Dun & Bradstreet has entered an agreement to be acquired by private equity firm Clearlake Capital in a $7.7 billion deal, the data and analytics provider said today, sending its shares up about 3% before the bell.
Dun & Bradstreet's extensive corporate database and recurring revenue model make it an attractive investment for private equity firms seeking long-term growth and profitability.
The data and analytics provider's shareholders will get $9.15 in cash, Dun & Bradstreet said, adding that the equity value of the deal was $4.1 billion.
The offer represents a 4.8% premium to its last close, and an 11% discount to the closing price on August 1, a day before Reuters first reported that Dun & Bradstreet was exploring options including a sale.
The company listed its shares in New York in 2020, less than two years after an investor consortium led by CC Capital, Cannae and Thomas H Lee Partners took it private.
The purchase price will be funded by Clearlake with a combination of equity and debt financing, Dun & Bradstreet said.
The transaction, expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, provides for a "go-shop" period, during which Dun & Bradstreet will solicit and evaluate alternative proposals.
