Following the announcement today that SIX is set to acquire Aquis Exchange in a major deal, the exchange group has confirmed that following completion, its plans around the EU’s consolidated tape would change.
Last week Aquis and Cboe announced that they were teaming up to explore a bid to become the EU’s equity consolidated tape.
Named SimpliCT, the new venture will be based in the Netherlands and co-owned by Cboe and Aquis as equal shareholders.
The endeavour would be competing with the SIX-backed initative, EuroCTP, which was first announced in the third quarter of 2023 and is backed by 14 exchanges as its shareholders.
Subsequently, SIX has said today that following completion of the acquisition, “if Aquis continues to explore or is pursuing a bid to perform the equity consolidated tape provider role, SIX intends to withdraw from EuroCTP, the consortium for the consolidated tape provider role that SIX is participating in”.
Read more: SIX agrees to acquire Aquis Exchange
Speaking at the time SimpliCT was announced, Alasdair Haynes, chief executive of Aquis, asserted: “This proposed joint venture would not only represent a cost-efficient, robust business model that integrates advanced complementary, proprietary technologies, it would also be designed to deliver fair compensation for data contribution, aligning the interests of contributors and consumers.”
This news from SIX around its withdrawal may come as a shock to the market as EuroCTP remains the only confirmed bidder for the European Union equities tape thus far, though others have made public their interest and potential to enter the tender process.
Read more: European exchanges launch JV for CTP tender
Chief executive of EuroCTP Eglantine Desautel previously told The TRADE that EuroCTP is now in the process of firming up its plans to make its official bid in 2025 and has finalised the shortlisting process for its prospective technology partners and is working towards a final selection for August or September.
The JV is made up of participants across 26 of the EU’s member states and includes: BME, Deutsche Boerse Group, Euronext exchanges (Borsa Italiana, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lison, Paris, Oslo Børs), Luxembourg Stock Exchange, and Nasdaq exchanges (Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Iceland, Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius), among others.