¶ Combination significantly enhances value of IHS products and
services by adding critical economic-focused offerings to IHS
portfolio; new name is IHS Global Insight
IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), a leading global source of critical information and
insight, today announced it has completed the closing of its acquisition
of Global Insight, Inc., the recognized leader in providing the most
comprehensive global economic information, analysis and consulting
services to corporations, financial institutions and governments around
the world. The acquisition closed for $118 million in cash and
approximately 1.3 million shares of IHS common stock, which are valued
at $47 million based on the closing price of IHS on Oct. 10, 2008. Terms
of the transaction include a lock-up agreement restricting the
salability of IHS shares with 10 percent of the shares restricted for
one year, 50 percent for two years and 40 percent for three years.
Global Insight has estimated 2008 revenues of approximately $120 million
and is currently operating with high single-digit adjusted EBITDA
(Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) margins.
“The acquisition of Global Insight puts IHS
at the very center of today’s most important
business decisions and significantly enhances the value of our products
and services by adding critical economic-focused offerings to the full
range of information and insight IHS already offers,”
said Jerre Stead, IHS chairman and chief executive officer. “The
combination creates an unparalleled capability offered by no other
company in supporting strategic business, investment and policy
decisions on a global basis. This is especially important in today’s
challenging economic times when comprehensive economic forecasting and
market outlook is more critical than ever for businesses worldwide.”
Global Insight founded the modern economic forecasting industry more
than 40 years ago and today the company is recognized as the most
consistently accurate economic forecasting company in the world. Global
Insight provides the most comprehensive economic, financial and
political coverage of countries, regions and industries available,
covering more than 200 countries and regions in the world and spanning
approximately 170 industries, to more than 3,800 client organizations in
business, finance and government.
Global Insight’s unique combination of
expertise, models, data and software, provided within a common
analytical framework, supports clients in developing strategies,
controlling risks and making key decisions. The company provides
analyses and forecasts that take into account political, economic,
legal, tax, operational and security factors to advice on issues that
affect competitive positions, investment strategies and policy positions.
“Combining the resources of IHS with Global
Insight’s depth of information and insight
allows IHS to offer clients an unparalleled level of global, regional,
country and industry expertise for planning and decision making in every
sector,” said Dr. Joseph E. Kasputys, former
Global Insight chairman, president and CEO, and now IHS Global Insight
Chairman Emeritus. “Bringing Global Insight
together with IHS and its leading position in the domains of energy,
environment, security and product lifecycle will allow us to serve
virtually every corporation, financial institution and government around
the world with information, analyses and forecasts that are vital to
their success.”
Stead added, “IHS will now build an
integrated research and operations capability leveraging the resources
of Global Insight and the other highly respected IHS Insight brands and
resources, which include Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA),
Jane’s Information Group and IHS Herold. The
integration of IHS Insight units with Global Insight will be a catalyst
to significant new value generation for customers due to the opportunity
to create new products and market platforms, driving further profitable
organic and acquisitive growth.”
With the closing, Global Insight’s name has
changed to IHS Global Insight. Scott Key, IHS senior vice president and
former president and COO of Jane’s
Information Group, is relocating to the Boston area to become president
and COO of IHS Global Insight. Key and his team will work to align IHS
Global Insight with the other IHS Insight businesses. Besides continuing
as Chairman Emeritus of IHS Global Insight, Dr. Kasputys joins IHS as
chairman of the company’s newly formed IHS
Insight Advisory Board.
IHS Global Insight has approximately 700 employees and 25 offices in 14
countries covering North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle
East and Asia. The organization has more than 350 analysts, researchers
and economists hailing from 16 countries and speaking 23 different
languages.
NOTE: IHS will host a multimedia webcast to discuss the closing
of its acquisition of Global Insight on Tuesday, October 14, 2008.
Investors may listen to IHS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jerre
Stead and other members of the IHS senior management team review details
of the Global Insight acquisition and integration October 14 at 9:00
a.m. Eastern time. To view the multimedia event, visit the IHS website
at http://www.ihs.com/Investor-Relations/ir-calendar.htm
and log on at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call.
IHS (NYSE: IHS) is a leading global source of critical information and
insight, dedicated to providing the most complete and trusted data and
expertise. IHS product and service solutions span four areas of
information that encompass the most important concerns facing global
business today: Energy, Product Lifecycle, Security and Environment. By
focusing on customers first, IHS enables innovative and successful
decision-making for customers ranging from governments and multinational
companies to smaller companies and technical professionals in more than
180 countries. IHS has been in business since 1959 and employs
approximately 3,500 people in 20 countries.
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These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified by
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or www.ihs.com.