UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 19, 2011
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 000-32651 | 52-1165937 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||
| One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York | 10006 | |||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |||
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: +1 212 401 8700
No change since last report
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| x | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
| Item 8.01. | Other Events. |
On April 19, 2011, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (“NASDAQ OMX”) and IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. (“ICE”) announced that they had delivered to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NYSE Euronext a letter and a proposed merger agreement to demonstrate their commitment to pursue their proposed transaction with NYSE Euronext, as previously announced on April 1, 2011. The press release, including the full text of the letter that accompanied the proposed merger agreement sent to the NYSE Euronext Chairman, is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report and is incorporated into this Item 8.01 by reference. A copy of the proposed merger agreement is attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report and is incorporated into this Item 8.01 by reference. NASDAQ OMX assumes no obligation to update this Current Report.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit |
Exhibit Description | |
| 99.1 |
NASDAQ OMX and ICE Joint Press Release, dated April 19, 2011. | |
| 99.2 |
Form of Proposed Agreement and Plan of Merger. | |
Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. NASDAQ OMX and ICE caution readers that any forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to (i) projections about future financial results, growth, trading volumes, tax benefits and achievement of synergy targets, (ii) statements about the implementation dates and benefits of certain strategic initiatives, (iii) statements about integrations of recent acquisitions, and (iv) other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond NASDAQ OMX’s and ICE’s control. These factors include, but are not limited to, NASDAQ OMX’s and ICE’s ability to implement its strategic initiatives, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations, government and industry regulation, interest rate risk, U.S. and global competition, and other factors detailed in each of NASDAQ OMX’s and ICE’s filings with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including (i) NASDAQ OMX’s annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q that are available on NASDAQ OMX’s website at http://nasdaqomx.com and (ii) ICE’s annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q that are available on ICE’s website at http://theice.com. NASDAQ OMX’s and ICE’s filings are also available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Risks and uncertainties relating to the proposed transaction include: NASDAQ OMX, ICE and NYSE Euronext will not enter into any definitive agreement with respect to the proposed transaction; required regulatory approvals and financing commitments will not be obtained on satisfactory terms and in a timely manner, if at all; the proposed transaction will not be consummated; the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction will not be realized; and the integration of NYSE Euronext’s operations with those of NASDAQ OMX or ICE will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected. NASDAQ OMX and ICE undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Important Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It:
Subject to future developments, additional documents regarding the transaction may be filed with the SEC. This material is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or any other documents NASDAQ OMX, ICE and NYSE Euronext would file with the SEC. Such documents, however, are not currently available. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS NASDAQ OMX, ICE AND NYSE EURONEXT WOULD FILE WITH THE SEC, IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE SUCH DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of the joint proxy statement/prospectus, if and when such document becomes available, and other relevant documents filed by NYSE Euronext, ICE and/or NASDAQ OMX, without charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the final proxy statement/prospectus, if and when such document becomes available may be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to NASDAQ OMX at One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006, Attention: Investor Relations, in the case of NASDAQ OMX’s filings, or ICE, at 2100 RiverEdge Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, Georgia, 30328, Attention: Investor Relations, or by emailing a request to ir@theice.com, in the case of ICE’s filings.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Participants in the Solicitation:
NASDAQ OMX, ICE, and their respective directors, executive officers and other employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction.
You can find information about NASDAQ OMX and NASDAQ OMX’s directors and executive officers in NASDAQ OMX’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2011, and in NASDAQ OMX’s proxy statement for its 2011 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 15, 2011.
You can find information about ICE and ICE’s directors and executive officers in ICE’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 9, 2011, and in ICE’s proxy statement for its 2011 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 1, 2011.
Additional information about the interests of potential participants will be included in the joint prospectus/proxy statement, if and when it becomes available, and the other relevant documents filed with the SEC.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| THE NASDAQ OMX GROUP, INC. | ||||
| Dated: April 19, 2011 | By: | /s/ Edward S. Knight | ||
| Edward S. Knight Executive Vice President and General Counsel | ||||
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
| Exhibit |
Exhibit Description | |
| 99.1 | NASDAQ OMX and ICE Joint Press Release, dated April 19, 2011. | |
| 99.2 | Form of Proposed Agreement and Plan of Merger. | |