LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSE.L) said on Friday it was in discussions to acquire financial data analytics provider Refinitiv Holdings Ltd for $27 billion, including debt.
The deal would come less than a year after buyout firm Blackstone Group Inc (BX.N) acquired a majority stake in Refinitiv from Thomson Reuters Corp (TRI.TO), valuing the company at the time at $20 billion including debt.
LSE said it would pay for the deal with newly issued LSE shares as currency, turning Refinitiv’s existing investors into LSE shareholders who would own about 37% of the combined company and hold less than 30% of the voting rights.
Thomson Reuters, a professional information company that is the parent of Reuters News, currently holds a 45% stake in Refinitiv. It confirmed the negotiations in a statement and said it will own a 15% stake in LSE if the deal is completed.
Based on the valuation the deal would assign to Refinitiv, Blackstone will have roughly…
Source news reuters.com, click here to read the full news.
