Lloyd’s List and Datamonitor academic, scientific and business publisher Informa is the latest publisher to post a big profit increase despite slow revenue. January-to-June revenue dipped two percent to £624 million, but profit more than doubled to £66.4 million ($103 million).

B2B companies announcing positive results in 2009 have one thing in common: they are relentlessly reducing their exposure to print advertising and to the volatile advertising market generally. The latest is Lloyd’s List publisher Informa which in its full-year 2008 results announces profits 17 percent higher year on year at…

—Mecom: The European newspaper publisher is finding it tough going in the current battlefield of display advertising, reporting revenues 2.6 percent down for the three months to September 30. In a trading update, the company blamed the slump on July and August summer holidays but admitted ad revenue for same…

The leading bid for Lloyd’s List B2B publisher and Datamonitor operator Informa has been scuppered by the state of the financial markets. Providence, bidding with Blackstone and Carlyle, offered 450p per share (£1.9 billion), but the trio said they were unable to get financing to fund a higher offer. Informa…

The story of the sale of B2B publisher and Datamonitor owner Informa got longer last night after it rejected a total £3.2 billion bid from a three-way consortium of Providence Equity LLP, the Carlyle Group and Blackstone. The trio offered £1.87 billion but would also have to take care of…

—Informa: It’s been confirmed that Blackstone has replaced Hellman & Friedman in the consortium to buy B2B publisher and Datamonitor owner Informa. It joins Providence Equity LLP and The Carlyle Group in a three-way private equity tag team. But investors are spooked by reports suggesting the offer price has fallen…

Here’s the latest twist in the ongoing story of Informa’s possible sale… The Telegraph reports that PE Firm Blackstone, which joined the bidding in July, is now in talks with rival PE behemoths Providence and Carlyle, on making a joint bid for the B2B publisher. Providence and Carlyle had already…

B2B publisher Informa now has received a fresh takeover approach - from a second private equity consortium - after an initial offer from United Business Media (LSE: UBM) paved the way for an earlier offer from a trio of PE groups. FT.com says the Dubai World Trade Center fund has…

B2B publisher Informa said “talks are continuing” with the three-strong consortium of private equity firms that approach it for a possible acquisition last month. But there was not a more concrete update, as the group reported 10 percent better adjusted profit of £104.7 million, on 18 percent better revenue of…

Informa, the UK-based B2B giant which recently broke merger talked with United Business Media (LSE: UBM), has confirmed that it received a tentative big approach from a private equity consortium which would value the business at about $6.8 billion, including debt. The bid is a joint one from Providence Equity…

United Business Media and Informa, two of the biggest B2B media companies, are in talks for a merger, the two companies said over the weekend after news of the talks leaked. There is no certainty the deal will happen at this stage. Informa has a market value of 1.64 billion…

Private equity firms are said to be interested in Informa, the publishing and events giant. Timesonline.co.uk reports that PE firms Apax and Carlyle are said to be interested in acquiring the company, which is currently has a market capitalisation of £1.64 billion. At this time, however, neither company has approached…