NYSE Takes the Plunge

In the end, there was little suspense, as members of the New York Stock Exchange voted Tuesday to merge with the electronic Archipelago Exchange(AX Quote).

The vote to approve the merger was virtually a foregone conclusion after a New York judge on Monday approved a settlement in a lawsuit that challenged some aspects of the deal.

But the approval was still a historic event and marks the end of the NYSE's 213-year history as a private company. In merging with Archipelago, the nation's first electronic stock exchange, the Big Board will become publicly traded. ...