Walter de Gruyter GmbH making a public offer to buy all the shares of another company, Koninklijke Brill N.V., at a price of EUR 27.50 per share. The offer period starts on the 22nd of December 2023 and ends on 15th of February 2024. There's an important meeting on the 1st of February 2024, where shareholders can discuss and vote on the offer.
The offer price is considered a good deal, offering a premium to Brill's closing price in October 2023. The management boards of both companies support the offer, and major shareholders have already committed to selling their shares. Legal approvals are in place, and the deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
The companies are combining forces to strengthen their position in the academic publishing market, especially with the increasing shift to digital and open-access publishing. The new entity, named De Gruyter Brill, aims to become a leading academic publisher in the Humanities, offering a broader range of services.
For 2025 still separate databases will be on the EISZ list.