Nielsen Investors Plan Billion Dollar Share Sale

Nielsen has announced that a group of its shareholders is planning to sell 30 million shares of common stock, with a possible value of around $1.4bn.

The sale is being handled by Valcon Acquisition Holding on behalf of affiliates of The Blackstone Group, The Carlyle Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. Thomas H. Lee Partners, Hellman & Friedman, AlpInvest Partners, and Centerview Capital.

While the offer has not yet been priced, at yesterday's closing price of $46.96 per Nielsen share, shareholders could receive a total of around $1.4 billion as a result of the sale.

Nielsen was taken private in a $10bn buyout in 2006, by six private equity firms: Alpinvest, Blackstone, Carlyle, Hellman & Friedman, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and Thomas H Lee. In 2011, the firm announced it was preparing to take the company public in an initial public offering (IPO) for around $1.64bn or $23.00 per share.

Web site: www.nielsen.com .