PARIS (AP) — NYSE Euronext on Friday said costs related to its collapsed merger with German stock market Deutsche Boerse caused a slump in fourth quarter earnings.
The company, which owns the main exchanges in New York and Paris among others, reported net income of $110 million, or $0.43 per share, for the three months ended Dec. 31. That compares with $135 million, or $0.51 per share, in the same quarter the previous year.
Earnings were hit by $46 million in merger expenses and exit costs, largely from the collapsed Deutsche Boerse deal, the company said in a statement.
Chief Executive Duncan Niederauer said he was "extremely disappointed" with the decision by the European Commission, the EU's executive body to block the merger, which came as a blow to NYSE Euronext's dream of creating a financial giant better able to take on other large exchanges in the U.S. and Asia.
The commission said it would block the deal because the combined company's dominance of the market would have control over 90 percent of the trading of some financial products in Europe, making it almost impossible for competitors to offer rival trading systems.
Adjusted for merger costs, a one-time tax expense in France, and other items, profit came to 50 cents per share.
Revenue was flat at $1.05 billion.
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