Pershing Gold Added to Membership of Russell Microcap® Index

LAKEWOOD, Colo., July 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pershing Gold Corporation (NASDAQ:PGLC) (FWB:7PG1) ("Pershing Gold" or the "Company"), an emerging gold producer,  today announces its inclusion as a member of the Russell Microcap^® Index as part of the 2016 Russell indexes reconstitution.

Membership in the Russell Microcap^® Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the appropriate growth and value style indexes. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes.

"We are pleased by the Company's inclusion on the Russell Microcap Index," commented Stephen D. Alfers, Pershing Gold CEO and Executive Chairman. "The increased exposure and liquidity that this index provides adds credibility as we build our shareholder base of high quality institutions and retail investors."

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. Approximately $6 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell's U.S. indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider.

For more information on the Russell Microcap^® Index and the Russell indexes reconstitution, go to the "Russell Reconstitution" section on the FTSE Russell website.

About Pershing Gold Corporation
Pershing Gold is an emerging gold producer whose primary asset is the Relief Canyon Mine in Pershing County, Nevada. Relief Canyon includes three open-pit mines, expanding adjacent open-pit-able gold deposits, and a state-of-the-art, fully permitted and constructed heap-leach processing facility. Pershing Gold is currently permitted to resume mining at Relief Canyon under the existing Plan of Operations.

Pershing Gold's landholdings cover approximately 25,000 acres that include the Relief Canyon Mine asset and lands surrounding the mine in all directions. This land package provides Pershing Gold with the opportunity to expand the Relief Canyon Mine deposit and to explore and make new discoveries on nearby lands.

Pershing Gold is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol PGLC and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol 7PG1.

About FTSE Russell
FTSE Russell is a global index leader and data provider that provides innovative benchmarking, analytics and data solutions for investors worldwide.  FTSE Russell calculates thousands of indexes that measure and benchmark markets and asset classes in more than 70 countries, covering 98% of the investable market globally.

FTSE Russell index expertise and products are used extensively by institutional and retail investors globally. Approximately $10 trillion is currently benchmarked to FTSE Russell indexes. For over 30 years, leading asset owners, asset managers, ETF providers and investment banks have chosen FTSE Russell indexes to benchmark their investment performance and create ETFs, structured products and index-based derivatives.

A core set of universal principles guides FTSE Russell index design and management: a transparent rules-based methodology is informed by independent committees of leading market participants. FTSE Russell is focused on applying the highest industry standards in index design and governance, and embraces the IOSCO principles. FTSE Russell is also focused on index innovation and client collaboration as it seeks to enhance the breadth, depth and reach of its offering.

FTSE Russell is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group. For more information, visit www.ftserussell.com.

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SOURCE Pershing Gold Corp.