Experian has agreed to sell two price comparison businesses to Indian group Ybrant Digital for less than a quarter of their original value.
The credit ratings and data company said it was selling PriceGrabber and LowerMyBills for a combined $175m (£108m), financed via a $75m loan note and $100m in cash. The deal pales in comparison to the $815m Experian paid for the companies in 2005. Don Robert, chief executive, said the credit scoring group expected to benefit from $120m in tax gains from the deal over the next two years. He was chief executive at the time the businesses were acquired Defending the sale, he added: "Those businesses were bought at a time when our strategy was different. We wanted to provide services for people's life events, such as when they took out a mortgage, which LowerMyBills specialised in. However, this never materialised and we will focus on our core strengths."....Read more here: Experian sells businesses at less than quarter of cost - Telegraph