Hewitt may Acquire Watson Wyatt

Hewitt Associates could be a potential buyer for competing consulting firm Watson Wyatt.

Hewitt has made more than USD 1 billion of acquisitions in the past few years.
In 2002, it bought the UK’s Bacon & Woodrow for USD 259 million. It also acquired HR firm Exult for around USD 776 million in 2004.

Although Hewitt indicated HR outsourcing as a major driver of its revenue and profit growth, so far it has not hinted at any new acquisitions.

In August 2005, Watson Wyatt completed the acquisition of its UK-based affiliate firm in an effort to increase its long-term profitability and stockholder value. It repurchased more than 800,000 shares in 4Q 2004 – giving investors around USD 21 million.

Officials from both Hewitt and Watson Wyatt declined to comment on the planned acquisition.





Reported by ipe.com