Verisk Ends Effort to Acquire AccuLynx
Rhea-AI Summary
Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) said it has terminated its definitive agreement to acquire AccuLynx after the Federal Trade Commission did not complete its review by the Dec. 26, 2025 termination date.
The company will redeem the $1.50 billion of senior notes issued for the planned acquisition at 101% of principal plus accrued interest, as required by the notes’ mandatory redemption provision. Pro forma for the redemption, Verisk’s leverage at Sept. 30, 2025 would have been 1.9x LTM adjusted EBITDA. As of Sept. 30, 2025 Verisk had $1.2 billion remaining capacity under its share repurchase authorization. AccuLynx disputes the termination; Verisk disagrees and intends to defend that position.
Positive
- Pro forma leverage at Sept. 30, 2025: 1.9x LTM adjusted EBITDA
- Share repurchase capacity remaining: $1.2 billion
- Redeemed acquisition notes to remove related debt obligations
Negative
- Termination ends planned acquisition of AccuLynx
- Redemption of $1.50 billion notes at 101% creates near-term cash outflow
- AccuLynx disputes termination, creating potential litigation risk
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Key peers EFX, BAH, FCN, HURN, and CPRT showed small gains between 0.19% and 0.85%, while VRSK was up 0.68% pre-news. Momentum scanners did not flag a coordinated sector move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10 | Cyber partnership | Positive | -0.7% | Expanded KYND collaboration integrating cyber risk intelligence into Rulebook. |
| Dec 2 | Fraud tools integration | Positive | +0.4% | Carpe Data fraud-detection solutions added into Verisk ClaimSearch ecosystem. |
| Nov 12 | Pricing engine tie-up | Positive | -1.1% | Earnix integrated with ISO ERC to speed commercial lines adoption. |
| Nov 3 | Loss estimate update | Neutral | -1.5% | Estimated Hurricane Melissa insured losses of <b>$2.2–$4.2B</b> in Jamaica. |
| Oct 29 | Q3 2025 earnings | Positive | -10.4% | Revenue and EBITDA growth with higher free cash flow and dividend declaration. |
Recent news has often been constructive, yet several announcements were followed by negative 24-hour moves, indicating a tendency toward downside or muted reactions even on positive updates.
Over the last few months, Verisk reported solid Q3 2025 growth, multiple technology integrations (Earnix, Carpe Data, KYND) and provided loss estimates for Hurricane Melissa. Despite generally positive operational updates, price reactions were mixed, including a -10.4% move after earnings and other small declines after partnership news. Against this backdrop, today’s termination of the AccuLynx acquisition contrasts with earlier expansionary announcements and interacts with prior disclosure that the deal was under FTC review.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement details Verisk’s decision to end the planned $2.35 billion AccuLynx acquisition and redeem $1.50 billion of related senior notes at 101% of principal. Pro forma leverage would have been 1.9x LTM adjusted EBITDA, with $1.2 billion of remaining share repurchase capacity, underscoring capital return flexibility. Investors may watch how any dispute over the merger agreement progresses and how Verisk balances organic investment with buybacks and dividends.
Key Terms
federal trade commission regulatory
senior notes financial
special mandatory redemption financial
merger agreement regulatory
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Executes Plan to Redeem Acquisition-Related Debt
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Dec. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK), a leading global data analytics and technology provider, announced today that it has terminated its definitive agreement to purchase AccuLynx. This decision follows the notification by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it has not completed its review of the transaction by the December 26, 2025 termination date set forth in the agreement.
The Company also announced that it will redeem the
Lee Shavel, president and CEO of Verisk, stated, “Verisk remains committed to our capital allocation discipline – balancing organic investment in our highest return on capital opportunities while returning capital to shareholders through dividend and repurchases. We continue to have confidence in our ability to deliver results in line with our long-term growth targets for this year, for 2026 and beyond.”
AccuLynx has notified Verisk that it believes Verisk’s termination of the merger agreement is invalid. Verisk strongly disagrees with this assertion and intends to vigorously defend against any such assertions.
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About Verisk
Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) is a leading strategic data analytics and technology partner to the global insurance industry. It empowers clients to strengthen operating efficiency, improve underwriting and claims outcomes, combat fraud and make informed decisions about global risks, including climate change, catastrophic events, sustainability and political issues. Through advanced data analytics, software, scientific research and deep industry knowledge, Verisk helps build global resilience for individuals, communities and businesses. With teams across more than 20 countries, Verisk consistently earns certification by Great Place to Work and fosters an inclusive culture where all team members feel they belong. For more, visit Verisk.com and the Verisk Newsroom.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. This includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding expectations of meeting long-term growth targets. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “target,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond our control and that could materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance. Other factors that could materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements can be found in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, annual reports on Form 10-K, and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from what we projected. Any forward-looking statement in this Current Report on 8-K reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties, and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy, and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Investor Relations Stacey Brodbar Head of Investor Relations, Verisk 201-469-4327 stacey.brodbar@verisk.com Media Amy Ebenstein Public Relations, Verisk 551-225-0585 amy.ebenstein@verisk.com
FAQ
Why did Verisk (VRSK) terminate the acquisition of AccuLynx on Dec. 29, 2025?
How much debt will Verisk (VRSK) redeem related to the AccuLynx deal?
What is Verisk's (VRSK) pro forma leverage after the note redemption?
Does Verisk (VRSK) still have capital for buybacks after the AccuLynx termination?
Will the AccuLynx dispute affect Verisk (VRSK) financially?
