Thursday 12 November 2015

Revealed: Argus Media Group appoints bankers to carry out sale of up to £1 billion - part 3

It was only yesterday that I broke the story about Argus Media Group but already the names of serious buyers of the energy data business are coming out of the woodwork.

Indeed, I understand several private equity firms have a strong interest in Argus Media Group, such as Hellman & Friedman, which has an established track record in the sector having previously invested in Wood Mackenzie, the commodities research and publishing group.

City sources said other private equity contenders include US-based tech specialist Silver Lake Partners and the super secretive British private equity outfit Charterhouse Capital Partners.

Charterhouse has been looking at the business information sector for quite some time with Peter Rigby, the former chief executive of Informa, and previously demonstrated an interest in Top Right Group, which is currently being sold by Apax and the Guardian Media Group, publisher of the The Guardian.

US giant Blackstone is said to be in the pole position to buy Top Right Group for over £1 billion but you never know - the firm may switch its attention to Argus Media Group now that news has broken the proprietors of the energy data company are weighing a sale.

Meanwhile, trade buyers, such as FTSE 250-listed Euromoney, have also been circling Argus Media Group. And I'm sure the list goes on and on...

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