LSE in talks with LCH.Clearnet over 'potential' deal

London Stock Exchange Group said on Friday that it was in talks with British clearing house LCH.Clearnet over a "potential" deal, responding to media speculation that it had made a bid for a majority stake. The Financial Times, which did not cite its source, reported that the LSE had made a bid for a controlling stake in LCH.Clearnet that would value the leading independent clearing house group at about 1 billion euros ($1.42 billion). "London Stock Exchange Group plc (LSEG) has noted the recent press speculation concerning LSEG and LCH.Clearnet Group Limited," it said in a brief statement. "LSEG can confirm that it is currently in discussions with LCH.Clearnet regarding a potential transaction. "These discussions are at an early stage and there can be no certainty that any action or agreement will result." The LSE Group had recently failed in a separate bid to merge with its Toronto counterpart. In June, the company's plan to merge with the Toronto Stock Exchange collapsed after the pair failed to win the support of two-thirds of their shareholders for a deal worth US$3.8 billion. LSE Group, which runs the London and Milan stock exchanges, had been looking to create a global giant to compete with the NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Boerse, which are merging their operations