P206 CEEFAX 2 206 Wed 12 Jan 22:46/43
    
    
  
 SAGE IN £272m BID FOR BEST SOFTWARE    
 Sage Group has made an agreed £272m    
 offer for Virginia-based Best Software.
                                        
 Sage will offer $35 in cash per Best   
 share, a 24% premium to Best's closing 
 price of $28.25 on January 10.         
                                        
 In order to fund the acquisition, Sage 
 intends to make a placing of 43.7m new 
 shares, or 3.6% of its capital, to     
 raise at least £272m.                  
                                        
 Sage said it expected the acquisition  
 to enhance its earnings by 5% in the   
 year to sjptembjr 2000 and bz 9% in the
 following year.                        
                                        
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