Parent company Cboe Global Markets, based in Chicago, told investors it has begun a formal sale process for both Cboe Australia, which handles equities trading and exchange-traded fund listings, and Cboe Canada, as it refocuses on its core operations and other global growth opportunities.
Roughly one-fifth of Australian equities trading currently routed through Cboe’s platform.
The move also comes just weeks after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) granted Cboe Australia a licence to list companies on its exchange, a development hailed by both the regulator and Chalmers as a key step toward breaking the ASX’s long-standing dominance.
ASIC has repeatedly stressed the importance of fostering competition, particularly given the ASX’s near-monopoly on initial public offerings and ongoing scrutiny over its operational and governance shortcomings.
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The potential sale of Cboe Australia comes at a pivotal time for the nation’s exchange landscape, with regulators seeking to loosen the ASX’s grip on listings and trading. A successful sale could reshape broker flows and deepen market competition.
