Equistone Is Said to Explore Sale of Former Moody’s Unit Acuity

Equistone Partners is considering a sale of Acuity Knowledge Partners in a deal that could value the financial outsourcing business at about $1 billion or more, people familiar with the matter said.

The buyout firm is working with an adviser as it seeks to gauge buyer appetite for the former Moody’s Corp. unit, the people said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private.

London-based Acuity provides bespoke research, analytics and automation tools to some 400 financial services firms, including some of the world’s largest asset managers, hedge funds, consulting firms and investment banks. It’s drawing interest from ...