London Stock Exchange Group buys Octus in $3.5 billion data deal
The London Stock Exchange Group just agreed to buy Octus.
The short version
- The deal is worth about $3.54 billion in external debt.
- Octus provides financial data on credit markets and distressed companies.
- LSEG shares rose about 2 percent in early trading.
Why it matters to you. For your business, big market shifts like this show how data platforms keep buying up specialized research to stay ahead.
The London Stock Exchange Group, which operates the London Stock Exchange and the Tradeweb marketplace, just agreed to buy financial data firm Octus for about $3.54 billion. It is the biggest acquisition for the group since its 2019 deal for Refinitiv. Octus employs journalists, analysts and legal experts to provide information on credit markets and companies in financial distress for banks and investors.
LSEG CEO David Schwimmer said combining the data will create a powerful offering for customers. The purchase comes as LSEG faces pressure from activist investor Elliott, which disclosed a stake in the group in February and has been pushing for portfolio changes as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry.
LSEG has previously said it had good dialogue with Elliott. Shares in LSEG were up about 2 percent in early trading following the Thursday announcement. The company also raised its outlook for 2026 revenue, forecasting organic total income to grow at least 8 percent.
LSEG said the acquisition is expected to be neutral to adjusted earnings in the first full year and add to earnings after that. The deal will be financed by external debt, according to Reuters.
