NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- NASDAQ OMX Group Inc. (NAS:NDAQ) and the InercontinentalExchange Inc. (NYS:ICE) on Monday said they withdrew their joint bid for rival NYSE Euronext Inc. , citing regulatory hurdles. In a separate announcement, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday that it was set to file an antitrust lawsuit if the firms went ahead with their bid. NASDAQ CEO Bob Greifeld said in a press release that, "We took the decision to withdraw our offer when it became clear that we would not be successful in securing regulatory approval for our proposal despite offering a variety of substantial remedies." Exchange stocks were active following the news. In U.S. preopen trading Nasdaq and NYSE Euronext shares fell, while ICE and Deutsche Boerse (OTC:DBOEY) , which is seeking its own deal with the NYSE, rose.
May 16, 2011, 8:39 a.m. EDT
