LONDON--Reed Elsevier PLC (REL.LN), a provider of publishing and professional information services, said Wednesday that it purchased through UBS Ltd 247,250 Reed Elsevier ordinary shares at a price of 650.7304 pence per share, adding that the shares will be held as treasury shares.

MAIN FACTS:

-Reed Elsevier NV purchased--through UBS Ltd 143,500 Reed Elsevier NV ordinary shares at a price of EUR11.2686 per share to hold in treasury.

-Shares closed Wednesday at 652.0 pence, valuing the company at GBP7.77 billion.

-Write to Razak Musah Baba at razak.baba@dowjones.com

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires