ASX Ltd

London Stock Exchange Group Plc's <LSE.L> planned purchase of Refinitiv in a $27 billion deal is the latest sign that exchange operators are focusing more on data products to increase revenue, while also trying to expand their global reach.

* Citrus grower Dongfang Modern Agriculture loses CEO & directors

Banks, exchange operators and other companies are investing billions of dollars to find uses for blockchain, a digital ledger used by cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

Australia's top three banks said on Thursday they have agreed to partner with IBM and shopping mall owner Scentre Group to test blockchain technology to digitise bank guarantees.

* Financials, miners biggest weights on index (Updates to close)

Australian bourse operator ASX Ltd said on Monday it had entered an underwriting agreement to sell its nearly 19 percent stake in wealth manager IRESS Ltd for gross proceeds of A$385 million ($275.24 million).

Australian markets operator ASX Ltd said on Tuesday it has delayed its switchover to blockchain technology by six months to devote more time for user development and testing.

JP Morgan's chairman of Australian operations has resigned from his directorships at the country's bourse and sovereign wealth fund citing complications arising from a criminal prosecution over a stock issue the investment bank was joint-lead on.

* IN APRIL 2018, TOTAL CAPITAL RAISED WAS $7.9 BILLION, UP 53% ON PREVIOUS CORRESPONDING PERIOD

* CAPITAL EXPENDITURE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT $70 MILLION IN FY19 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

Wall Street has been much more excited about the system underpinning bitcoin than the cryptocurrency itself, but the global financial industry has not yet been able to do much with the technology known as blockchain.

Australian shares rose on Thursday as fixed income investments sold off on higher than expected U.S. inflation data, spurring a global movement to equities.

Australian Securities Exchange Ltd , the world's 16th-largest stock market by market capitalisation, said first-half net profit rose 5.0 percent as it experienced a pickup in trading activity in the futures markets.

* CIRCA $50 MILLION GUIDANCE MAINTAINED FOR FY18 FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

* HY UNDERLYING PROFIT AFTER TAX (EXCLUDING SIGNIFICANT ITEMS) $230.5 MILLION UP 5.1 PCT

Australian Securities Exchange Ltd , the world's 16th-largest stock market by market capitalisation, said first-half net profit rose 5 percent as it experienced a pickup in trading activity in the derivatives markets.

The European Commission adopted decisions on Wednesday to allow European investors to continue trading in shares listed in several stock exchanges in the United States, Australia and Hong Kong after new EU market rules come into force in January.

(This version of the story corrects paragraph 7 to show ASX plans releasing timetable for transition to new system in March 2018, not make it operational in March 2018)

Banks led Australian shares slightly higher on Thursday after three straight losing sessions, with investors shrugging off an October trade surplus that came in well below expectations.