NYSE Euronext profit triples on higher volumes

PARIS (AP) - NYSE Euronext said Tuesday its profit more than tripled in the first quarter, reflecting the addition of Euronext NV's activities to those of the parent of the New York Stock Exchange last year and higher trading volumes.

The trans-Atlantic stock exchange operator said it earned $230 million, or 87 cents a share, for the three months ended March 31 from $68 million, or 43 cents a share, a year earlier.

The 2007 figure did not include the results of Euronext, operator of the Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Brussels exchanges, which combined with NYSE in April 2007 to cut trading costs.

NYSE Euronext said first-quarter revenue rose to $1.29 billion from $702 million a year earlier.

The credit crisis has lifted trading volumes as traders sell and hedge positions.