UPDATE 1-Nasdaq to acquire news distributor Marketwired

(Adds background on Nasdaq and Marketwired; executive quote)
NEW YORK, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Nasdaq Inc NDAQ.O said on
Friday it would acquire newswire operator and press release
distributer Marketwired LP for an undisclosed sum, adding to the
exchange operator's corporate services offerings.
The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, would be
funded through a mix of debt and cash and is expected to close
in the first quarter of 2016, Nasdaq said.
Marketwired is currently owned by the private equity arm of
the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), which
in October was said to have been mulling a sale of the
Toronto-based company. At the time, Marketwired was said to be
valued at as much as $200 million, sources familiar with the
situation told Reuters.
The deal is expected to add to Nasdaq's earnings within a
year of closing and should have no material impact on Nasdaq's
financial leverage or capital return strategy, the company said.
Marketwired, with offices in both Canada and the United
States, has more than 8,500 clients, including Forbes 2000
companies, private corporations and public relations agencies.
Nasdaq said its corporate services clients would benefit
from access to Marketwired's social media targeting tools and
analytics.
"This is a major opportunity for our Corporate Solutions
business to enhance its end-to-end portfolio of services for
communication professionals - including news distribution, media
research, social media and analytics," Stacie Swanstrom, head of
corporate solutions at Nasdaq, said in a statement.
The deal strengthens Nasdaq's position in North America,
and particularly in Canada. The global exchange operator said in
December it would acquire alternative equities trading platform
Chi-X Canada, giving it direct access to the Canadian equities
market.