Euronext, Deutsche Boerse gain after CEO revives merger talk

MILAN, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Shares in Euronext and Deutsche Boerse rose around 2% on Monday after CEO Boujnah said he was open to a tie-up with its German rival, reviving talk of a long-discussed combination between Europe's two largest exchange operators.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Boujnah said "one deal that would make sense is the merging of the exchanges business", while stressing that no talks were currently taking place between the two groups. 

He added that a tie-up could create a pan-European market infrastructure with "planetary scale", although any transaction would face significant antitrust hurdles.

The comments come as European policymakers explore ways to strengthen the bloc's capital markets and boost competitiveness against the United States.

Kepler Cheuvreux noted that Boujnah is due to step down as CEO in May 2027 and said no successor has yet been chosen. They added that CFO Giorgio Modica was seen as a leading internal candidate and "might have different thoughts on the matter."

Boujnah's remarks echoed comments made at an Italian parliamentary hearing in May, when he said a merger would make sense but was unlikely in the near future. 

By 0944 GMT, Euronext shares were up 2.1% and Deutsche Boerse up 2.9%, outperforming a slightly lower European market. Both stocks are up around 26% so far in 2026.

Shares in London Stock Exchange Group, which buys news from Reuters, gained 3.8%. 

(Reporting by Danilo Masoni; Editing by Amanda Cooper)