Deutsche Boerse AG, the operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange, announced a 2.8-billion-dollar plan on Monday to buy International Securities Exchange (ISE), one of the largest U.S. options market.

Deutsche Boerse said in a statement that its bid amounts to 67. 50 U.S. dollars per ISE share. New York-based ISE said that the final deal is still being negotiated.

Analysts said that the ISE would give Deutsche Boerse a foothold into the expanding U.S. options market amid signs of consolidation in global financial markets.

According to Bloomberg reports, exchanges have announced more than 60 billion dollars of joint ventures and acquisitions since 2005 in order to provide investors the ability to trade securities across time zones.

Deutsche Boerse AG have failed in several takeover attempts in the past few years, including its bid for Europe's leading cross- border exchange, Euronext NV, which merged with the New York Stock Exchange to form the first trans-Atlantic bourse last year.

Source: Xinhua