S&P affirms Informa BBB rating after Clarion deal for Informa stock

Published on 10/18/2026 at 13:44 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Clarion adds 100-plus B2B brands and a GBP 940 million equity raise. S&P's BBB view puts Informa stock on a 3.50x leverage path.

Deal and balance sheet signals

Informa agreed the GBP 2.24 billion Clarion acquisition on October 6, 2026.
S&P Global Ratings affirmed its BBB rating on October 14, 2026, while projecting 3.50x adjusted debt to EBITDA in 2026.
The next ten-month trading update is scheduled for November 17, 2026.

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Informa (ISIN GB00BMJ6DW54) is reshaping its portfolio through a GBP 2.24 billion Clarion acquisition while S&P Global Ratings keeps its BBB rating. The October 6, 2026 transaction adds 100-plus business-to-business event brands and comes with a GBP 940 million equity placing, as Reuters reported.

Clarion changes the growth mix

Financial Times carried Informa's RNS announcement that the deal should lift annual B2B Live Events revenue above GBP 4.2 billion and create a business with 7 percent or higher underlying growth. The company also plans to separate Taylor & Francis, whose annual revenue is approaching USD 1 billion and whose underlying growth is 4 percent.

The transaction is expected to deliver mid-single-digit adjusted diluted earnings per share enhancement in 2027, while the placing represents about 9 percent of issued share capital. Informa expects net debt to EBITDA to remain below 3.00x at the end of 2026 and below 2.50x at the end of 2027.

What does the rating mean?

S&P Global Ratings affirmed its BBB rating on October 14, 2026. Its adjusted debt-to-EBITDA estimate rises toward 3.50x in 2026 before falling to 2.60x in 2027, while free operating cash flow to debt is projected below 20 percent in 2026 and above 25 percent in 2027.

Three dated steps for Informa

On July 30, 2026, Informa reported 6.8 percent underlying revenue growth for the first half, including 8.0 percent growth in B2B Live Events, according to TSNN. On October 6, 2026, the company announced the Clarion acquisition for GBP 2.24 billion. On October 14, 2026, S&P Global Ratings affirmed the BBB rating and outlined the 3.50x leverage peak.

Upcoming dates matter

Informa's financial calendar lists the next ten-month trading update for November 17, 2026 and the 2026 full-year results for March 11, 2027, according to the Informa investor page. These dates should provide the next formal checks on trading progress, financing and the proposed Academic Markets separation.

Stock context after the transaction

Informa's last LSE quote was GBp 883.60 on October 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. London time, within its GBp 719.00 to GBp 1,000.00 52-week range. The market capitalization was GBP 12.0 billion on that date.

The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Informa stock.