The company also confirmed that it had continued to trade in line with its expectations.

The consortium declined to comment.

Informa shares closed 7.9 percent lower at 414.50 pence, underperforming the DJ Stoxx media index <.SXMP> which was 3.0 percent lower.

Press reports had speculated the bid price could now be as low as 440 to 450 pence a share, which would value the offer at 1.87 billion pounds -- still making it one of the largest leveraged buyouts since the credit crunch struck last year.

Blackstone had first formed a rival bidding group with the Investment Corporation of Dubai, but decided to switch sides once Dubai had pulled out of the partnership, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Wednesday.

Carlyle Group and Providence Equity Partners secured a financing package to back the buyout of the British group, senior banking sources told Reuters on Tuesday, improving the chances of a successful sale.

The two have assembled a group of around 12 banks to provide a leveraged loan of about 1.5 billion pounds that will finance the purchase, the banking sources said.

(Additional reporting by Kate Holton and Mike Elliott; Editing by David Holmes, Quentin Bryar and Jon Loades-Carter)