Deutsche Boerse and Nasdaq are currently under investigation by the European Union for potential antitrust violations in financial derivatives. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Deutsche Boerse confirmed that it had been searched as part of this probe. Similarly, a Nasdaq representative stated they had also been approached. Both companies affirmed their cooperation with the inquiry.
The European Commission announced on Monday that it had carried out unannounced inspections at financial services companies in two EU member states over possible antitrust breaches, though it did not disclose the identities or number of firms involved. A Deutsche Boerse spokesperson noted, "We do not comment on ongoing investigations."
Euronext stated it was not subject to any Commission inspections or investigations.
Unannounced inspections are preliminary steps in investigations into suspected anticompetitive practices and do not imply the firms' guilt. According to the EU, there is no legal deadline for concluding such inquiries. If breaches of EU antitrust laws are uncovered during these inspections, it could lead to formal investigations and substantial fines for the implicated companies.
