Acquirer(s)
- Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd
Target(s)
- Harcourt Assessment
Summary
Pearson proposes to acquire Harcourt Assessment and Harcourt International from Reed Elsevier. The acquisition is to be facilitated in Australia by Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd integrating the Australian businesses of the Harcourt companies within its own operations.Market definition
The ACCC considered a national market for educational publishing.Competition analysis
The ACCC concluded that the acquisition would be unlikely to result in a substantial lessening of competition in the relevant market primarily because:i. Barriers to entry appear to be low;
ii. The market is highly competitive with a large number of competitors remaining post-acquisition;
iii. There are a large range of substitute products available to intermediaries/booksellers and end-customers.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
ACCC commenced review under the Merger Review Process Guidelines. |
|
Closing date for submissions from interested parties |
|
ACCC announced it would not oppose the proposed acquisition |