Principal Global Investors LLC announced a definitive agreement today to acquire a majority stake in Finisterre Capital LLP and Finisterre Holdings Ltd. (known together as Finisterre Capital), a London-based investor in emerging markets. Finisterre Capital has approximately $1.63 billion in assets under management. It will continue to direct the day-to-day operations and will retain authority over fund investment decisions, Principal Global Investors said in a news release. The transaction is expected to close early in the third quarter, pending regulatory approval. It is part of Principal Financial Group Inc.’s 2011 capital deployment strategy of spending approximately $700 million on mergers and acquisitions and a share repurchase program.