Could Bloomberg acquire the FT?

That’s the topic of discussion among analysts who follow Pearson PLC, the parent company of the Financial Times, writes Nick Fletcher of The Guardian in London.

Fletcher writes, “The broker said such a move would seem to fit Bloomberg‘s strategy and would give Pearson firepower for further expansion. However the idea of selling the FT is not a new one, and there has never been much sign Pearson was keen on such a move. One possible acquisition target if the deal does happen could be Spanish publishing group Santillana, although again Pearson recently played down speculation that it was interested in such a move. Even so, Execution analyst Giasone Salati said in a buy note today:

Bloomberg recently announced that it was adding 950 new staff to expand its news and technology operations and that it was ‘open-minded’ about acquisitions, a radical change from the company’s track record. A bid for the FT Group would fit the new strategy, in our view.

Under this scenario, Bloomberg would be able to enter the datafeed and mid/back office segments — IDC [Pearson’s 62%-owned provider of specialist financial data to financial institutions and retail investors] — while boosting its editorial operations and consumer exposure (FT Publishing).”

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