Experian purchases Hitwise for $240 million

Internet marketing information company Hitwise has been purchased by Experian Group Ltd.

by Helen Leggatt

experian%20logo.jpg Credit checking company, Experian, has paid $240 million for Hitwise. In a statement on Thursday, Experian said ‘the acquisition is expected to be neutral to benchmark earnings in the year to March 2008 and generate a double-digit return in the third full financial year on a fully taxed basis’.

Experian provides a credit checking service, but is shifting its emphasis towards the internet. "We have been successfully repositioning our marketing solutions business to meet our clients' needs as they continue to switch more of their advertising spend online," said Don Robert, Experian’s Chief Executive.

Hitwise, a leading marketing intelligence provider, tracks the internet usage of around 25m and reports on almost a million websites a day. Their client list includes the likes of Google, AXA and eBay.

“Over the last 10 years, Hitwise has developed a truly unique digital intelligence service that helps inform the online marketing strategies of 1,200 clients around the world every day," said Andrew Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of Hitwise. "We are excited to become part of Experian, having worked with them for over four years. We will now be able to accelerate Hitwise’s growth and profitability through access to Experian’s wider pool of data, tools and clients, while more quickly expanding our global footprint.”