B2B publishing giant Informa is in talks to mount a takeover of rival German-owned academic publisher Springer Science which could see it paying more than £700m.
Informa, which owns Lloyds List, has net debt of nearly £1bn the FT reports, and would have to launch a second rights issue to fund the purchase. In May it raised £242m through a rights issue.
The FT reports that Informa is in talks to buy 49 per cent of Springer for £361m, but that it could also buy 100 per cent.
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