LSE and Deutsche Boerse may go Dutch to win over regulators

London Stock Exchange Group Plc shareholders approved Deutsche Boerse AG's acquisition of the 300-year-old exchange on Monday in a near-unanimous vote. That was the easy part.

About 99.9 percent of shareholders voted in favor of the deal, according to a statement from the company. Still, the deal, thrown into doubt by the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union, has been getting push back from German regulators who don't want the combined exchange to be based in London. A compromise may mean moving the new company's location outside of the UK to obtain approval for the merger, people familiar with the matter said.

Options could include moving the holding company from London to a different location within the EU, such as the Netherlands, said the people, who asked not to be named citing confidentiality. Such a move would only come after LSE shareholders approve the existing merger plan, Deutsche Boerse's tender offer succeeds and the deal is completed, they said.