London Stock Exchange Group
Company History
London Stock Exchange Group History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1801 in London, United Kingdom
When was London Stock Exchange Group founded?
London Stock Exchange Group was founded in 1801 in London, United Kingdom by John Castaing, William Hammond and Capel Court Founding Committee, making it 225 years old.
- Founded
- 1801
- Founding place
- London, United Kingdom
- Founders
- John Castaing, William Hammond and Capel Court Founding Committee
- Headquarters today
- 10 Paternoster Square, London, EC4M 7LS, United Kingdom
- Milestones documented
- 13 (1698–2025)
- Current CEO
- David Schwimmer
- Acquisitions
- 3
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1698 | John Castaing at Jonathan's Coffee House |
| 1773 | New Jonathan's Renamed 'The Stock Exchange' |
| 1801 | Formal Constitution of London Stock Exchange |
| 1986 | The Big Bang Electronic Deregulation |
| 1995 | Launch of AIM (Alternative Investment Market) |
| 2001 | Demutualization and LSE Public Listing |
| 2007 | Merger with Borsa Italiana |
| 2011 | Majority Stake in LCH Group |
| 2014 | Acquisition of Frank Russell Company ($2.7B) |
| 2018 | David Schwimmer Appointed CEO |
| 2021 | USD $27.0B Acquisition of Refinitiv Completed |
| 2022 | 10-Year Strategic Partnership with Microsoft |
| 2025 | Revenue Surpasses £8.50 Billion Globally |
- Where was London Stock Exchange Group founded?
- London Stock Exchange Group was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1801. lseg.com
- Who founded London Stock Exchange Group?
- London Stock Exchange Group was founded by John Castaing, William Hammond and Capel Court Founding Committee.
- When did London Stock Exchange Group start?
- London Stock Exchange Group was founded in 1801.
- How old is London Stock Exchange Group?
- London Stock Exchange Group is 225 years old as of 2026.
- How did London Stock Exchange Group start?
- LSEG traces its history back to 1698 when John Castaing began posting prices of stocks and commodities at Jonathan's Coffee House in Change Alley, London.
Founding Story
The roots of the London Stock Exchange trace back to 1698 during the birth of modern joint-stock enterprise. Brokered transactions in commercial voyages and the newly chartered Bank of England took place in noisy City coffee houses. In 1698, Huguenot merchant John Castaing began publishing 'The Course of the Exchange and Other Things' from Jonathan's Coffee House in Change Alley, establishing the first standardized, printed record of equity and commodity prices in London. In 1773, brokers organized New Jonathan's, soon renamed 'The Stock Exchange'. In March 1801, the exchange was formally constituted under a deed of settlement at Capel Court, creating a regulated membership institution. Over the 19th century, the London Stock Exchange financed the transcontinental railways, canals, and sovereign debts of the world. In October 1986, the historic 'Big Bang' deregulation swept away fixed commissions and open-outcry trading floors, replacing them with electronic screen-based trading through SEAQ and transforming London into the modern international capital capital.
Founders
John Castaing
Huguenot merchant and broker John Castaing published the first systematic printed record of stock, currency, and gold prices at Jonathan's Coffee House in 1698, creating the commercial foundation of the London Stock Exchange.
William Hammond
William Hammond led the committee of brokers who raised capital and drafted the deed of settlement in March 1801, establishing Capel Court as a regulated exchange.
Capel Court Founding Committee
A coalition of London merchants and securities dealers who established the formal constitution, membership standards, and trading rules of the modern London Stock Exchange.
Key Milestones
John Castaing at Jonathan's Coffee House
John Castaing began publishing stock and commodity exchange rates in Change Alley, London, creating the first organized price list.
Source: lseg.comNew Jonathan's Renamed 'The Stock Exchange'
Brokers established a formal meeting room in Sweeting's Alley, formally renaming the institution The Stock Exchange.
Source: lseg.comFormal Constitution of London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange was formally constituted under a deed of settlement at Capel Court as a regulated membership society.
Source: lseg.comThe Big Bang Electronic Deregulation
Abolished fixed commissions and floor trading, ushering in electronic screen-based trading and international investment bank membership.
Source: lseg.comLaunch of AIM (Alternative Investment Market)
Introduced AIM, creating Europe's premier growth market for emerging, high-growth, and international small-cap companies.
Source: lseg.comDemutualization and LSE Public Listing
Demutualized and listed its own shares on its main market, transitioning from a member club to a public corporation.
Source: lseg.comMerger with Borsa Italiana
Acquired Borsa Italiana for €1.9 billion, establishing a leading continental European trading and post-trade platform.
Source: lseg.comMajority Stake in LCH Group
Acquired controlling ownership of LCH (London Clearing House), establishing global dominance in interest rate swap clearing.
Source: lseg.comAcquisition of Frank Russell Company ($2.7B)
Acquired Russell Investments and created FTSE Russell, building one of the world's leading institutional benchmark index providers.
Source: lseg.comDavid Schwimmer Appointed CEO
Former Goldman Sachs partner David Schwimmer took leadership as Chief Executive Officer, spearheading LSEG's data-driven transformation.
Source: lseg.comUSD $27.0B Acquisition of Refinitiv Completed
Closed the transformative $27.0 billion acquisition of Refinitiv, making LSEG a global rival to Bloomberg in data and software.
Source: lseg.com10-Year Strategic Partnership with Microsoft
Formed a landmark 10-year cloud and product development alliance with Microsoft, with Microsoft taking a 4% equity stake in LSEG.
Source: lseg.comRevenue Surpasses £8.50 Billion Globally
Generated £8.50 billion in revenue with over 73% annual recurring subscription revenue, integrating Workspace with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Source: lseg.comMajor Acquisitions
Refinitiv Holdings Limited
2021LCH Group Holdings (London Clearing House)
2011Frank Russell Company (Russell Investments / FTSE Russell)
2014Keep researching London Stock Exchange Group
London Stock Exchange Group Company History FAQ
When was the London Stock Exchange officially founded?
The formal London Stock Exchange was established in March 1801 under a Deed of Settlement by a committee of brokers led by William Hammond, opening at Capel Court in March 1802.
What was the 1986 Big Bang and why was it significant?
The Big Bang was a sweeping deregulation of London financial markets on October 27, 1986, which abolished fixed commissions, permitted outside corporate ownership, and launched computerized electronic trading.
When did LSEG complete the Refinitiv acquisition?
LSEG completed the landmark $27 billion acquisition of Refinitiv in January 2021, transforming the group from a regional exchange operator into an international data, analytics, and clearing colossus.
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