Reed Elsevier unveiled the biggest restructuring of its publishing and information businesses for almost a decade on Thursday with plans to cut its exposure to print and advertising and concentrate on higher-growth online and subscription activities.

Shares in the Anglo-Dutch group jumped 7.5 per cent or 43.5p to 627.5p on news of a $4.1bn bid for ChoicePoint, a US risk management and data collection company which earns 80 per cent of its profits from the insurance industry.