Software Maker Zendesk To Be Bought by Investor Group in $9.5 Billion Cash Deal

Software maker Zendesk agreed to be acquired by a group of buyout firms led by Hellman & Friedman and Permira for about $9.5 billion. From a report: The all-cash transaction offers shareholders $77.50 a share, a premium of 34% over Zendesk's closing stock price on Thursday, the company said in a statement on Friday. The stock jumped about 29% to $74.75 on the news. Including debt, the deal is valued at about $10.2 billion. The announcement comes after Zendesk said earlier this month that it would remain independent after failing to find a potential buyer. The San Francisco-based company said June 9 that it would no longer seek to sell itself after a strategic review that reached out to 16 potential strategic partners and 10 financial sponsors. Ultimately, 'no actionable proposals were submitted,' Zendesk said in a statement, and final bidders cited 'adverse market conditions and financing difficulties at the end of the process.'

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