The deal could give London Stock Exchange the scale needed to compete with industry heavyweight Bloomberg by combining the data generated by the exchange with Refinitiv's distribution and analytics. It will also bolster the British company's position in foreign exchange and fixed income trading through Refinitiv's FXall and Tradeweb platforms. Shares in the London Stock Exchange rose by 6% after the deal was announced. Bloomberg, which was founded by billionaire former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, provides data feeds and messaging services used by traders, regulators and central bankers. Refinitiv sells a rival product called Eikon. The London Stock Exchange said it expects the deal to close in the second half of next year. Regulators are likely to scrutinize the takeover and its potential impact on market data costs. Investors have objected to paying higher prices for market data, some of which they say is needed to comply with stricter regulations.