Singapore Exchange (SGXL.SI) will focus on building its existing business following Australia’s rejection of its planned $8 billion bid with ASX Ltd (ASX.AX), its chief executive Magnus Bocker said.

The comments echoed Bocker’s view last week when he indicated he will not "aggressively" seek merger partners after   his efforts to orchestrate Asia-Pacific’s first exchanges consolidation fell victim to national pride in Australia.

Bocker declined to comment on Monday on a potential tie-up with the London Stock Exchange (LSE.L) or broader cooperation with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME.O), which analysts have suggested could be potential partners.

 

SGX has a mutual agreement with CME to clear certain financial products such as Euro-yen and Euro-dollar interest rate futures and the S&P Nifty futures index (SINc1). SGX launched trading in American Depository Receipts of Asian firms last year.

 

“The primary focus has been all the time on organic growth,” Bocker told reporters in his first public appearance after Australia formally rejected SGX’s takeover bid for ASX Ltd on Friday.

 

Bocker said he was disappointed with the decision and SGX will take time to analyse it.

 

The Australian government said changes to the country’s financial systems were needed before foreigners could buy the bourse.

 

“For now it sounds like he’s saying they’re going to focus internally on their proactive policy of introducing new products – some of these haven’t been so successful but if they keep on experimenting eventually they’ll hit a home run,” said Matthew Smith, a Singapore-based analyst at Macquarie Securities.

 

“But in the long run, Singapore Exchange does run the risk of not being a globally important exchange if they don’t go for tie-ups. So it makes sense strategically for them to be shopping around,” he added.

 

Exchanges around the world are chasing cross-border deals to build scale and cut costs as competition increases from dark pools.  

 

The Tokyo and Osaka exchanges are in talks; Deutsche Boerse (DB1Gn.DE) is competing with a partnership of Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ.O) and IntercontinentalExchange (ICE.N) to buy NYSE Euronext (NYX.N); and London Stock Exchange (LSE.L) is looking to combine with Canada’s TMX Group (X.TO).

 

NYSE said on Sunday it was sticking with its deal with Deutsche Boerse, calling the rival offer from Nasdaq OMX Group too risky and counter to the Big Board’s vision.

 

Southeast Asia’s stock exchanges announced plans on Friday to market themselves jointly to international investors and said they were confident a venture to allow trading between some of them would be ready before the end of the year.

 

Analysts have said the ASX deal’s rejection puts Bocker in a difficult position because he will struggle to find future merger partners in Asia due to the reluctance of governments to sell national assets. Takeover bids by European or U.S. exchanges are hampered by SGX’s rich valuation.

 

But Bocker expects more such opportunities.

 

“There will always be opportunities (other) than the one with ASX,” he said.

 

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