The transaction is taking place when unsettled global affairs, and the effect of new technology, are putting a premium on information and analysis for clients such as wealth managers, banks, and others.

Dow Jones, the news and information group, has said this week that it has bought Dragonfly Intelligence, a geopolitical and security intelligence provider, and Oxford Analytica, a provider of geopolitical intelligence advisory services.  

These organisations were acquired from New York-listed FiscalNote Holdings, for $40 million.  

The acquisition, which is expected to close in the first quarter of this year, is subject to regulatory approval in Austria and customary closing conditions. Dow Jones’s parent company, News Corp, expects to receive a $4 million tax benefit from the transaction, Dow Jones said in a statement.  

The acquired firms will operate as part of Dow Jones Risk & Compliance. 

A year ago, this news service interviewed Dow Jones about the work it does in collating, screening and digesting a vast haul of daily news so that banks and other businesses can keep abreast of risks, comply with rules, and safeguard their businesses and clients.  

Acquired businesses
With offices in London and Singapore, Dragonfly provides geopolitical and security intelligence to crisis management, security and risk professionals. It helps decision-makers at multinational companies, financial institutions and public sector entities solve business and operational challenges. The company delivers real-time intelligence on potential and ongoing security risks, including early warning detection and forecasting to anticipate threats, risk rating systems around potential major disruptions, and personalised access to key analysts. 

Founded in 1975 and based in the UK, Oxford Analytica provides macroeconomic and geopolitical risk analysis. 

“The world is experiencing rapid change, evolving at a pace unlike anything witnessed in our lifetime – from technological advancements and shifting geopolitics to changes in the global economy. As a result, more companies and professionals are turning to us for the facts and analysis they need to navigate an increasingly complex landscape,” Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, said. “The additions of Dragonfly and Oxford Analytica to our business will allow us to further support our customers in assessing geopolitical risks, building on the news, data, analysis and convening power we already provide through our Dow Jones Risk & Compliance service and our daily news coverage.” 

Dow Jones Risk & Compliance has reported that in its 2024 financial year, revenues at this group rose 16 per cent on a year before, to almost $300 million.  

In other moves, Dow Jones, which recently acquired WorldECR, a provider of news, data and analysis on global export control and trade sanctions, said it has expanded its ownership stake in Ripjar, a global data intelligence software provider. 

Baker & Hostetler is serving as legal counsel to Dow Jones on this transaction. 

There are many regulatory requirements that make timely and precise data more important than ever. The US Corporate Transparency Act, for example, took force from the start of January 2024, while the European Union, the UK, Switzerland, and other jurisdictions have tightened screws on money laundering and other illicit financial flows in recent years. For financial professionals seeking to keep their businesses compliant, doing the job requires data – lots of data.