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…
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