S&P Global Inc. is in advanced talks to buy IHS Markit Ltd. for about $44 billion, Dow Jones reported, citing people familiar with the matter who weren’t identified.
The deal, which would be the biggest this year, would bring together two of the biggest data providers for markets, the newswire said. An announcement could come as early as Monday, it added.
IHS Markit is valued at $36.9 billion as of the close on Friday. The stock has risen 23% this year, compared with S&P Global’s 25% gain, giving it a market capitalization of $82.2 billion.
The possible acquisition also comes amid a stock market rally — the S&P 500 Index closed at a record Friday. The rally has driven up valuations for both companies — IHS Markit shares trade at 33.5 times estimated earnings, compared with 29.8 times for S&P Global.
