Nielsen Rejects $15 Billion Acquisition Offer From Private-Equity Consortium

The board said the proposal ‘significantly undervalues’ the measurement company

Nielsen Holdings has rejected an acquisition offer of roughly $15 billion from a private equity consortium, explaining that the deal “significantly undervalues” the measurement company.

On Sunday night, Nielsen said its board of directors had determined not to proceed with an “unsolicited acquisition proposal” from the private equity consortium. The decision was made following a comprehensive review of the proposal and talks with the  The WindAcre Partnership, one of its largest shareholders.

“Nielsen’s Board unanimously determined that the consortium’s offer significantly undervalues the Company and does not adequately compensate shareholders for Nielsen’s growth prospects,” the company said in a statement.

The company also said that following feedback from WindAcre, which has invested in the Nielsen since 2013, the board determined that the transaction “would be highly unlikely to receive shareholder approval.”

Nielsen said it had entered into a confidentiality agreement with WindAcre at...

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