KBC Group, Van Lanschot Kempen to Launch Specialist Equities JV

11:24 PM EST, 01/06/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Belgian bank-insurance company KBC Group's (KBC.BR) KBC Securities is collaborating with Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Banking, a unit of Van Lanschot Kempen (VLK.AS), to form a 50/50 joint venture focused on specialist equities. Under the agreement, the partners will contribute their respective equities businesses to the new entity, including equity research, sales, sales-trading, trading, and equity capital markets execution, according to a Tuesday release. The venture will operate as the exclusive distribution platform for all equity capital markets businesses for both companies' clients. It will also provide investors with access to broad research coverage, with a particular focus on the Benelux region, as well as European real estate and life sciences companies. Additionally, the JV is expected to provide increased liquidity, placing power and investor coverage for corporate clients. The transaction is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.