Pearson / Mergermarket

Pearson Plc said on Tuesday it had bought deal news and data firm Mergermarket for 101 million pounds with an eye to enhancing what its Financial Times business newspaper can offer readers.

Mergermarket’s flagship product combines data about corporate mergers and acquisitions from around the world with news gathered by 160 journalists in 31 countries. It mainly sells the information to investment banks and law firms.

The closely held company was founded in 2000 and does not disclose financial information. London-based Pearson, which generates most of its profit from publishing educational materials, said it expects the deal to add to its earnings per share in 2007, the first full year after the purchase.

(c) Reuters