The London-based Jefferies International has boosted its European presence by acquiring the Europe Company, a specialist pan-European institutional broker.

For $15m (€16.1m) Jefferies is acquiring a mid-cap research specialist that was ranked eighth in the 2000 Reuters European Smaller Company Survey. The broker specialises in equity sales and research for medium-sized and large companies listed in Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy and the Nordic region.