Reuters is talking to at least two City investment banks about setting up an independent equity research service, according to a report in the Financial Times.
The newspaper says that mounting controversy over the independence of investment bank analysis - particularly in the US technology and telecommunications sectors - has encouraged the news and information group to make its approach.
Citing a source familiar with the scheme, the FT says that Reuters is disucssing plans to sell commoditised equity research, including tabular data and company information to institutions.
As a first step, the company is looking at re-packaging analysis by Tower Group and Yankee - two Reuters subsidiaries specialising in IT, financial services and telecoms research.