ATHENS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Greek government on Tuesday expressed support for a proposed full acquisition of the Athens Stock Exchange (ATHEX) by Euronext, Europe's largest stock exchange operator.

In a statement, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said it "takes a very positive view of the potential agreement," describing the offer as "a sign of trust in the stability and positive outlook of the Greek economy."

The Paris-based Euronext Group announced on Monday that it had initiated discussions with the board of ATHEX regarding a possible acquisition of 100 percent of the Greek bourse's shares. The proposed transaction, valued at 399 million euros (about 470 million U.S. dollars), would be executed via a share exchange. According to the proposal, based on Euronext's closing share price of 145.10 euros as of June 30, 2025, each 21.029 ATHEX shares would be exchanged for one Euronext share.

Euronext noted that the offer remains subject to due diligence and further review. "The combined group would operate on a unified trading and post-trade technology platform and a cross-border clearing framework," the company said. It added that the transaction would contribute to the integration of European capital markets and support the transformation of Greece's financial infrastructure.

ATHEX confirmed on Monday that it had received an "unsolicited, non-binding and highly conditional" all-share acquisition proposal from Euronext. The board of ATHEX, together with its financial and legal advisors, is currently assessing the offer from both strategic and financial perspectives. No formal negotiations have yet taken place, the statement said.

Founded in 1876, the Athens Stock Exchange is Greece's main securities market. As of 2023, ATHEX hosted approximately 130 listed companies, mainly in the financial, energy, telecommunications and shipping sectors. Its average daily trading volume ranges between 80 million and 100 million euros.

According to its official website, Euronext is responsible for around 25 percent of Europe's equity trading and operates exchanges in Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo and Paris. The group has over 1,800 listed companies with a combined market capitalization exceeding 6 trillion euros. (1 euro = 1.18 U.S. dollars)

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