Top shareholder Borse Dubai to sell Nasdaq shares worth $1.6 billion

Reuters

Published Mar 19, 2024 09:15PM ET

Updated Mar 20, 2024 09:56AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nasdaq said on Tuesday that Borse Dubai would sell shares worth $1.6 billion in the U.S. stock exchange operator, ceding its spot as the company's top shareholder to private equity firm Thoma Bravo.

The move sent shares of Nasdaq down nearly 4% in trading before the bell on Wednesday.

Borse Dubai will sell nearly 27 million Nasdaq shares at $59 each, a discount of more than 5% to the stock's last closing price.

The deal will reduce Borse Dubai's stake in Nasdaq to 10.8% from 15.5% and make it the company's second-largest shareholder. With a 12.5% stake, Thoma Bravo would become the biggest shareholder in the exchange.