Thomson Reuters and Blackstone Agree to Close Financial & Risk Deal on October 1

Thomson Reuters announced that it and private equity funds managed by Blackstone have agreed to close the sale of a 55% interest in the company's Financial & Risk business on October 1, 2018, subject to satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions. The closing of the transaction is not subject to any financing condition. An affiliate of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and an affiliate of GIC will invest alongside Blackstone. After the closing, the Financial & Risk business will be known as Refinitiv. Thomson Reuters will receive approximately US$17 billion in gross proceeds when the transaction closes (subject to purchase price adjustments). Thomson Reuters plans to return an aggregate of US$10 billion of these proceeds to its shareholders. The company expects to use the remaining proceeds not returned to shareholders to redeem approximately US$4 billion of debt, maintain approximately US$2 billion of cash on its balance sheet to fund focused acquisitions, and utilize approximately US$1 billion to cover transaction-related expenses including cash taxes, pension contributions, bond redemption costs and other fees and outflows related to the transaction.