Feb

15

NYSE Takeover, from Peter Earle

February 15, 2011 |

There's probably no better comment on the state of "capitalism" in this country than that the pivotal issue and the sturm-und-drang slowly mounting around the NYSE being taken over by Deutsche Bourse seems to center upon a "bastion of American capitalism falling into foreign hands" (Aside: A business that essentially operates as a monopoly is a bastion of American capitalism? On second thought, perhaps.) and not, as it should be, what price is being paid vs. the current share price, and if/how shareholders stand to benefit in terms of economies of scale, marketing benefits, etc.

T.K Marks writes:

Regarding the foreign acquistion of the New York Stock Exchange, should there be any dissenters on the Board of such they should insist on writing into the contractual terms that any deal include an agreement in principle that the aquiring party should dig even deeper into their pockets and buy another New York namesake of note, the Mets.

That should be enough of a poison pill.

Should the terms of a such an arrangement not seem at first blush to be entirely above board, the irony lost upon them would be understable to those who have never toiled on an exchange floor.

To those who have worked on the floor and still don't get the above, a closer reading of Dante's Inferno may be in order.

Most specifically, the Fourth, Eight, and Ninth circles.

Those boys out there in Chicago are already saddled with the Cubs. They've suffered enough. Given the circumstances, throwing the Mets in as a rider to any Big Board deal would be cruel and unusual gamesmanship.

A compromise should be in order: Should the Germans in fact be serious about buying the NYSE, as a goodwill gesture they should agree to take Mike D'Antonio off New York's hands as well.

The Germans in turn could unload him to the Dallas Mavericks and get Dirk Nowitzki back.

Sounds like a complicated international negotiation, but then again only a coach with as little regard for fundamentals as Mike D'Antonio could somehow get The Hague involved.

 


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