Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and IntercontinentalExchange Inc. pulledtheir bid for NYSE Euronext after talks with U.S. regulators showedthey wouldn't secure antitrust approval, clearing the path forDeutsche Boerse AG.

NYSE Euronext agreed to be bought by the Frankfurt-based bourseon Feb. 15, a merger that would create the world's largest exchangeoperator. The NYSE board twice rejected a rival proposal fromNasdaq and ICE, saying the unsolicited offer would lead to too muchdebt and regulatory opposition.

“It became clear that we would not be successful in securingregulatory approval for our proposal despite offering a variety ofsubstantial remedies,” Bob Greifeld, chief executive officer ofNasdaq, said in a statement today. “We saw a unique opportunity tocreate more value for stockholders and strengthen the U.S. as acenter for capital formation amid an ongoing shift of these vitalactivities and jobs outside of our country.”