News
VNU shareholders and management at odds over $9 billion bid
Reuters has reported that VNU shareholders will likely reject an offer of $9 billion for the company on the grounds that the offer is too low. Shareholders continue to believe the company will have more value if broken into parts to sell off separately. Management have indicated a willingness to consider the offer which includes an agreement not to break up the company for at least eighteen months after the deal closes.
VNU shareholders and management have disagreed before when management tried to merge with IMS Health. That deal ultimately fell through in November 2005. How this plays out has a bearing on the stock photo industry in so far as VNU owns the stock photo web-site service, IPN, and its related stock licensing site, IPNStock, as well as the photography trade magazine “Photo District News” and the trade show business, PhotoPlus Expo. Any of the big three stock photo companies might find these assets tempting. IPN and IPNStock appear to fit nicely with Jupiter’s Internet community-oriented strategy. Jupiter also has trade show experience, though they have recently sold the bulk of this business. Corbis and Getty might find IPN and IPNStock complimentary to their businesses as well.
Posted in: News, Stock Photo Companies
