Deutsche Boerse seeking to buy the New York Stock Exchange in "merger of equals"

[Rey C.]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems a little odd that the last time I heard this term it was also a German firm, Daimler, acquiring another iconic American brand, Chrysler. And in that case (and I suspect in this case), the term was just being used to get by cynical U.S. regulators. That merger/takeover was nothing but hot mess from Day 1. I wonder how this one will turn out if it goes through?

I'm not a xenophobe, so it wouldn't matter to me if it was a German firm, a British firm or Canadian firm doing the buying. It just bothers me that probably the greatest symbol of the American financial system is up for sale. Well, the NYSE almost made its 220th birthday...

Premium Link Upgrade

The two have hammered out a broad framework for a deal that focuses on functions and personalities, with several executives chosen for key posts across Europe and the United States, three people familiar with the plan said.

Among the issues they will leave in the too-hard basket for now are what to call the merged entity, how exactly it will cut costs, and which technologies it will favor, the sources said.