Sabre Reaches Buyout Deal

Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group will pay about $4.45 billion.

Author:: TSC Staff
Publish date:: Dec 12, 2006 10:41 AM EST

Updated from 8:51 a.m. EST

Sabre Holdings

, the owner of the trip-booking Web site Travelocity, confirmed that it will be acquired by two private equity firms for roughly $4.45 billion.

Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group will pay $32.75 a share for Sabre, representing a 30% premium over the stock's average closing price during the 60 trading days ended Dec. 8.

The company's shares closed Monday at $30.43, up 7.4% from Friday, following media reports that a deal was imminent.

"After a thorough assessment, we concluded that this transaction represents a compelling outcome for our shareholders, customers and employees," said Sabre Chairman and CEO Sam Gilliland in a statement.

Including the assumption of $550 million in debt, the deal is valued at $5 billion, Sabre said. The deal is expected to close by early in the second quarter of 2007.

Shares of Sabre recently climbed $1.32, or 4.3%, to $31.75.

Other travel Web site operators were up modestly.

Travelzoo

(TZOO) - Get Report

was adding 28 cents, or 0.9%, to $32.63, and

Priceline

(PCLN)

advanced 28 cents, or 0.7%, to $41.55.