Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bureau van Dijk, a global provider of business intelligence and company information, for €3.0 billion (approximately $3.27 billion). The acquisition extends Moody’s position as a leader in risk data and analytical insight.

Highlights:

  • Builds on Moody’s role as a global provider of credit risk measures and analytical insight
  • Highly complementary business will benefit from Moody’s brand, distribution, credit expertise and analytical capabilities
  • Accretive to GAAP EPS in 2019; EPS accretive in 2018, excluding purchase price amortization and one-time integration costs
  • Increases Moody’s long term outlook for revenue and EPS growth
  • Moody’s to hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET today

Bureau van Dijk, operating from its Amsterdam headquarters, aggregates, standardizes and distributes one of the world’s most extensive private company datasets, with coverage exceeding 220 million companies. Over 30 years, the company has built partnerships with more than 160 independent information providers, creating a platform that connects customers with data that addresses a wide range of business challenges. Bureau van Dijk’s solutions support the credit analysis, investment research, tax risk, transfer pricing, compliance and third-party due diligence needs of financial institutions, corporations, professional services firms and governmental authorities worldwide.

Moody’s will fund the transaction through a combination of offshore cash and new debt financing. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in the European Union and is expected to close late in the third quarter of 2017.

Bureau van Dijk is owned by the fund EQT VI, part of EQT, a leading alternative investment firm with approximately €35 billion in raised capital across 22 funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the U.S. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

Source:  Moody’s Press Release 

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