Publishing group Wolters Kluwer expects there to be slow but steady economic recovery in 2010, after booking worse than expected figures in 2009.

The publisher of academic, medical and legal books said in a statement sales rose 2% to just over €3.4bn in 2009 on net profit down at €110m, compared with €315m a year earlier.
CEO Nancy McKinstry said the company expects the merger and acquisition market to grow in 2010. ‘We will make opportunist trades,’ news agency ANP quoted her as saying. The company has up to €300m available for acquisitions, she said.