Texas looking to open Dallas-based stock exchange in 2025

The US could see a new stock exchange emerge in Texas [link] to compete against the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ. The Wall Street Journal reported that BlackRock and Citadel have raised $120 million from investors to back the TXSE Group (Texas Stock Exchange), with plans to register with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in H2/24 and open for business sometime in 2025. The sales pitch of the TXSE to prospective companies is headlined by a focus on loosening the rules and regulations governing the listing and maintenance of companies on the exchange.

MB BOTTOM-LINE: It’s hard to say if this is just a sophisticated grift to ride the wave of “anti-woke” sentiment boiling up in the US in the runup to its big November 2024 election. Conservative groups (especially on X) have been loudly critical of new rules meant to enforce “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) measures, like the NASDAQ’s new board diversity rule. That rule, which requires at least one board member to be female or of an “underrepresented racial or ethnic minority, or LGBTQ+” has become a lightning rod for “culture war” battles online. Just as it’s hard to tell how much of the emotion is real and how much comes from engagement bots on X and other platforms, it’s also hard for me to tell just how serious the anti-DEI stance of this potential new exchange would be. All I know is that there’s a lot of value in competition at the stock market level. I don’t love that the competition has to come wrapped in some cringe-worthy anti-woke messaging. Still, the TSXE's entrance could spark a new wave of listings or reveal innovations that are beneficial for companies and investors. I know most here in the Philippines would laugh at the thought of having a second stock exchange, given the relatively small size of our only existing stock exchange, but I think there’s even more value to be had here with a second exchange that is independent of the PSE. Would that help break the hold of the Old Boys' Club? Hard to say. It could just make a new faction.

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