The chief executive of the London Stock Exchange has reiterated his desire to seal a $27bn deal for data company Refinitiv, in a clear sign of his resolve to resist a £31.6bn takeover bid by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing.

David Schwimmer said the acquisition of Refinitiv, which is owned by a consortium led by private equity firm Blackstone, will strengthen the LSE’s position in data and analytics, deepen its capabilities in fixed income trading, and expand the exchange into the $6.6tn-a-day currencies market.