Bank of America and Dresdner Kleinwort are more than doubling the debt financing on hand for Nasdaq's second bid to acquire the London Stock Exchange, following the US exchange's £2.9bn (€4.3bn) takeover offer last week. The move prompted agency Standard & Poor's to reduce Nasdaq's credit rating for a second time in six months.

Nasdaq's new offer was rejected by the LSE board, which refused to hold talks, prompting the US exchange to approach shareholders directly with the bid.