Sky News has learnt that YouGov will announce after the market close on Thursday that it has struck a deal to acquire GfK's global consumer panels division, which supplies a rich seam of data on consumption habits.

City sources described the deal as a natural fit for YouGov that would facilitate a rapid acceleration of its strategy.

The GfK business was put up for sale following the announcement of a merger between its parent company and NielsenIQ, a rival.

European antitrust regulators ordered the companies to propose remedies to mitigate competition risks associated with the deal.

YouGov's biggest-ever acquisition, which is expected to see it raise tens of millions of pounds from institutional investors, is likely to be well-received by the market, according to one shareholder.

It comes just months after the company appointed Steve Hatch, an executive at Facebook-owner Meta, as its new CEO.

Stephan Shakespeare, its co-founder and chief executive, stepped up to become non-executive chairman.

The company was also founded in 2000 by Nadhim Zahawi, the former Conservative chancellor and party chairman.

It listed on the London stock market five years later.

Shares in YouGov were trading on Thursday morning at around 1120p, giving the company a market capitalisation of £1.08bn.

A YouGov spokesman declined to comment.