The London Stock Exchange has been left with few options to defend itself from Nasdaq Stock Markets Inc's unwanted attentions after British financial markets broker ICAP's decision not to pursue fresh merger talks, analysts said on November 21.
Nasdaq is pressing ahead with a 2.7-billion-pound ($5.1-billion) offer announced for Europe's largest share market, despite the LSE having rejected it.
And analysts say the LSE is finding itself increasingly cornered, having already rebuffed four take-over approaches from rivals Deutsche Boerse, Euronext, Australia's Macquarie Bank and a previous attempt by Nasdaq.
"LSE has more limited means to counter this new bid than it had for the past offers," Elie Darwish, analyst at Exane BNP Paribas said in research note.
"We see no potential white knights for the LSE. As Nasdaq owns roughly 29 percent of the exchange it would be difficult for a third party to re-enter the race. LSE no longer has significant cash available to convince them not to support bidders."
Earlier Michael Spencer, the chief executive of ICAP, the world's biggest inter-dealer broker, said the company had no plans to re-engage in talks with the LSE.
ICAP had held discussions over a possible combination earlier this year.
"The LSE has done a very good defensive job, it's played a blinder. But the options for the LSE are narrowing," said Spencer.
Daniel Garrod, analyst at Citigroup, said Nasdaq's chances of success were good, given the prospect of increased competition from the European stock markets' biggest users, investment banks, some of whom have clubbed together to set up a rival trading platform for European shares.
"This timing is opportune in that many LSE shareholders may be nervous about prospective threats from Project Boat (a plan by banks to report their own trades, taking revenue from the LSE) and Project European Multilateral Trading Facility and are looking for an exit," said Garrod.
Investment company Scottish Widows, a long-term holder of LSE shares, cashed in on a doubling in value so far this year, selling 7.07 million shares to Nasdaq at the US market operator's take-over offer price of 1,243 pence a share to give Nasdaq a total stake in the LSE of 28.5 percent.
Nasdaq said that 1,243 pence in cash was its final offer although it reserved the right to revise the price if the LSE board recommended it or a rival bid emerged.
Dealers and analysts said the LSE board might be tempted to recommend an offer if it was in were up 0.2 percent at 1,294p, reflecting expectations that the LSE will be forced to the table.
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