IDC Interactive Data Corp.

Pearson Interim Results (Unaudited) Six Months Ended 30 June 2005 LONDON, July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, we report our financial results in sterling. We also issue this interim results statement in the US, which shows our reported results in dollars for illustrative purposes only. Here, in line with our previous US results announcements, we have re-translated our results into dollars using the period end sterling: dollar exchange rate of 1 pounds sterling: $1.79. -- Underlying sales up 10% and operating profit from continuing operations higher at 33m pounds ($59m) (7m pounds ($13m) in 2004) with good growth in all businesses; -- Pearson Education sales up 14%. Higher Education up 5%, Professional up 12% and School, our largest business, up 19%; all benefiting from investments in content, testing and technology; -- FT Group sales up 5% and profits up 34%; Financial Times advertising revenues up 5% and IDC profits up 23%; -- Penguin sales up 5%, with record bestseller performance and stronger first-half phasing. Marjorie Scardino, chief executive, said: "We are very pleased with the start we've made on 2005. We still have the majority of the year's trading ahead of us, but the first-half momentum supports our confidence that we will meet our financial goals." Half Half Half Half Underlying Full Full year year year year growth year year 2005 2005 2004 2004 2004 2004 m pounds m pounds m pounds m pounds m pounds m pounds Sales 1,613 2,887 1,481 2,651 10% 3,696 6,616 Business performance Adjusted operating profit -- continuing 33 59 7 13 395 707 Discontinued (Recoletos) (3) (5) 17 30 26 47 Adjusted (loss) / profit before tax (9) (16) (16) (29) 345 618 Adjusted (loss) / earnings (15) (27) (22) (39) 217 388 Adjusted (loss) / earnings per share (1.9)p (3.4)

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