Dun & Bradstreet Merger: Director Reports Disposal of All Shares for $9.15 Each
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Form 4 filed by director James Quella reports a corporate merger that cancelled Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. common stock and converted shares to cash. On 08/26/2025 the reporting person recorded a disposition of 1,146,143 shares resulting from a merger under an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated March 23, 2025. Under the Merger Agreement each outstanding common share was cancelled and converted into the right to receive $9.15 in cash per share, subject to applicable tax withholdings. The filing also states that restricted stock awards held by board members (other than the CEO) were converted into the right to receive the same cash Merger Consideration plus accumulated unpaid dividend equivalent rights. The amount of common stock beneficially owned by the reporting person after the transaction is reported as 0 shares.
Positive
- Merger completed with cash consideration of $9.15 per share, providing liquidity to shareholders
- All outstanding restricted stock awards held by certain directors were converted into cash plus accumulated dividend equivalents
- Reporting shows clear disposition and post-transaction beneficial ownership of 0 shares, confirming transaction mechanics
Negative
- Public common stock was cancelled, eliminating publicly traded equity in the issuer
- Board members (excluding CEO) had restricted awards converted to cash, ending their equity exposure to future public upside
Insights
TL;DR: The company was taken private via merger; shareholders received $9.15 per share in cash and public equity was cancelled.
The filing documents the closing mechanics of a merger in which the issuer became a wholly owned subsidiary of the buyer. The transaction effected a complete cash-out of public common stock at a fixed price of $9.15 per share, extinguishing outstanding public equity and converting director-held restricted stock into cash plus accrued dividend equivalents. This is a material corporate transaction with direct liquidity implications for former public shareholders. The filing is procedural—reporting the disposition and post-transaction zero beneficial ownership for a director—rather than providing valuation analysis or background on negotiation terms.
TL;DR: Governance outcome: public board equity positions were monetized and public reporting obligations for the issuer will cease as it is now privately held.
The Form 4 confirms that board members (excluding the CEO in one clause) received cash in lieu of equity, including conversion of time- and performance-based restricted stock awards into cash plus unpaid dividend equivalents. For insiders this converts ownership stakes into cash and ends their public equity holdings. The filing indicates the issuer survives the merger as a private subsidiary, which will alter governance dynamics and end SEC reporting by the public company. The document is limited to transaction reporting and does not include financial fairness opinions or post-close governance arrangements.
Insider Trade Summary
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disposition | Common Stock | 1,146,143 | $0.00 | -- |
Footnotes (1)
- Pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (as amended from time to time, the "Merger Agreement") dated as of March 23, 2025 by and among the Issuer, Denali Intermediate Holdings, Inc., ("Parent"), and Denali Buyer, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent ("Merger Sub"), Merger Sub merged with and into the Issuer (the "Merger"), with the Issuer surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, among other things, (i) each outstanding share of the common stock of the Issuer was cancelled and converted into the right to receive $9.15 in cash per share without interest and subject to deduction for any applicable withholding taxes (the "Merger Consideration") and (ii) each outstanding restricted stock award subject to time-based or performance-based vesting conditions, whether vested or unvested, held by a member of the board of directors of the Issuer (other than the Chief Executive Officer), was converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration plus all accumulated but unpaid dividend equivalent rights with respect to such shares.