The buyers are led by CC Capital, Cannae Holdings and funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, among others. The deal will see Dun & Bradstreet shareholders receive $145.00 in cash for each of their common stock shares.

The transaction includes the assumption of $1.5bn of the company’s net debt and pension obligations.

Dun & Bradstreet was founded in the 1800s and is headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey. The company’s data cloud holds 300 million business records.

Thomas Manning, Dun & Bradstreet’s interim chairman and chief executive, will lead the company through the transaction, which is expected to close within six months, subject to shareholder approval and mandatory clearances.

James Fernandez, a director of the company and lead director since February 2018, will serve as chairman of the board until the deal has closed.

The merger agreement includes a ‘go-shop’ period of 45 days, during which Dun & Bradstreet is allowed to seek out and potentially enter into negotiations with other interested parties.

Manning said: “The announcement is the culmination of a thoughtful and comprehensive review of the value creation opportunities available to the company as part of a full portfolio and business assessment and exploration of strategic alternatives with multiple financial sponsors. As a result of this process, the Dun & Bradstreet board of directors unanimously determined that this all-cash transaction with the investor group is in the best interest of our shareholders and our company.”

Chinh Chu, senior managing director and founder of CC Capital, said: “Dun & Bradstreet is a high-quality business with a 177-year history of serving its global customer base. We look forward to working with our partners and Dun & Bradstreet’s talented team to unlock the immense potential within this venerable company.”