On May 22, IHS Markit and Informa announced the exchange of the majority of the IHS Markit Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) intelligence business for Informa’s Agribusiness Intelligence Group. Lance Uggla, CEO of IHS Markit and Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive, Informa PLC said in the press release: “This agreement is very positive for both IHS Markit and Informa, increasing the focus of each company on core markets where it has particular strengths and a long-term commitment to invest and grow.“ Uggla continues: “The Informa Agribusiness Intelligence portfolio is a clear extension of our Chemical and Downstream businesses and builds our existing data, pricing, insights, forecasting and news services within our Resources segment…Agriculture is the largest end chemical market in the world and this transaction expands our capabilities into fertilizers and chemical crop protection, while substantively expanding our capabilities in biofuels.”
Stated in an Alliance News article via Morningstar: “Informa will contribute an additional USD30 million in cash to IHS Markit to reflect the larger earnings contribution from the IHS Markit business. The asset swap is expected to complete in two months. Informa said this agreement will extend and enhance the international reach of its Tech division through its strong presence in Asia and North America.”
CC Group’s Duncan Chapple analyzes the exchange and concerning Informa Tech writes: “AR [Analyst Relations] professionals need to understand that the Informa business model is not Gartner’s. Measuring Informa Tech by how much it will resemble Gartner is a waste of time. Informa’s reach into the enterprise will be broader than ever…As a result, Informa Tech will have a different value proposition to Gartner and Forrester. We expect its emphasis will be more on market data, events, lead generation and access to buyers than on inquiry calls and procurement support.”
