LCH.Clearnet and NYSE Euronext agree on the main terms of a long-term agreement for cash equity clearing

24 December 2012

Clearing fees will be reduced by 20% for market participants
 
LCH.Clearnet SA, the Paris-based clearing house of LCH.Clearnet Group, and NYSE Euronext today jointly announced they have reached an agreement on the main terms and conditions of a six year clearing contract with respect to NYSE Euronext’s continental cash equities markets. The Parties are currently reviewing the technical elements and are in the process of finalising the agreement.
 
The agreement is expected to commence on 1 January 2013 and will run through 2018. The new contract would then replace the existing contract that was due to end on 31 December 2013 for cash equity transactions.

The contract, once signed, would enable LCH.Clearnet SA to further reduce clearing fees for clearing members. Fees will be reduced from €0.05 to €0.04 for blue chips stocks.

Christophe Hémon, Chief Executive of LCH.Clearnet SA, said: "We are delighted to continue providing clearing services for NYSE Euronext by extending our long-standing relationship. This is testament to our industry-leading risk management and the choice it brings to clients and financial market participants."

Roland Bellegarde, Group EVP for European Equities and Equity derivatives at NYSE Euronext, added: "We are pleased to have negotiated the main terms of an agreement with LCH.Clearnet SA which would allow our customers to maintain their infrastructure with their existing clearing house. This six year agreement, once in place, will contribute towards ensuring that market participants have access to a robust, regulated and organised clearing house. Following our negotiations with LCH.Clearnet SA, clearing costs are expected to decrease 20% for blue chips, the largest segment of the cash equity clearing business."

To view the press release as a pdf click here

For further information please contact:

NYSE Euronext
James Dunseath +44 (0) 207 379 2804
 
LCH.Clearnet 
Juliana Wheeler  +44 (0) 207 426 7638

Notes to Editors

About NYSE Euronext
 
NYSE Euronext (NYX) is a leading global operator of financial markets and provider of innovative trading technologies. The company's exchanges in Europe and the United States trade equities, futures, options, fixed-income and exchange-traded products. With approximately 8,000 listed issues (excluding European Structured Products), NYSE Euronext's equities markets - the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Euronext, NYSE MKT, NYSE Alternext and NYSE Arca - represent one-third of the world’s equities trading, the most liquidity of any global exchange group. NYSE Euronext also operates NYSE Liffe, one of the leading European derivatives businesses and the world's second-largest derivatives business by value of trading. The company offers comprehensive commercial technology, connectivity and market data products and services through NYSE Technologies. NYSE Euronext is in the S&P 500 index. For more information, please visit: http://www.nyx.com.
 
Forward-Looking Statements
 
This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “may,” “hope,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “could,” “future” or the negative of those terms or other words of similar meaning. You should carefully read forward-looking statements, including statements that contain these words, because they discuss our future expectations or state other “forward-looking” information. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. ICE and NYSE Euronext caution readers that any forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statement. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the proposed merger involving ICE and NYSE Euronext, including future financial results, ICE’s and NYSE Euronext’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, the expected timing of completion of the transaction and other statements that are not historical facts. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth in ICE’s and NYSE Euronext’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the following: the inability to close the merger in a timely manner; the inability to complete the merger due to the failure of NYSE Euronext stockholders to adopt the merger agreement or the failure of ICE stockholders to approve the issuance of ICE common stock in connection with the merger; the failure to satisfy other conditions to completion of the merger, including receipt of required regulatory and other approvals; the failure of the proposed transaction to close for any other reason; the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction will not be realized; the risk that integration of NYSE Euronext’s operations with those of ICE will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected; the challenges of integrating and retaining key employees; the effect of the announcement of the transaction on ICE’s, NYSE Euronext’s or the combined company’s respective business relationships, operating results and business generally; the possibility that the anticipated synergies and cost savings of the merger will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the possibility that the merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; general competitive, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations; actions taken or conditions imposed by the United States and foreign governments and regulatory authorities; and adverse outcomes of pending or threatened litigation or government investigations. In addition, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties and other factors that may affect future results of the combined company described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the joint proxy statement/prospectus to be delivered to ICE’s and NYSE Euronext’s respective shareholders, and in ICE’s and NYSE Euronext’s respective filings with the SEC that are available on the SEC’s web site located at www.sec.gov, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors” in ICE’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC on February 8, 2012, and ICE's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2012, as filed with the SEC on August 1, 2012 and September 30, 2012, as filed with the SEC on November 5, 2012, and “Risk Factors” in NYSE Euronext’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC on February 29, 2012. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except for any obligations to disclose material information under the Federal securities laws, ICE undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
 
Important Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It:
 
In connection with the proposed transaction, ICE intends to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which will include a joint proxy statement/prospectus with respect to the proposed acquisition of NYSE Euronext. The final joint proxy statement/prospectus will be delivered to the stockholders of ICE and NYSE Euronext. Investors and security holders of both ICE and NYSE Euronext are urged to read the joint proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction carefully and in its entirety, including any documents previously filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference into the joint proxy statement/prospectus, when it becomes available because it will contain important information regarding ICE, NYSE Euronext and the proposed merger. Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of the joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about ICE and NYSE Euronext, without charge, at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov/. Investors may also obtain these documents, without charge, from ICE’s website at http://www.theice.com.
 
Participants in the Merger Solicitation:
 
ICE, NYSE Euronext and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

You can find information about ICE and ICE’s directors and executive officers in ICE’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC on February 8, 2012, and ICE’s proxy statement for its 2012 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on March 30, 2012.

You can find information about NYSE Euronext and NYSE Euronext’s directors and executive officers in NYSE Euronext’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC on February 29, 2012, and NYSE Euronext’s proxy statement for its 2012 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on March 26, 2012.

Additional information about the interests of potential participants will be included in the joint proxy statement/prospectuses, if and when it becomes available, and the other relevant documents filed by ICE and NYSE Euronext with the SEC.

This announcement does not constitute and offer or any solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities.
 
About LCH.Clearnet:
 
LCH.Clearnet is the leading independent central counterparty group (CCP) in Europe, serving major international exchanges and platforms, as well as a range of OTC markets. It clears a broad range of asset classes including: securities, exchange traded derivatives, energy, freight, interbank interest rate swaps and euro and sterling denominated bonds and repos; and works closely with market participants and exchanges to identify and develop clearing services for new asset classes.
 
LCH.Clearnet is regulated or overseen by the national securities regulator and/or central bank in each jurisdiction from which it operates.