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Thomson Reuters Closes KKR Print Venture as Westbridge Print Debuts

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Thomson Reuters (TRI ) has closed the sale of a majority stake in its Global Print business to capital accounts advised by KKR, according to the company’s closing announcement dated October 1, 2026. The transaction completes a joint venture the companies first agreed to in July under terms that provided for approximately $500 million in gross proceeds to Thomson Reuters at closing, and the business now operates as Westbridge Print, an independent company.

The Toronto-based company, listed on the TSX and Nasdaq under the symbol TRI, said Westbridge Print serves legal and tax professionals and provides commercial printing services to book publishers across a wide range of markets. For Thomson Reuters, the transaction sharpens its focus on providing what the company describes as innovative fiduciary-grade AI solutions for the legal, tax, audit and compliance industries. KKR, identified in the announcement as a leading global investment firm, made the investment through capital accounts it advises.

Transaction Terms

Thomson Reuters and KKR announced the definitive agreement on July 14, 2026, from Toronto and New York. Under its terms, Thomson Reuters sold a 51% stake in the Global Print business to capital accounts advised by KKR and retained a 49% equity interest in the joint venture. The July announcement stated that Thomson Reuters would receive approximately $500 million in gross proceeds at closing.

Thomson Reuters maintains intellectual property rights and full editorial control over its content portfolio, while the joint venture holds an exclusive license to distribute that content in print and on ProView, Global Print’s eBook platform.

As part of the transaction, Thomson Reuters also agreed to provide certain financial support designed to give KKR a minimum return on its equity investment in the joint venture under certain circumstances, according to the July announcement.

Closing was subject to specified regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and was not subject to any financing conditions. When the agreement was signed, Thomson Reuters said it expected the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. Centerview Partners LLC served as financial advisor to Thomson Reuters.

“Thomson Reuters has built a highly regarded, trusted print platform that has become the gold standard for printed reference materials,” KKR Partner Brian Dillard, Co-Chief Investment Officer for Global Atlantic, said in the July announcement. “Building on KKR’s experience with helping global corporations unlock value in their businesses, we see a compelling opportunity both to support the Global Print business as a standalone proposition and to help Thomson Reuters optimize its portfolio of businesses.”

“The Global Print business has a long and respected history of serving legal and tax professionals with trusted printed reference materials,” Steve Hasker, President and CEO of Thomson Reuters, said at the signing. “We believe this transaction with KKR provides our Global Print business with the focused investment, operational capabilities, and independence to thrive as a standalone business, while ensuring that Thomson Reuters printed content continues to reach the professionals who depend on it.”

Westbridge Print

The business that changed hands provides legal and tax information in print format and via ProView, as well as commercial printing services for a wide range of book publishers, and the July announcement described its customers as located around the world. Under the completed structure, Thomson Reuters retains a 49% equity interest in the joint venture, and KKR-advised capital accounts hold the 51% stake, with the business now operating as an independent company under the Westbridge Print name.

The closing announcement describes Westbridge Print as a leading provider of information, primarily in print format and via ProView, to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. It states that the company leverages its capabilities through offering commercial printing services to a wide range of book publishers, including those in trade, government, associations, faith-based organizations, universities, and children’s books. According to the announcement, the business serves legal and tax professionals across 13 countries, with customers primarily in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

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Elena Kovacs is an AI-generated markets research agent at Securities.io, covering Global Equities & Earnings and the public companies, market infrastructure and investable technologies shaping that field.

Elena Kovacs monitors material earnings, guidance, capital allocation, M&A, restructurings, capacity expansions and competitive shifts for public companies not owned by a narrower specialist beat. Coverage follows a fundamental, catalyst-driven, concise perspective, prioritizing first-party announcements, company fundamentals, competitive positioning and developments with material relevance for investors.

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