Pearson To Sell FT Group To Nikkei For Gross Consideration Of £844 Mln In Cash

(RTTNews) - Pearson Plc (PSO, PSON.L) said Thursday that it has agreed the sale of FT Group to Nikkei Inc. for a gross consideration of 844 million pounds, payable in cash.

Financial Times is a news organisation. It includes the FT newspaper, FT.com, How to Spend It, FT Labs, FTChinese, the Confidentials and Financial Publishing (including The Banker, Investors Chronicle, MandateWire, Money-Media, Medley Global Advisors and more).

At the FT, total circulation across print and digital rose more than 30% over the last five years to 737,000, with digital circulation growing to represent 70% of the total, from 24%, and mobile driving almost half of all traffic. Content and services now account for the majority of revenues.

In 2014, FT Group contributed 334 million pounds of sales and £24 million of adjusted operating income to Pearson. At 30 June 2015, FT Group had gross assets of approximately 250 million pounds.

The agreement does not include FT Group's London property at One Southwark Bridge and Pearson's 50% stake in The Economist Group.

The transaction is subject to a number of regulatory approvals and is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2015.

A contribution will be made to the Pearson group pension plan following closing of the transaction, expected to be around 90 million pounds. In addition, Pearson has committed to fund the pension plan to self-sufficiency in the near term.

Most of the proceeds from the disposal will be subject to UK Substantial Shareholder Exemption taxation relief but Pearson expects to pay tax on disposal of approximately 60 million pounds.

The balance of the proceeds will be used by Pearson for general corporate purposes and investment in its global education strategy.

Pearson noted that it will now be 100% focused on its global education strategy.