VNU shareholders offered improved bid from buyout team

by Joe Lepper, Brand Republic 08-May-06, 08:00

LONDON - The buyout team courting Dutch media and research giant VNU has made an improved offer of €8.7bn (£6bn) for the firm, after its initial €7.5bn bid was rejected earlier this year.

The firm, which owns market research giant ACNielsen, is now considering the offer by the buyout group, which is called Valcon and includes Alpinvest, Blackstone, Carlyle KKR, Hellman & Friedman and Thomas Lee.

The new deal includes an increase in the offer price for ordinary shares by €0.75 to €29.50 and an increase by €8 to €21 in the offer price for preferred shares.

The new offer also lowers the acceptance level threshold for ordinary shares from 95% to 80%. As part of the new offer the acceptance period has also been extended from May 5 to May 19.

Following the announcement, shares in VNU, which has a magazine portfolio including US titles such as Hollywood Reporter and Billboard as well as UK titles including Computer Active and Personal Computer World, leapt by 4.8% to €29.09.

Last month Eric Knight, the managing director of investment firm Knight Vinke and leading investor in VNU, proposed an alternative plan, including a partial tender of 30% of the firm as well as a relaunch and the sale of its magazine arm.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.