Nasdaq, Jasdaq Consider Alliance

Mirroring a trend among major stock markets around the globe to partner with others, the Nasdaq Stock Market and the Jasdaq Securities Exchange are in talks about possibly forming an alliance, the Associated Press reports.

The partnership would allow companies on both exchanges to be mutually listed and give Nasdaq access to startup companies in Asia, a Jasdaq spokesman said, on condition of anonymity.

The two exchanges met earlier this year but denied reports of alliance discussions. But the two began partnership discussions in August, the spokesman said.

The New York Stock Exchange acquired electronic market Archipelago Holdings in March and formed an $10 billion agreement to merge with Euronext, Europe’s cross-border exchange, earlier this year. That deal is still pending and may be trumped by a merger of the Deutsche Borse and the Borsa Italiana, which analysts expect would make a bid for Euronext of its own.

With a 25.1% stake in the London Stock Exchange, it appears that Nasdaq might be poised to acquire that exchange.

In 2001, the Tokyo Stock Exchange reached an agreement with the American Stock Exchange to share index fund trading.