Other Highlights:
| ● | As of June 30, 2023, we owned 18.5 million shares of DNB common stock, which had a fair value of $213.7 million before tax based on DNB’s closing price of $11.57 as of June 30, 2023. As of June 30, 2023, we no longer have significant influence over DNB and our investment is accounted for at fair value in accordance with ASC 321: Investments – Equity Securities. As a result of the change in accounting method, we recorded an unrealized gain of $55.8 million before tax. The effect of the fair value adjustment was an increase in Net earnings attributable to Black Knight of $41.6 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, based on our statutory income tax rate of 25.5%. |
| ● | As of June 30, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $15.9 million, debt of $2,445.7 million and available capacity of $648.0 million on our revolving credit facility. |
ICE Transaction
On May 4, 2022, we entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (“ICE”) (the “Original Merger Agreement”) a leading global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure. On March 7, 2023, we entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Original Merger Agreement (the “Amendment” and the Original Merger Agreement, as amended by the Amendment, the “Merger Agreement”), which provides for, among other things, a reduction in the merger consideration, valuing Black Knight at $75.00 per share, or a market value of $11.7 billion, with consideration in the form of a mix of approximately $68.00 per share in cash and stock with an exchange ratio of 0.0682 based on ICE’s 10-day volume weighted average price as of March 3, 2023 of $102.62 (the “ICE Transaction”). The ICE Transaction is expected to close in the third or fourth quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory clearance and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
In connection with entering into the Amendment, on March 7, 2023, we entered into an Equity Purchase Agreement (the “Empower Divestiture Agreement”) with Constellation Web Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc. (“Constellation”) and (solely for the purposes set forth in the Empower Divestiture Agreement) ICE, pursuant to which, after the closing of the ICE Transaction, Constellation will purchase our Empower® LOS business, including its ExchangeSM, LendingSpace and AIVA solutions (the “Empower Divestiture Transaction”).
On July 14, 2023, we entered into an Equity Purchase Agreement (the “OB Divestiture Agreement”) with a subsidiary of Constellation, and (solely for the purposes set forth in the OB Divestiture Agreement) ICE, pursuant to which, after the closing of the ICE Transaction, Constellation will purchase our Optimal Blue business (the “OB Divestiture Transaction”).
Each of the Empower Divestiture Agreement and the OB Divestiture Agreement was entered into in order to address certain alleged antitrust concerns raised by the United States Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) regarding the ICE Transaction and each is subject to customary closing conditions, including but not limited to the prior completion of the ICE Transaction.
Business Outlook
As a result of the proposed ICE Transaction, Black Knight has suspended the practice of providing forward-looking guidance. In addition, Black Knight will not be hosting a conference call related to its second quarter 2023 financial results.
Definitions of non-GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are provided in subsequent sections of the press release narrative and supplemental schedules.
About Black Knight
Black Knight, Inc. (NYSE:BKI) is an award-winning software, data and analytics company that drives innovation in the mortgage lending and servicing and real estate industries, as well as the capital and secondary markets. Businesses leverage our robust, integrated solutions across the entire homeownership life cycle to help retain existing customers, gain new customers, mitigate risk and operate more effectively.