The deal marks 2017’s first significant merger in the advisory, research and analysis industry.

Gartner Inc, an IT research and an advisory company, has disclosed that it is set to acquire CEB Inc, a provider of business research and analysis, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $2.6 billion.

The acquisition will expand and broaden Gartner’s research business, which includes research and analysis of law, sales, finance and human resources.

For the acquisition, Gartner has offered $54 in cash and 0.2284 of its shares for each CEB share. The deal represents a premium of nearly 25% to CEB’s share price as of Wednesday’s close.

However in premarket trading, CEB’s share prices were up by 16.4% at $72.05. This is still below the net offer price of $77.25 per share.

As of Wednesday’s close, Gartner’s shares which closed at $101.79, were untraded.

After the acquisition, Gartner’s shareholders will own around 91% of the combined company.

According to Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner, the merger will almost immediately add to its adjusted earnings per share after completion, which is expected to be sometime in the first half of 2017.

Gartner has stated the boost to its adjusted EPS is expected to be “double-digit percentage accretive” to adjusted EPS in 2018.

While Centerview Partners LLC acted as lead advisers to CEB, Allen & Co LLC also advised CEB on this deal. Goldman Sachs & Co along with Evercore were Gartner’s advisers.

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Tags: 2017, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted EPS, Allen & Co, analysis, business research, cash and stock deal, CEB, Centerview Partners, Evercore, finance, Gartner, Goldman Sachs, human resources, law, lead advisors, merger and acquisition, sales