Deals

NYSE Owner’s ‘Outside the Box’ EBay Approach Leaves Analysts Bewildered

  • CEO Sprecher sees ‘transformative’ mergers in company’s future
  • Consumer push seen with announcement of Bridge2 acquisition
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

While the owner of the New York Stock Exchange says M&A is always top of mind, the company’s approachBloomberg Terminal to EBay Inc. has many analysts scratching their heads.

The potential link-up has no clear rationale, Piper Sandler Cos. said, while Oppenheimer & Co. voiced a widespread reaction when headlines about the talks first appeared: EBay is not a “conventional” M&A target for an exchange.