Primark Corp. completed
the acquisition of
A-T Financial Information Inc. for $35
million
in cash and said it will use the existing A-T Internet delivery system as the
basis of a new investment service.
The new Internet service will combine information–real-time and historical
securities prices, indices, company financial reports and documents,
ownership, insider trading, earnings estimates, broker research, market-
related economic analysis, forecasts and news–with securities trading and
portfolio management capabilities.
The company said that the distinctive features of this new Internet service
will be its global coverage of countries, markets, industries and securities,
together with Primark forecasts and analytical tools. Most of the data will be
drawn from Primark’s financial and economic information businesses, along with
third party information such as Dow Jones news to complete the service.
A-T’s new North American real-time feed of securities prices will first be
combined with Primark’s existing European feeds and then expanded to worldwide
coverage. Primark currently provides extensive securities trading and
portfolio management services to investment professionals, and already
collects most of the information to be included in the new service.
“The A-T acquisition is a catalytic step for Primark,” said Joseph E.
Kasputys, Primark’s chairman and chief executive officer. “A-T has great
growth prospects in its core business of delivering securities information and
software to investment professionals. . .A-T’s current Internet presence and
new
North American securities price feed gives us important capabilities for a
global Internet investment service.”
Primark already operates www.disclosure.com, which delivers company
financial
information through the Internet to over 400,000 users. It also offers broker research, earnings estimates, securities analysis, prices, economics, and high frequency market views and
analyses.
For the retail community, Primark proprietary data is delivered via AOL, MSN,
Stock Smart, FT.com, WSJ.com,
Quote.com, E*Trade and others.
The initial release of the new Primark Web site will contain the A-T real-time
feed, display and charting capabilities along with Primark’s global company
profiles and filings, earnings, broker research and market-relevant economic
information. Launch is planned during the second quarter. The site will also
contain links to banks and brokerage firms around the world. Pricing for
services will use a tiered model.