IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE) is in talks with NYSE
Euronext (NYX) about a possible combination, more than a year after
ICE jointly pushed for control of the Big Board with its rival
Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ), according to people familiar with the
matter.
The talks include a possible takeover of NYSE Euronext, and
people close to the matter said an announcement could come as early
as Thursday.
An NYSE spokesman said Wednesday night that the company doesn't
comment on rumors. An ICE spokeswoman declined to comment.
ICE and Nasdaq OMX had proposed last year to buy NYSE Euronext
for about $11 billion. As part of the offer, ICE had looked to buy
NYSE Euronext's derivatives businesses, while Nasdaq would have
taken the stock exchanges.
Acquiring NYSE Euronext's prized U.K. futures market, Liffe,
would give commodities-focused ICE a long-sought entry point to
fixed-income futures, which banks, asset managers and insurance
companies use to hedge against shifts in key interest rates.
--Jacob Bunge contributed to this article.
Write to Anupreeta Das at anupreeta.das@wsj.com and Jenny
Strasburg at jenny.strasburg@wsj.com
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