- OMX AB and Nord Pool ASA creates leading international energy derivatives exchange

OMX is acquiring Nord Pool ASA's clearing and consulting operations and
international derivatives products and establishing a business unit for
international energy derivatives headquartered in Oslo. Nord Pool expects the
final pay to amount to around MNOK 2,300. 

OMX and Nord Pool enjoy a long and well-established co-operation, based on OMX
delivering and operating Nord Pool's trading and clearing platforms. The
transaction creates a foundation for a geographical expansion within Nord
Pool's core area of power, and for enhancing the existing offering, with a
clear ambition to build a leading European market for CO2 products. 

“Nord Pool ASA's experience and knowledge of the financial commodity market,
complemented by OMX's technology and its customer base, offer great
opportunities for creating a strong partnership, one which will be
well-positioned to benefit from the development of a global market for carbon
dioxide emissions allowances in the wake of the Kyoto protocol. In addition,
there are many opportunities for expanding the existing proposition to include
trading and clearing in commodity derivatives such as gas, oil and freight
derivatives,” says Magnus Böcker, CEO of OMX. 

“We believe that this solution represents a very successful combination. The
TSOs Statnett and Svenska Kraftnät will still have responsibility for the
exchange trading of Nordic power derivatives, which I consider being an
important part of the infrastructure in the Nordic power market. At the same
time, Nord Pools's unique competence can be utilized in new markets,” says Jan
Magnusson, Chairman of the Board of Nord Pool ASA. 

“OMX and Nord Pool will capitalize on their complementary know-how, safeguard
the strong Nordic position, as well as develop new markets. This will release
the true potential of Nord Pool's business areas and provide new business
opportunities for the existing customers and the international financial
services sector where we are seeing a growing interest in energy derivatives,”
says Torger Lien, CEO of Nord Pool ASA. 

Through this transaction, OMX will acquire 100 percent of the shares in Nord
Pool ASA's subsidiaries Nord Pool Clearing ASA and Nord Pool Consulting AS
along with a new subsidiary containing Nord Pool's international products,
including CO2 products (EUAs, CERs) and the international power contracts. 

Nord Pool Spot AS, which operates the Nordic physical market, is not included
in this transaction. The spot market, which sets the daily physical electricity
prices in the Nordic market, will therefore still be the responsibility of the
Nordic transmission system operators. 

OMX foresees continued integration of the financial energy and securities
markets by building a platform for further expansion within the energy segment
as well as other commodities in order to meet customer demand for multi-asset
class trading and arbitrage trading. By creating economies of scale through
integration of the clearing platforms, benefits will accrue to customers in the
form of lower overall transaction costs. 

The acquired business, except for Nord Pool Clearing ASA, will form the core of
a new Energy and Commodity Business Unit within OMX, which will be
headquartered in Oslo. The organization in Oslo will be responsible for sales
activities, key account management, product development and services offered to
customers and to Nord Pool ASA. The entire operation will be lead by Torger
Lien. 

Nord Pool Clearing will be combined with the OMX clearing organization in order
to realize the potential for economies of scale in a joint clearing capital
solution. 

Financial details of the acquisition

OMX will pay MNOK 2,150 at completion of which MNOK 1,700 in cash and MNOK 450
in a vendor note due to current owners of Nord Pool within 18 months after
completion. Furthermore, OMX has agreed to potential further earn-out payments
of maximum MNOK 800 based on volume over a five year period. 

For the first 11 months of 2007 , the acquired businesses had revenues of MNOK
316, EBIT of MNOK 98 and net profit of MNOK 84. The entity has a net excess
cash position above required clearing capital of MNOK 166. 

OMX estimates that the acquisition will lead to pre-tax synergies of
approximately MNOK 60 per year of which half is revenue synergies and half is
cost synergies. Furthermore, OMX expects to release approximately MNOK 500 in
clearing capital over time. 

The acquisition is expected to be earnings accretive for 2008.

The transaction is estimated to be completed by mid-year 2008.

The proposed transaction is subject to due diligence, signing of the formal
agreement, and approval by the regulatory authorities. 

OMX AB has been advised by Arctic Securities and Nord Pool ASA has been advised
by Fondsfinans. 

Press conference: 
In connection with OMX's acquisition of Nord Pool's clearing, consulting
operations, international derivatives products and future business
opportunities, a press conference will be held today, Friday 21 December 2007,
at 12.00 noon at Felix Conference Centre, Bryggetorget 3, Vika, Oslo, Norway. 
 
These persons will be present: 

•	Vice Chairman of the Board, Nord Pool ASA, Odd Håkon Hoelsæter
•	CEO of, OMX AB, Magnus Böcker
•	CEO of Nord Pool ASA, Torger Lien

OMX and Nord Pool ASA will be webcasting the press conference at 12.00 noon at:
http://media01.smartcom.no/Microsite/start.aspx?eventid=2558 

If any online media wants to stream the event, please contact technical
assistance on 
phone: +47 93 49 58 07  


For more information, please contact:

OMX: 
Jonas Rodny, Media relations, phone +46 8 405 72 67
Heidi Wendt, Media relations, phone +46 8 405 72 93

Nord Pool ASA: 
Jan Magnusson, Chairman of Nord Pool ASA +46 70 539 78 03
Odd Håkon Hoelsæter, Vice Chairman of Nord Pool ASA, phone +47 22 52 70 70
Torger Lien, President and CEO, phone +47 91 88 81 12
Lars Galtung, Vice President Communications, phone +47 98 21 48 12 



About OMX | OMX is a leading expert in the exchange industry. The OMX Nordic
Exchange comprises over 800 companies including its alternative market, First
North. OMX provides technology to over 60 exchanges, clearing organizations and
central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. The Nordic Exchange
is not a legal entity but describes the combined offering from OMX exchanges in
Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. OMX is a
Nordic Large Cap company in the Financials sector on the OMX Nordic Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.omxgroup.com. 

About Nord Pool ASA  
Nord Pool ASA is the largest power derivatives exchange and the only exchange
to provide trade in emissions allowances (EUAs) and carbon credits (CERs). The
company has more than 400 members from 20 countries across a wide range of
energy producers and consumers, as well as financial institutions. Nord Pool
ASA embraces the wholly-owned Nord Pool Clearing ASA and Nord Pool Consulting
AS subsidiaries. It is jointly owned by the transmission system operators
(TSOs) Svenska Kraftnät and Statnett. The company has offices in Lysaker
(Oslo), Stockholm, Helsinki and Amsterdam. For more information, please visit
www.nordpool.com.