S&P Global is nearing a deal to buy IHS Markit for about $44bn, in an acquisition that would bring together two of the largest data providers and create a powerful challenger to information powerhouses Bloomberg and Refinitiv, according to the Financial Times.
The move would mark the latest round of consolidation among large data providers. New York Stock Exchange owner Intercontinental Exchanges struck its largest deal ever after it agreed to buy US mortgage data provider Ellie Mae for $11bn. That followed London Stock Exchange’s move to acquire Refinitiv for $27b a year ago.
A deal between S&P Global, which has a market value of about $82b, and IHS Markit, with a market capitalisation of $37b, would be the largest this year.
IHS Markit, which was formed out of a 2016 merger between IHS and Markit, would boost S&P Global’s data and analytics offerings. S&P Global has been exploring options to bolster its data business since it bought SNL Financial for $2.2b in 2015, said a person with knowledge of the matter.
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