volume since the tech-stock boom in 2000.

You can read the WSJ report here.

While on the subject, Neeraj Bhargava, the group chief executive officer of WNS Holdings, the parent company of Indian business process outsourcing provider WNS Global Services has a piece in the WSJ giving several reasons why good governance is good business

Meeting the disclosure and governance requirements necessary for listing on the NYSE, he says, is good for credibility and builds confidence amongst clients. Having an NYSE listing is good for brand visibility and is great for shareholder value because companies that list in the world's biggest capital market have a valuation higher than those listed elsewhere. And it also provides more liquidity with access to a wider pool of investors.

You can read his piece here.