Results for the fourth quarter of 2011 and 2010 include $46 million and $18 million, respectively, of pre-tax merger expenses and exit costs. Fourth quarter 2011 results also include a net pre-tax charge of $25 million related to the settlement of a tax matter with French authorities related to BlueNext, a joint venture with Caisse des Depots. The $46 million in merger expenses and exit costs in the fourth quarter of 2011 included $38 million related to the proposed merger with Deutsche Boerse AG. Excluding merger expenses, exit costs, the BlueNext tax settlement and discrete tax items, net income in the fourth quarter of 2011 was $130 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, compared to $120 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2010. For the full-year 2011, on the same basis, net income was $653 million, or $2.48 per diluted share compared to net income of $548 million, or $2.09 per diluted share for full-year 2010.

"Last week, the European Commission formally issued a prohibition against our merger with Deutsche Boerse and we have mutually agreed to terminate our business combination agreement," said Duncan L. Niederauer, CEO, NYSE Euronext. "We are extremely disappointed with the decision, and as I have stated, we believe that it stems from a fundamentally different view of the competitive dynamics in the global markets.

"I would like to thank our shareholders and employees for their patience and support over the past year. We have only become stronger as a company during this time, as evidenced by the double-digit growth in earnings we recorded in 2011 and our strengthened balance sheet. The Board of Directors fully supports the management team and our strategy, and in recognition of the strong underlying fundamentals of our business model, we are resuming our previously announced stock repurchase program." 

Read the full statement here: