SNL Financial purchases regulatory research associates.

SNL Financial LC (Charlottesville, VA) has acquired utility research and analysis firm Regulatory Research Associates (RRA; Jersey City, NJ). No terms of the deal were given.

Established in 1982, RRA is an independent research organization that provides research and consultation services to the investment, corporate and regulatory communities regarding public utility regulation and the electric utility. Services are provided through written reports, telephone or in-person consultations, and through the company's publication series. RRA's two subscription products include "Regulatory Focus," a service that analyzes regulatory issues and actions in the electric and gas utility sectors for professionals at investment banks, utilities and government agencies. "Utility Focus" analyzes financial trends within the utility sector and provides research on the largest publicly traded utilities.

RRA will become a part of SNL Energy, SNL Financial's power, gas and coal information group. SNL president Mike Chinn said that unit "is experiencing rapid organic growth in the core data and news product lines. RRA's 'Regulatory Focus' is unique, must-have research, and 'Utility Focus' adds additional depth to our already strong financial data and news."

SNL Financial is an information and research firm that collects, standardizes and disseminates relevant corporate, financial, market and M&A data for the tire sectors the company covers, including energy, banking, specialized financial services, insurance and real estate. Newsletter titles include "SNL Energy Finance Daily," "Electric Transmission Week," "Renewable Energy Week," "Bank M&A" and "Thrift-Investor," as well as "Inside Insurance," a monthly magazine, among other titles.