London - Reuters, the global information and news group, has acquired a 25% stake in Interactive Forecasting Ltd, a UK company specialising in advanced financial modelling software. The investment has been made as part of Reuters new business development `greenhouse' programme, which invests in new technology and content companies and identifies new market opportunities for Reuters. The net assets of Interactive Forecasting on 31 August 1998 were £92,000 and the consideration is not material to Reuters.

The innovative products developed by Interactive Forecasting enable users to develop their own business model forecasts reliably and with greater application integrity than conventional modelling tools. They can be used for private and public company valuations and are powerful enough to model a range of prospective complex global transactions.

John Taysom, Reuters director of new business development, commented: "We are always looking for opportunities for Reuters to make targeted investments in technology and content companies to which we can bring expertise and a diverse global customer base. In return, Reuters gains access to entrepreneurs who generate new ideas, technologies and products. Interactive Forecasting meets these criteria."

Geoff Bristow, chief executive, Interactive Forecasting, said: "A relationship with Reuters will allow us to develop a range of products that will appeal equally to investment banks, M&A professionals and corporate finance staff. Interactive Forecasting has developed core compiler technology that enables rigorous valuation models to be generated quickly and exported to run on desk-top PCs. Reuters data and information complement our valuation models."

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Contact:

Reuters

John Taysom Tel: 0171 542 8151
Director of New Business Development
john.taysom@reuters.com

Geoff Wicks Tel: 0171 542 8666
Director, Corporate Relations
geoff.wicks@reuters com

Adrian Duffield Tel: 0171 542 4728
Manager, Corporate Relations
adrian.duffield@reuters.com

Interactive Forecasting

Dr Geoff Bristow Tel: 0171 766 7000 Chief Executive

Notes to Editors

Interactive Forecasting was founded by Dr Geoff Bristow, a former company doctor, who has in the past been involved with many successful M&A projects. Interactive Forecasting produces a number of different modelling systems under the if… brand and their clients include a number of blue chip organisations.

Reuters supplies the global financial markets and the news media with the widest range of information and news products including real-time financial data, collective investment data, numerical, textual, historical and graphical databases plus news, graphics, news video, and news pictures, reaching 457,000 users located in 57,200 organisations. Reuters designs and installs enterprise-wide information management and risk management systems for the financial markets as well as providing equity and foreign exchange transaction systems. It extensively uses internet technologies for wider distribution of information and news. The Group employed 16,699 staff in 215 cities in 91 countries at 30 June 1998.

Reuters is the world's largest news and television agency with 2,035 journalists, photographers and camera operators in 169 bureaux serving 163 countries. News is published in 25 languages.

For more details see www.reuters.com/aboutreuters/media.htm

Reuters and the dotted and sphere logos are the house trademarks of Reuters Limited.