The NY Times has a short item regarding the $20Bill Fortune valuation of Bloomberg LP. In happy news to all the potential operating company acquirers, when Bloomberg is asked if he could watch the company be acquired by private equity he says no. There is no indication that a sale is in the works (an offer was rumoured last year) and other than the unlikely event that Bloomberg will run for President it doesn't look like anything will change until he has finished his term as Mayor. As The Times alludes, real numbers are hard to confirm but with operating margins of 30+% and a commanding market share this could be an expensive purchase for someone; whether it would go for the multiple Fortune suggests is hard to believe but I am prepared to be surprised.
With the cash that Bertelsmann, Reed and Thomson have or will have there could easily be some competition for this one in the next 6-18mths.
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