Three reports about media mergers and acquisitions have appeared so far in July. Although they differ in the particulars, the main conclusion is the same: Shopping is back in style.
M&A firm Whitestone Communications reported that in the second quarter "the publishing, information and training industries recorded the highest quarterly number of acquisitions since the second quarter of 2001." Baran Rosen, Whitestone president, said, "Clearly, buyers and sellers are gaining greater confidence in the marketplace — buyers are willing to spend in expectations of an improving economy, and sellers are willing to sell, perceiving the environment now yields them good value on a sale."
For the second quarter, Whitestone tabulated 118 transactions in the publishing, information and training sector, compared with 69 in the same period last year, a 71% jump. The dollar value totaled $3.2 billion, up from $3 billion from last year's second quarter, a 7% increase.
In the trade magazine and trade show category, Whitestone counted seven deals in the second quarter compared with five in the same period last year. The dollar value of the deals increased to $49 million from $44 million.
This is an article by Sean Callahan from B2B’s Media Business, July 20, 2004
