Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Bank of America Corp. and Bear Stearns Cos. are in talks to acquire a minority stake in the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Wall Street Journal reported. The move would affirm a swelling interest in securities exchanges in the past few years, with the public offering of their shares.
The financial firms’ total investment would add up to less than half of the exchange’s value, one person familiar with the deal said, adding that the discussions were at an early stage and could fall apart, Reuters reported.
If the deal goes through, the stake sale would somewhat mirror transactions last year, when Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley acquired shares in the Boston and Philadelphia stock and options exchanges.
“While we are always interested in pursuing relationships that would be in the best interest of our shareholders, it is our policy not to comment on specific rumours,” the CSE said in a statement. Both Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, which already owns significant stakes in both NYSE and Archipelago, refused to comment.