Nasdaq, the US stock market that houses high-technology stars like Microsoft, has said it will arrive in Europe next year, putting the final piece in place for eventual round-the-clock, round-the-globe trading.
Nasdaq-Europe's electronic exchange will be based in London, where Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Gordon Brown hailed it as a fillip for Europe's economy and for businesses seeking to raise capital.
It has enlisted major venture capitalists from outside the US - Japan's Softbank, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp's e-partners and Vivendi of France's Viventures - and is talking to other Europeans about further equity shareholdings.
The chief executive of the Irish Stock Exchange, Mr Tom Healy, does not see Nasdaq's advent as a threat to business on the Dublin market.
The exchange will open in the fourth quarter of next year.
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