Reed Elsevier Considers Merger With Wolters

According to a report in the Observer yesterday, Anglo-Dutch publishing giant Reed Elsevier is considering a merger with its closest rival Amsterdam-based Wolters Kluwer.

Following Reed’s acquisition of Harcourt last year, a merger with Wolters would produce one of the largest publishing groups in the world with an estimated market value, according to the Observer, of £17 billion.

In a December trading update, Reed restated that it was on track to deliver double digital adjusted earnings per share growth this year, despite the deterioration in global economic conditions. Despite predicting that the US education publishing market will be ‘less robust’ this year, it expects another year of outperformance for Harcourt in 2002.

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