OTC Markets Group (OTCQX: OTCM), a marketplace for domestic and international securities, states that it has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Blue Sky Data Corp, a provider of equity and debt compliance data regarding state “Blue Sky” securities rules and regulations. Many US states have unique rules for issuers and securities offerings creating a challenging and fragmented regulatory environment. Unfortunately, state regulators are not inclined to provide harmonized rules across the US. This acquisition is expected to help OTC Markets to enhance its existing Blue Sky data offering, improve its value proposition to clients and expand its subscriber base.
The acquisition is said to provide a “comprehensive” perspective on Blue Sky secondary trading compliance data, delivered to subscribers.
R. Cromwell Coulson, President and CEO of OTC Markets Group, said the acquisition marks an important milestone in their company as they expand their depth of compliance solutions:
“We are adding a unique data set of state law compliance to the information on federal disclosure standards that we currently provide. This will allow broker-dealers to streamline secondary trading and assist issuers of securities in demonstrating their qualifications under complex Blue Sky requirements.”
Matt Fuchs, Executive VP of Market Data and Strategy at OTC Markets added that the acquisition will allow the to deliver a data product to support broker-dealers and investment advisors in automating state securities law compliance in the OTC equities and fixed income markets.
“Blue Sky Data Corp has enjoyed an extremely successful thirty-year history of providing clients with outstanding Blue Sky rule and regulation compliance for debt and equity securities,” commented Linda Graves, Founder of Blue Sky Data Corp. “We have prided ourselves on our thorough approach, exacting expert analysis and ease of use for our clients. We believe OTC Markets Group has the culture and capabilities to maintain the excellent service level of Blue Sky Data Corp, and to build upon our thirty years in the industry to provide clients all the tools they need to manage Blue Sky compliance efficiently and effectively.”
This transaction is expected to close on or about May 2, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions,