London Stock Exchange

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The London Stock Exchange was founded in Sweeting's Alley in London in 1801 and moved to Capel Court the following year. Deregulation, sometimes known as 'big bang', came in 1986 and external ownership of member firms was allowed for the first time. In 1995, the Alternative Investment Market was launched. In 2007, the London Stock Exchange merged with the Milan-based Borsa Italiana to form the London Stock Exchange Group plc, with the combination intended to diversify the LSE's product offering and customer base. The deal was structured as a merger, with Borsa Italiana shareholders receiving new shares representing 28 per cent of the enlarged register. In August 2019, LSEG agreed to buy Refinitiv in a transaction valued at $27 billion, consisting of a mix of cash and shares. Shortly thereafter, on 11 September 2019, LSEG itself became the target of a £32 billion bid by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, subject to abandoning its plans to buy Refinitiv. LSEG rejected the takeover bid two days later.

Reader's Guide

The London Stock Exchange is Europe's leading equities business, with 48% of the FTSEurofirst 100 by market capitalisation and with the most liquid order book by value and volume traded. Its activities include the London Stock Exchange itself, which is Europe's leading stock exchange and is owned by the London Stock Exchange Group plc. The group also owns LSEG Technology, acquired in 2009 as their technology service provider, originally known as MillenniumIT and subsequently rebranded as LSEG Technology. It offers a trading platform known as Millennium Exchange. The group also owns FTSE Russell, formed through the acquisition of the Frank Russell Company in 2015, combining FTSE Group with Russell Indexes to become one of the largest index providers in the world. In September 2023, LSEG drew up plans for a new digital markets business to offer trading of traditional financial assets using blockchain technology, expected to be launched within a year.

Did You Know?

• The London Stock Exchange was founded in Sweeting's Alley in London in 1801 and moved to Capel Court the following year.
• In 2007, the London Stock Exchange merged with Borsa Italiana to form the London Stock Exchange Group plc.
• In August 2019, LSEG agreed to buy Refinitiv in a cash-and-shares transaction valuing the target at $27 billion.
• On 11 September 2019, LSEG became the target of a £32 billion bid by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, which it rejected two days later.
• In September 2023, LSEG drew up plans for a new digital markets business to offer trading of traditional financial assets using blockchain technology.

Corporate Architecture & Continental Footprint

Lion Finance Group PLC operates as a UK-incorporated financial services holding company, maintaining its registered office in London while running its corporate headquarters from Tbilisi, Georgia. The group's core banking operations are delivered through two customer-centric universal banks: Bank of Georgia, which serves the Georgian market, and Ameriabank, a leading institution in Armenia. The group trades on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange's main market and holds a place within the FTSE 100 Index, a mark of scale and liquidity that underscores its standing among the largest listed companies in the United Kingdom.

The Road to a London Listing

The purpose was clear: to create a vehicle through which Bank of Georgia and its network of related companies could secure a listing on the LSE. Just under four months later, on February 28, 2012, the shares were duly admitted to the exchange, marking a significant milestone for a Georgian banking group seeking access to international capital. The company's structure continued to evolve in the years that followed. This period of consolidation set the strategic stage for the more dramatic corporate separation that would follow three years later.

The 2018 Demerger: Splitting Banking from Investment

In August 2018, the board made a decisive strategic choice: to fully separate the group's banking and investment operations into two independent entities. This split allowed each business to pursue its own strategic trajectory while giving investors the option to hold either the banking or the investment arm, or both, according to their individual risk appetite.

Armenia Expansion and the Lion Rebrand

The most recent chapters of the group's story point toward both geographic expansion and a fresh corporate identity. Shortly thereafter, on February 6, 2025, the company changed its name to Lion Finance Group plc, a rebrand that signals a broader, more diversified financial-services identity beyond a single national banking brand.