and unlike several proposed mergers , article excerpt the new york stock exchange , the cornerstone of american capitalism for 220 years , agreed to be sold as part of an $ 8.2 billion takeover by intercontinentalexchange inc.
under the terms of that deal , valued at about $ 11 billion , nasdaq would have taken nyse euronext ’s equities business , while ice would have assumed the derivatives operations .
more than a year ago , ice teamed up with the new york exchange ’s chief rival , the nasdaq omx group , to make a hostile bid for nyse euronext .
the takeover also would seal the triumph of electronic trading .
the planned merger of nyse euronext and deutsche börse itself fell apart early this year after european antitrust regulators opposed the combination , on the ground that it would corner too much of the market in exchange - traded derivatives .
that represents a premium of 37 percent to nyse euronext ’s businesses in the over - the - counter trading of derivatives — including the liffe market in london — that appear to be the main attraction in the merger talks .
but the newest merger might pose fewer problems because ice focuses on commodities like oil , natural gas and cotton , while nyse euronext plies mainly in stock and stock options and derivatives .
the two had sought to break up their older competitor ’s plan to merge with deutsche börse of europe , which would have created a powerful trans - atlantic company with a big market share in the trading of stocks and derivatives .
if regulators and shareholders approve , the combined company would own 14 stock and futures exchanges and five clearing operations that serve as middlemen between buyers and sellers of futures and other contracts , doing more things in more places than any other rival .