OMX Board of Directors Unanimously Recommends the Public Offer From Borse Dubai

04 January 2008

The board of directors of OMX AB have unanimously recommended the public offer from Borse Dubai Limited, taking and a subsequent planned acquisition by The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc, the operator of the electronic exchange, NASDAQ.

Borse Dubai has made an all-cash offer of $49.95 (265 kronor) per share offer for the Stockholm-based OMX.

The company's shareholders, will begin voting on the deal next Monday, and have a month to finalise the deal.

The US authorities have already cleared Borse Dubai's investment in Nasdaq, paving the way for the US stock market operator to combine with OMX.

"The combination of OMX and NASDAQ will create a new leader in the exchange industry, establish a strong platform for future growth and reinforce the Nordic and Baltic region as a financial centre," said Urban Backstrom, chairman of OMX.

Backstrom  said, "Linking trading centres in the US, Europe and the Middle East will provide members, issuers and all other market participants with considerable opportunity in the changing global capital markets. The Borse Dubai offer and the agreed, subsequent acquisition of OMX shares by NASDAQ, is also attractive to our shareholders."