After pulling their IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange at the last minute in 2018 on weak demand, Springer Nature’s owners are determined to try again, hoping that capital markets remain strong long enough for them to get to the finish line this time. Co-owners BC Partners and Holtzbrinck are reported to be working with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as lead bookrunners (Morgan Stanley led the previous effort as well), “which could take place as early as May or June” according to Reuters’ sources. One of those sources insists that “leverage has come down significantly, making it a much […]
M&A
Wiley Buys Tech Training and Placement Firm mthree for $129 Million
Wiley announced Monday that it acquired UK-based education services provider mthree for $129 million (£98 million) in cash on January 1. mthree finds, trains and places technology talent. The company expects to record 2019 sales of over $50 million, which would reflect annual growth of 20 percent. Wiley ceo Brian Napack says in the announcement, “Wiley is committed to bridging the gap between education output and industry need. The acquisition of mthree advances Wiley’s leadership in powering the high-demand, high-potential careers that are fueling the global knowledge economy. CEO Alex Headley and his team have built a great company with […]
OverDrive Sold to KKR by Rakuten
Rakuten has an agreement to sell OverDrive to private equity firm KKR, under the direction of Richard Sarnoff, with the deal expected to close by the end of January. The digital reading and media platform for libraries and schools should pair well with audiobook publisher and platform RBmedia, which KKR bought in 2018. (RBmedia also has a platform that provides digital content to libraries.) The private equity firm bought both OverDrive and RBmedia through its KKR Americas XII Fund. The purchase price was “determined rationally by mutual agreement of both parties” but not disclosed for now. Rakuten said in their […]
2019: The Year in Mergers and Finance
The year’s mergers and acquisitions ended with a big deal that really wasn’t a big deal: The announcement of Bertelsmann‘s agreement to acquire the remaining 25 percent of Penguin, for $665 million, pending regulatory approvals. When Penguin and Random House first came together in 2013 — with no money changing hands — it was a merger, of near equals, but over time and now definitively, it became a full acquisition. Penguin Random House itself was an active buyer all year, with a particular emphasis on children’s publishing, and the company has pledged to continuing growing through further acquisitions. One of […]
Bertelsmann to Buy Pearson’s Remaining Stake in Penguin Random House for $675 Million
After resisting a full buyout of Pearson’s minority share in Penguin Random House in 2017, Bertelsmann is exercising their option to buy Pearson’s remaining 25 percent stake in the book publishing joint venture at the soonest opportunity. They will pay $675 million, subject to another round of regulatory approvals, with the deal expected to close in the second quarter of 2020. An analyst at Barclays commented, “The price is in the ballpark of what we expected — a little better.” The latest purchase is based on an enterprise value for PRH of $3.67 billion, up from the $3.55 billion valuation […]
ICM Sells A Stake to Private Equity
ICM Partners, which bought its freedom in 2012 from controlling investor Rizvi Traverse Management, has once again sold a stake in the agency. This time, they have a sold a minority one-third share in the agency to Crestview Partners, for approximately $150 million. CEO Chris Silbermann told Variety some of that money would be used to “reward” employees across the agency, along with buying out some current equity holders. The press release indicates that “all ICM Partners employees, including assistants and support staff, will benefit financially from the deal.” “It will also help fund acquisition of other agencies and related […]