Unlike the Nasdaq, the NYSE seems to have a clear path toward international diversification. The board of Euronext has scheduled a special meeting for December 19th in Amsterdam to vote on the NYSE merger proposal. Information about the deal will be forwarded to shareholders in the next few days. The vote will likely finally formalize the merger. To that end, French corporate financier Sylvain Hefes has been named to the 22-member board of NYSE Euronext. His appointment means there will be 11 directors from the NYSE board, 10 from Euronext's board, and Hefes the lone outside director. This is a big step for the NYSE. Clearly, it has a need to tap markets in other countries, and this is only the beginning.

For more on this:
- Here's an AP update