Shareholders approved the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc.’s $11.9 billion purchase of the Chicago Board of Trade yesterday. Now analysts predict CME Group Inc., the newly formed company that will operate what will be the world’s largest futures and options market, could be looking at other acquisitions, the Associated Press reported.

The approval comes after IntercontinentalExchange Inc. conceded defeat in the four-month bidding contest for the Board of Trade by not coming back with a final offer. CME raised its bid three times since discussions of the merger began last fall.

Exchanges have been consolidating to remain competitive in a global market. This year, IntercontinentalExchange bought the New York Board of Trade, The New York Stock Exchange acquired Euronext NV, and Deutsche Borse agreed to buy the International Securities Exchange Inc.

Analysts predict that CME could be interested in purchasing an international exchange, after company leaders used the word “global” several times in their announcement on Monday. Because it does not have a strong presence in energy futures and does not have stocks, that could be a focus in its future acquisitions.