On June 15, 2012, the board of the London Metal Exchange (“LME”) announced that it had agreed to recommend a cash offer of £1.4 billion for the entire issued and outstanding ordinary share capital of the LME by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (“HKEx”). The transaction brings together the LME, the world’s leading non-ferrous base metals trading venue, and HKEx, the world’s largest exchange group by market capitalization and the leading operator of exchanges and clearing houses in Asia. The sale to HKEx preserves the features of the LME’s unique business model and significantly accelerates the LME’s access to China. Moelis & Company acted as exclusive financial advisor to the LME. This landmark transaction, involving one of the most iconic exchanges in the world, represents Moelis & Company’s ability to conduct a highly competitive and complex international sale process while balancing financial and non-financial transaction aspects to achieve an exceptional outcome for our client. The transaction successfully closed in December 2012.
