Pearson, the British publisher of the Financial Times and Penguin Books, has said it is on track for record annual profits after strong trading across its group during the fourth quarter.
'All around Pearson, our investments in content and technology are paying off,' said chief executive Marjorie Scardino. Pearson is due to publish its full-year results on February 26.
Last week Pearson's share price shot up to the highest level in more than four years on mounting speculation that the group would soon face a takeover bid from private equity groups.
Analysts say Pearson is seen as attractive target because its different businesses can easily be broken up and sold, and also due to the reliability of its US-based education publishing business. Pearson made no comment on the bid speculation in its trading update.
