ICE's Sprecher: Global Exchange Deals Can Still Be Done
February 10 2012 - 12:22PM
Dow Jones News
The top executive of IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE) said
that it was still possible for exchange companies to do major
cross-border mergers, though satisfying a myriad of constituencies
in the process has proven extremely tricky.
"It could be done at all points in my career in this industry
and it can still be done," said Jeff Sprecher, ICE chief executive
and co-founder, speaking at an investor event Friday. "But none of
it is easy."
A clutch of large-scale exchange merger proposals -- including
an attempted takeover of NYSE Euronext (NYX) backed by Sprecher
himself -- fell apart over the last year due to pushback from
regulators and nationalistic sentiment.
Last week the highest-profile deal of them all, NYSE Euronext's
agreed combination with Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1.XE, DBOEF), was
abandoned after the European Union determined the tie-up would
amount to a monopoly over regional derivatives trading.
Sprecher said that success of such deals depended on satisfying
the desires of shareholders, exchange customers, employees,
regulators and politicians, many of whom have divergent
interests.
"If you're a management team that can thread that needle and
still create value for your shareholders, then it can happen,"
Sprecher said.
-By Jacob Bunge, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4117;
jacob.bunge@dowjones.com
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