Euronext announces that it has entered into a binding agreement with London Stock Exchange Group plc (“LSEG”) and London Stock Exchange Group Holdings (Italy) Limited to acquire 100% the entire issued share capital of London Stock Exchange Group Holdings Italia SPA, the holding company of the Borsa Italiana Group (the “Proposed Combination”), for a cash consideration of €4,325 million3. This announcement follows the previous announcement made on 18 September 2020 by Euronext and CDP Equity that they had entered into exclusive discussions with LSEG regarding the potential acquisition of the Borsa Italiana Group.
The Proposed Combination will create a leading European market infrastructure in the European Union, whose central role to connect local economies to global markets is strengthened through the creation of the number one venue for listing and secondary markets for both debt and equity financing in Europe. This transaction significantly enhances the scale of Euronext, diversifies its business mix into new asset classes and strengthen its post-trade activities. With this transaction, Euronext delivers on its ambition to build the leading pan-European market infrastructure.
The potential transaction is conditional upon, amongst other things, the divestment of the Borsa Italiana Group or a material part thereof being a condition of the European Commission’s clearance decision for LSEG’s proposed acquisition of Refinitiv.
Stéphane Boujnah, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext said: “The acquisition of the Borsa Italiana Group marks a significant achievement in Euronext’s ‘Let’s Grow Together 2022’ strategic plan and a turning point in our Group’s history. Thanks to this transaction, Euronext will significantly diversify its revenue mix and its geographical footprint by welcoming the market infrastructure of Italy, a G7 country and the third largest economy in Europe.
“The combination of Euronext and the Borsa Italiana Group, with the strategic support of long-term investors such as CDP8, delivers the ambition of building the leading pan-European market infrastructure, connecting local economies to global capital markets. This transaction will enhance the position of the Borsa Italiana Group within continental European capital markets. The Proposed Combination will create the backbone of the Capital Markets Union in Europe. The Borsa Italiana Group will preserve its identity and integrity within Euronext’s federal model, while benefiting from enhanced governance, best-in-class offering and technology, to better serve the Italian capital markets.”
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