Analaysts reckon Nasdaq will benefit from its failed £2.7 billion hostile takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
The New York-based stock exchange is now understood to be pursuing international agreements with a number of other trading platforms outside the US.
Nasdaq, which still owns almost a third of the LSE, may even prove a valuable strategic lever in pursuing those opportunitries.
Reuters Knowledge reported last week that Nasdaq shares have traded at 56 times earnings per share over the past 12 months, compared with 68 times for rival NYSE Group and 64 times for recently floated NYMEX Holdings.
Nasdaq reported that fourth quarter earnings more than tripled during the last three months of 2006 as a result of higher trading fees and new business.
Net income for Nasdaq rose to $63 million in the fourth quarter, up from $17.1 million for the same period of 2005.
Trading in the US increased by 14 per cent over the three months, while per-share profit was up from 15 cents to 43 cents.