Deutsche Boerse Said to Explore Sale of ISE Options Unit

Deutsche Boerse AG is exploring a sale of International Securities Exchange Holdings Inc., the U.S. options business it acquired in 2007 before industry growth stalled, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The exchange operator has been studying the matter internally for several months and hasn’t reached out to any buyers, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. ISE, which Deutsche Boerse acquired for $2.8 billion, may fetch $1 billion to $1.5 billion in a sale, one of the people said.