In October 2008, the NASDAQ OMX Group (NASDAQ OMX) acquired parts of Nord Pool's business activities. These activities are today organized in NASDAQ OMX Commodities AS and its wholly-owned subsidiary Nord Pool Clearing ASA. As a step in the integration, NASDAQ OMX Commodities is currently in the process of transferring its clearing operations in Norway to a Norwegian branch of NASDAQ OMX Stockholm AB, through a cross-border merger. The main reason for the integration is to realize efficiencies and create a stronger central clearing counterparty across asset classes, to the benefit of all NASDAQ OMX and Nord Pool Clearing members. The transfer will also create opportunities for NASDAQ OMX to further improve and broaden its product offering within clearing in the future. As an example, NASDAQ OMX is taking steps to enable smooth access to all products to all members through one membership in one clearinghouse. NASDAQ OMX Stockholm AB will become the new central clearing counterparty to all current clearing transactions entered into with Nord Pool Clearing ASA, but the merger is otherwise not expected to materially affect neither clearing rules and agreements nor clearing systems or margins, i. e. no operational consequences for the members of Nord Pool Clearing nor NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. The merger has been reviewed by Financial Supervisory Authorities in Norway and Sweden. The merger is targeted to be completed on November 30, 2009. For further information, please contact: Jan Vidar Thoresen, Vice President commodity clearing, NASDAQ OMX Commodities, phone +47 6752 8510/+47 9013 6853 Andreas Gustavsson, Head of Nordic/Baltic legal, NASDAQ OMX Stockholm phone+46 8 405 6711, +46 7344 96711 Press contact: Thomas Skålnes, corporate communications, phone +47 6752 8080/+47 9340 7300
Information about the merger of NASDAQ OMX Commodities AS and Nord Pool Clearing ASA into NASDAQ OMX Stockholm AB (77/09)
| Source: Equities