Nielsen Postpones Court and Special Meetings of Shareholders to Permit Finalization of Preliminary Agreement Between Consortium and WindAcre

Rhea-AI Summary

Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) has postponed its court and special meetings of shareholders initially scheduled for today. The meetings aimed to vote on proposals regarding its acquisition by a private equity consortium led by Evergreen Coast Capital and Brookfield Business Partners. The delay will enable the consortium to finalize a preliminary agreement with WindAcre Partnership, which holds about 27% of Nielsen's shares, to receive $28 per share for its remaining shares. The Board of Directors still recommends shareholder approval of the acquisition.

Positive

• Acquisition proposal remains supported by Nielsen's Board of Directors.
• WindAcre's potential inclusion in the consortium may secure shareholder consensus.

Negative

• Meetings' postponement indicates uncertainties in finalizing the acquisition agreement.
• Risks related to securing shareholder approval and finalizing terms with WindAcre.

NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) today announced that the court meeting and the special meeting of its shareholders ("the Meetings") due to be held today have been postponed. The purpose of the Meetings was to consider and vote on proposals to give effect to the transaction contemplated by the previously announced definitive agreement for the Company to be acquired by a private equity consortium (the "Consortium") composed of Evergreen Coast Capital Corp., an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P., and Brookfield Business Partners L.P. together with other institutional partners (collectively "Brookfield"). The Meetings have been postponed to allow the Consortium to seek to finalize a preliminary agreement with The WindAcre Partnership LLC ("WindAcre"), the beneficial owner of approximately 27% of Nielsen's ordinary shares. 

Under the preliminary agreement, WindAcre would join the Consortium with respect to a portion of its shares and would receive $28 per share – the same price to be paid to all other shareholders – for its remaining shares. Although there can be no assurance that the preliminary agreement will be finalized, assuming it is finalized, the Company will supplement its proxy statement to reflect the terms of the agreement between the Consortium and WindAcre and will present the transaction to shareholders for approval as expeditiously as possible. 

Nielsen and the Consortium remain bound by the terms of the definitive agreement to give effect to the proposed transaction, and Nielsen's Board of Directors has made no change to its recommendation that its shareholders vote in favor of all of the proposals at the meetings to approve and give effect to the proposed transaction.

Advisors

J.P. Morgan and Allen & Company LLC are acting as lead financial advisors to Nielsen. PJT Partners is also acting as an advisor to Nielsen, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Clifford Chance LLP, DLA Piper, and Baker McKenzie are serving as legal advisors to Nielsen. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Herbert Smith Freehills LLP are serving as legal advisors to Evergreen and the Consortium, and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is acting as legal advisor to Brookfield. BofA Securities, Barclays, Credit Suisse, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., and Citi are serving as financial advisors to Evergreen and Brookfield.

About Elliott and Evergreen

Elliott Investment Management L.P. manages approximately $55.7 billion of assets as of June 30, 2022. Its flagship fund, Elliott Associates, L.P., was founded in 1977, making it one of the oldest funds under continuous management. The Elliott funds' investors include pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, funds-of-funds, high net worth individuals and families, and employees of the firm. Evergreen Coast Capital Corp. is Elliott's Menlo Park affiliate, which focuses on technology investing.

About Brookfield Business Partners

Brookfield Business Partners is a global business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that provide essential products and services and benefit from a strong competitive position. Investors have flexibility to invest in our company either through Brookfield Business Corporation (NYSE, TSX:BBUC), a corporation, or Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE: BBU; TSX:BBU.UN), a limited partnership. For more information, please visit https://bbu.brookfield.com.

Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield Asset Management's Private Equity Group. Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $750 billion of assets under management. More information is available at www.brookfield.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes information that could constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include those set forth above relating to the proposed transaction as well as those that may be identified by words such as "will," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "could" and similar expressions. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and events could differ materially from what presently is expected, including regarding the proposed transaction and Nielsen ONE. Factors leading thereto may include, without limitation, the risks related to Ukraine conflict or the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and financial markets, the uncertainties relating to the impact of the Ukraine conflict or the COVID-19 pandemic on Nielsen's business, the failure of Nielsen's new business strategy in accomplishing Nielsen's objectives, economic or other conditions in the markets Nielsen is engaged in, impacts of actions and behaviors of customers, suppliers and competitors, technological developments, as well as legal and regulatory rules and processes affecting Nielsen's business, the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the transaction agreement entered into pursuant to the proposed transaction (the "Agreement"), the possibility that Nielsen shareholders may not approve the proposed transaction, the risk that the parties to the Agreement may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all, risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Nielsen's ordinary shares, the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction, the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of Nielsen to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and other business relationships and on its operating results and business generally, the risk the pending proposed transaction could distract management of Nielsen, and other specific risk factors that are outlined in Nielsen's disclosure filings and materials, which you can find on http://www.nielsen.com/investors, such as its 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports that have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Please consult these documents for a more complete understanding of these risks and uncertainties. This list of factors is not intended to be exhaustive. Such forward-looking statements only speak as of the date of these materials, and Nielsen assumes no obligation to update any written or oral forward-looking statement made by Nielsen or on its behalf as a result of new information, future events or other factors, except as required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication relates to the proposed transaction involving Nielsen. In connection with the proposed transaction, Nielsen will file relevant materials with the SEC, including Nielsen's definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed on July 8, 2022 (the "Proxy Statement"). This communication is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or for any other document that Nielsen may file with the SEC and send to its shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. The proposed transaction will be submitted to Nielsen's shareholders for their consideration. Before making any voting decision, Nielsen's shareholders are urged to read all relevant documents filed or to be filed with the SEC, including the Proxy Statement, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, when they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction.

Nielsen's shareholders are able to obtain a free copy of the Proxy Statement, as well as other filings containing information about Nielsen, without charge, at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Copies of the Proxy Statement and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to Nielsen Holdings plc, 675 6th Avenue New York, NY 10010, Attention: Investor Relations; telephone (410) 717-7134, or from Nielsen's website www.nielsen.com.

Participants in the Solicitation

Nielsen and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Nielsen's directors and executive officers is available in Nielsen's definitive proxy statement for its 2022 Annual General Meeting, which was filed with the SEC on April 5, 2022. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, are contained in the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction when they become available. Free copies of the Proxy Statement and such other materials may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

About Nielsen

Nielsen shapes the world's media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences—now and into the future.

An S&P 500 company, Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

Investor Relations: Sara Gubins, +1 646 283 7571; sara.gubins@nielsen.com
Media Relations: Connie Kim, +1 240 274 9999; connie.kim@nielsen.com

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nielsen-postpones-court-and-special-meetings-of-shareholders-to-permit-finalization-of-preliminary-agreement-between-consortium-and-windacre-301602318.html

SOURCE Nielsen Holdings plc

FAQ

What prompted Nielsen to postpone its shareholder meetings on Aug. 9, 2022?

Nielsen postponed its shareholder meetings to finalize a preliminary agreement with WindAcre Partnership in relation to its acquisition by a private equity consortium.

What is the proposed acquisition price for Nielsen's shares?

The proposed acquisition price for Nielsen's shares is $28 per share.

Who are the members of the consortium acquiring Nielsen?

The consortium includes Evergreen Coast Capital and Brookfield Business Partners, among other institutional partners.

What percentage of Nielsen's shares does WindAcre Partnership own?

WindAcre Partnership beneficially owns approximately 27% of Nielsen's ordinary shares.

What are the risks involved with Nielsen's acquisition process?

Risks include the need for shareholder approval, potential delays in finalizing the agreement, and uncertainties due to external factors like market conditions.