Clearlake Capital Group is in the final stages of acquiring Dun & Bradstreet Holdings Inc., a leading data and analytics provider on Wall Street, for around $4 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. The private equity firm is reportedly close to securing a deal to purchase the Jacksonville-based company for approximately $9 per share, with an announcement expected as early as next week. Despite Dun & Bradstreet's stock dropping by about 12% in the past year, its shares saw an increase of up to 5.9% in trading on Friday, closing at $8.73 each, giving the company a market value of approximately $3.85 billion. With debt included, the company's current valuation stands at around $7.24 billion.

There will be a designated go-shop period during which Dun & Bradstreet will entertain other potential bids, as the company has also attracted interest from various private equity firms. While discussions with Clearlake Capital Group are advanced, there is still a possibility of delays or complications, say the sources who chose to remain anonymous. Representatives for Clearlake and Dun & Bradstreet were not available for immediate comment.

Dun & Bradstreet has a long history as one of the oldest data providers on Wall Street, originating in the 1840s as a network of correspondents assessing businesses' creditworthiness. The company has even had four US Presidents - Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, and William McKinley - working for them at various points. If the acquisition by Clearlake progresses, it would be the second time in seven years that Dun & Bradstreet transitions from a public to a private entity. In 2018, a group of investors led by CC Capital, Cannae Holdings Inc., and Thomas H. Lee Partners acquired the company for $6.9 billion, including debt. Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, is a competitor to Dun & Bradstreet in the financial information sector.