The Business Matrix: Saturday 30 November 2013

Pearson to sell Mergermarket

Textbooks publisher and media group Pearson has agreed the sale of Mergermarket to funds advised by BC Partners in a £382m deal including debt. Mergermarket provides financial news, intelligence and analysis to a range of firms.

Thames defers tax as it invests £10bn

Thames Water is expecting to defer corporation tax for the next decade as it looks to invest £1bn a year on updating its pipes and sewerage system. The UK’s biggest water company saw half-yearly profits rise 19 per cent to £134m.

Netherlands loses triple-A rating

A downbeat view on the Netherlands’ growth prospects has prompted Standard & Poor’s to downgrade its credit rating from a top triple-A score to AA-plus.

Blackwell poised to take chair at Lloyds

Lord Blackwell, a former Downing Street adviser to John Major and Margaret Thatcher, is set to become the next chairman of state-backed Lloyds Banking Group.