Clarification Statement

RNS Number : 2782W

London Stock Exchange Group PLC

25 April 2016

 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

25 April 2016

London Stock Exchange Group plc

Clarification statement

In the course of an interview with the Financial Times last month on open access clearing in Europe, the CEO of London Stock Exchange Group ("LSEG"), Xavier Rolet, was asked to comment on the progressive changes in financial markets infrastructure and the increasing need for customers to access services on a global basis. In the context of a discussion during the interview about the desire of customers to reduce costs and the increasing trend of using Exchange Traded Funds instead of futures, a quotation was subsequently attributed to Mr. Rolet in an article published on 5 April which stated:

"Our American futures friends have kept increasing fees every year, in 2009, 2010, when everybody was on their back bleeding to death. Total cost of trading is too high, so it's going to change."

Mr. Rolet's statement was referring to the general multi-year trend of rising Rates Per Contract ("RPC") at US-owned futures exchanges such as ICE, NYSE Liffe and CME for listed derivatives contracts (1). RPC is a commonly used industry method to estimate the cost incurred by customers on a comparable basis across platforms, based on publicly available information.  Mr. Rolet's statement that "it's going to change" refers to the introduction of mandatory open access clearing as part of MiFID and EMIR legislation in Europe.

In an article in the Sunday Telegraph on 3 April, Mr Rolet's references to ICE and its possible intentions regarding cost reductions, its European strategy, and the AIM market, should it make any offer for LSEG, were based on Mr Rolet's own views and assessment of ICE's track record in Europe (2). Mr. Rolet has held no discussions with ICE regarding its strategy.

Notes:

(1)        ICE: http://ir.theice.com/~/media/Files/I/Ice-IR/supplemental-volume-info/volume-reporting-tools/monthly-stats-march-2016.xlsx (2011-2015)    

NYSE Euronext (Liffe):  Annual Report (10K) 2008-2011

CME:    Q4 2009 earnings call transcript, 4 February 2010: "the rate per contract increased $0.015 from $0.834 to $0.849 due to a 1% increase in the metals proportion of the product mix, and a favourable pricing impact from changes implemented in August and September of 2009."

(2)        Sunday Telegraph, 3 April 2016:

"Rolet talks critically of Sprecher's track record when it comes to equity exchanges, labelling its ownership of Euronext as a "disaster" having "eviscerated" the four platforms on which the pan-European exchange was originally found"

"I don't want just anyone, particularly not some 'slash and burn' type organisation, to come in and kill all of the stuff we've done over the last few years"

"I doubt that [Aim] would be part of the strategy of any frankly global exchange for the simple reason it doesn't make any money. It would be one of the first things to be chucked. Our 1000 Companies programme, that costs money. Our Elite programme, that costs money. All that stuff would be chucked in the bin - but we care greatly about these things."

"It is not a company based in Atlanta… that is going to worry about the financing of European industry - whether they are S [small], M [medium] or blue-chips. It's just not going to be part of their strategy."

Enquiries
Gavin Sullivan / Lucie Holloway / Ramesh Chhabra London Stock Exchange Group plc Press Office	[phone]
Paul Froud London Stock Exchange Group plc Investor Relations	[phone]
Anthony Cardew Cardew Group	[phone]
Lucas van Praag Fitzroy Communications	[phone]

Notes to Editors

For further information visit: www.lseg.com

Important notices relating to financial advisers

Robey Warshaw LLP ("Robey Warshaw"), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as lead financial adviser to LSEG and no one else in connection with the contents of this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than LSEG for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in connection with the contents of this announcement or any matter referred to in this announcement.

Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its Investment Bank ("Barclays"), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority, is acting exclusively for LSEG and no one else in connection with the recommended all-share merger of equals of LSEG and Deutsche Börse AG (the "Merger") and will not be responsible to anyone other than LSEG for providing the protections afforded to clients of Barclays nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger or any matter referred to in this announcement.

Goldman Sachs International ("Goldman Sachs"), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the UK, is acting for LSEG and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than LSEG for providing the protections afforded to its clients, or for giving advice in connection with any matter referred to in this announcement.

J.P. Morgan Limited, which conducts its UK investment banking business as J.P. Morgan Cazenove ("J.P. Morgan Cazenove"), is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA. J.P. Morgan Cazenove is acting as joint lead financial adviser exclusively for LSEG and no one else in connection with the Merger and the matters set out in this announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters set out in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than LSEG for providing the protections afforded to clients of J.P. Morgan Cazenove or its affiliates, or for providing advice in relation to the Merger, the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein.

RBC Europe Limited (trading as "RBC Capital Markets"), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting for LSEG and no one else in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than LSEG plc for providing the protections afforded to clients of RBC Capital Markets, or for providing advice in connection with the Merger.

Societe Generale ("SG") which is a French credit institution (bank) authorised and supervised by the ECB, the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), and regulated by the Autorité des marchés financiers and subject to limited regulation by the FCA and the PRA.SG is acting solely for LSEG in connection with the Merger and will not be responsible to anyone other than LSEG for providing the protections afforded to the clients of SG or for providing advice in relation to the Merger or any matter referred to in this announcement.

UBS Limited ("UBS"), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for LSEG and no-one else in connection with the Merger. In connection with such matters, UBS, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents will not regard any other person as their client, nor will they be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to their clients or for providing advice in relation to this Merger, the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein.

Overseas jurisdictions

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable requirements. The information disclosed in this announcement may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom.

Publication of this announcement

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available on the website of the London Stock Exchange at www.londonstockexchange.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the business day following this announcement. The content of the websites referred to in this announcement are not incorporated into and do not form part of this announcement.

 

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