** Brokerage Oppenheimer says it's a "major surprise" that exchange operator Cboe Global Markets CBOE.Z had engaged a search firm to look for the next CEO
** CBOE said last week it was considering both internal and external candidates to replace CEO Fredric Tomczyk
** Tomczyk became CBOE CEO in 2023 when Edward Tilly stepped down after failing to disclose personal relationships with colleagues
** Oppenheimer says the new CEO search could also revive the longstanding reports of a possible merger with exchange operator CME Group CME.O at this point, given CBOE's "perceived" lack of strong revenue growth drivers and relaxed M&A attitude under Trump administration
** A 2021 report had said that CME had approached rival CBOE with a $16 billion all-stock takeover offer
** At that time, CME had denied the report that it was in conversations to acquire CBOE
** CBOE stock rose 9.4% in 2024
(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)
((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))
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