TWO American private-equity giants are assembling a £6 billion-plus (€8.8 billion) bid for Experian, the business and information services group that is expected to be demerged from GUS this year.

Hellman & Friedman and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) are in the early stages of putting together an offer and have approached banks about financing a potential deal.

The two buyout specialists are keen to sign up other private-equity firms to join them in writing what would amount to one of the largest leveraged buyout cheques ever signed in Britain.

A recent Deutsche Bank research note suggested that a separate US listing for Experian could value the business as high as £6.8 billion.

Sources close to discussions were cautious, pointing out that a firm bid for Experian might not materialise from private-equity groups and that any formal offer to GUS or Experian was still some months away.

However, word that they are wanting to gatecrash the break-up of GUS, which also owns the Argos and Homebase retail chains, will again raise the threshold for the ambitions of buyout firms in Britain.

Hellman & Friedman and KKR are also members of the private-equity consortium bidding for the Dutch business information group VNU. The other partners in that deal include Blackstone, Carlyle Group, Permira and Thomas H Lee.

GUS, whose chairman, Sir Victor Blank, intends to step down once the demerger is completed, has said that it is looking at ways to break up the company and realise value for shareholders. It has already demerged the Burberry fashion label, which now has a market value of £1.9 billion.

Experian is a global information services firm that handles activities such as credit checks. Last year it reported sales of £2.7 billion, the bulk of which were generated in America.

Experian’s management, including its acquisitive chief executive, Don Roberts, will this week attend the Deutsche Bank retail conference, held at Milton Keynes, to update investors on the company’s progress.

GUS, KKR and Hellman & Friedman declined to comment.

o The private-equity groups Apax Partners, CVC Capital and Texas Pacific Group are understood to be considering a joint bid for Boots, the high-street pharmacist.

Boots is expected this week to see its £7.6 billion merger with Alliance Unichem referred to the Competition Commission. Deutsche Bank is understood to be advising the firms.

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