It’s catching on like wildfire. The urge to merge, that is. Now the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) is gearing up to woo potential partners outside Asia.

Taizo Nishimuro, head of the TSE, hints at an attempt at a listing of its own shares in 2008, once its problematic trading system has been sorted out.

The Tokyo exchange needs to merge with an operator outside Asia to offer round-the-clock trading in an increasingly globalized market. Could this be the ideal partner for the LSE?

The consolidation movement continues its relentless progress.