Deutsche Börse, the pan-European stock exchange, prompted speculation it was considering renewed merger talks with the London Stock Exchange after its third-quarter results were published last week.

Investors raised eyebrows at the group's predicted final dividend of about €78m ($100m) as well as cash of €599m held by the exchange at the end of October. Huw van Steenis, analyst at Morgan Stanley, said despite strong cash generation this year, the dividend payment looked "anaemic".