This Century-Old Financial Giant's Reverse Stock Split Leaves Investors Puzzled

Thomson Reuters announced an unusual 0.98456-for-1 reverse stock split coupled with a $1.44-per-share special dividend in May 2026. The reverse split, typically a negative signal, is actually a neutral capital return mechanism tied to proceeds from selling its London Stock Exchange Group holdings. The company's strong Q1 2026 performance (10% revenue growth, 7% earnings growth, 10% dividend hike) suggests this is a shareholder-friendly move to return excess cash.