London, February 21, 2026, 05:59 GMT — Market closed
- Shares of London Stock Exchange Group finished Friday 1.6% higher at 7,904 pence.
- The London Stock Exchange is gearing up for its inaugural deal using the UK’s new PISCES private-share framework.
- Focus shifts to LSEG’s Feb. 26 full-year results webcast, where investors are eyeing fresh details on growth, costs, and what’s next for its product lineup.
London Stock Exchange Group tacked on 1.6% to finish Friday at 7,904 pence, beating out the FTSE 100 as traders took in more signs of traction in its private-markets and data products business. Still, the shares remain down roughly a third from their 52-week peak, a reminder of lingering caution toward data and tech-driven market-infrastructure stocks.
Timing is crucial here: LSEG is about to report, and this market hasn’t hesitated to hit “sticky” subscription names at the first whiff of slowing growth or softening pricing power.
The move comes as the UK banks on market reforms to jump-start London’s activity, following a lull in major listings and a continual trickle of firms seeking overseas options.
The London Stock Exchange, which operates under LSEG, announced that its Private Securities Market is gearing up for an inaugural transaction using the Financial Conduct Authority’s PISCES regime. This setup allows auction-based trading of private-company shares—no need for a traditional IPO. CEO Dame Julia Hoggett said the first deal is lined up for “the coming weeks.” https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/london-st…
TPE has established a Tradable Private Equity Investment Company structure for its first deal, designed to hold shares in Oxford Science Enterprises. Reuters puts the valuation for Oxford Science Enterprises at roughly 1.3 billion pounds.
LSEG is also pushing its Model-as-a-Service (MaaS), a sort of walled garden where banks and investment firms can run their analytics models—part of a bigger effort to weave itself into clients’ everyday processes. “We are excited to onboard Societe Generale,” said Aysegul Erdem, who leads modelling solutions at LSEG. Microsoft’s Bill Borden called MaaS “an important step forward” for analytics and AI in finance. https://www.lseg.com/en/media-centre/press…
Broader market momentum gave a lift as well. London’s FTSE 100 ended the week on the front foot after the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Traders dialed up expectations for a Bank of England rate cut in March, according to Reuters. “The FTSE has become a rare safe haven this year,” said IG Group analyst Chris Beauchamp. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/londons-f…
The market takes a breather until Monday, but focus is already shifting to LSEG’s upcoming full-year results. The group is set to webcast its FY 2025 prelims this Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10:00 UK time, with CEO David Schwimmer and CFO Michel-Alain Proch leading the call, according to the company.
Investors will want to see if newer products — private-share trading through PISCES and features such as MaaS — can actually deliver steady revenue, not just splashy headlines, especially now that the market’s mood has cooled.
Still, investors might not see results from the new initiatives right away, and there’s no certainty the private-markets platform catches on. If risk appetite falters or old concerns about data pricing and competition resurface, the shares could find themselves under pressure again.
Nasdaq and other competitors have private-market venues up and running. Across Europe, exchange groups have spent years pushing into data and post-trade as a way to cut back their dependence on trading volumes.
