The New York Stock Exchange and Archipelago Holdings have received final approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for their merger.

The deal is now slated to close on March 7, and the publicly traded stock will debut on March 8. NYSE Group Inc. will trade on the NYSE under the symbol NYX.

The SEC’s approval on the exchange’s rule filing related to the merger, which was originally filed on Nov. 3, 2005 and subsequently amended, represents the final regulatory approval required for the merger, which will combine the world’s largest equities market and the first open, all-electronic stock market in the United States.

John Thain, chief executive officer of the NYSE. “This will mark the beginning of a new era for the exchange and America’s financial markets.

“As a for-profit, publicly held company, the NYSE Group will be better positioned to grow, create value and compete globally. We will provide customers with more choice in trading, an advanced technology platform, a broader product mix, and listing opportunities among a wider group of companies,” he added.

“This is an exciting and historic time for the entire exchange community, our Archipelago partners, our customers, our future shareholders and America’s investing public,” Thain concluded.