MONTREAL — Desjardins Group is acquiring global investment management company Guardian Capital Group Ltd. for around $1.67 billion or $68 per share, the co-operative financial group said on Thursday.

The publicly traded company will be taken private, the release said.

The deal, which is subject to court, shareholder and regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.

Desjardins says the deal will bring together the strengths of Desjardins Global Asset Management and Guardian to form an organization with $280 billion in assets.

"By combining our strengths with Guardian, we are building a leading platform with the scale, capabilities, and reach to serve investors in Canada and around the world," said Desjardins Group president and chief executive Guy Cormier, in

See Full Page