London Stock Exchange Considers Sale of Italian Unit To Secure Refinitiv Deal

London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) took a key step toward gaining regulatory approval for its US$15 billion acquisition of financial-data company Refinitiv Holdings by entering into exclusive talks for the sale of its Italian exchange operator, reported The Wall Street Journal. 

LSE announced Friday, September 18, it is in discussions to sell Borsa Italiana Group to a consortium comprising pan-European rival Euronext NV, an investment arm of the Italian government, and Intesa Sanpaolo for an undisclosed amount.

The UK-based exchange operator indicated in July that it might sell Borsa Italiana amid efforts to secure approval from Europe’s antitrust regulator for the much bigger Refinitiv deal. The European Commission has raised concerns that the tie-up could give the combined entity undue power over European government-bond trading, among other areas.

But the sale of Borsa Italiana, which includes bond-trading platform MTS SpA, is expected to reduce that potential sway over the market, bankers and analysts have said.

Full Content: Wall Street Journal

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