ValueClick Acquires Greystripe
Acquisition Provides Immediate Scale in the $1.1 Billion U.S. Mobile
Advertising Market
Company Announces Preliminary First Quarter Financial Results
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq:VCLK) today announced the acquisition of
Greystripe, Inc., a leading brand-focused mobile advertising network.
The acquisition will provide ValueClick immediate scale in the U.S.
mobile advertising market, a $1.1 billion market that is expected to
nearly double by 20131.
Greystripe's proprietary advertising platform serves billions of rich
media impressions to over 30 million users of touch-driven devices
through more than 3,500 application titles and mobile websites across
all major mobile platforms. Greystripe has built strong relationships
with Fortune 500 advertisers across key brand advertising verticals,
including retail, consumer products (CPG), entertainment, technology,
and automotive. Greystripe is headquartered in San Francisco and has
offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Seattle.
"Greystripe accelerates ValueClick's move ‘up the marketing funnel' with
brand advertisers and gives ValueClick Media immediate scale and
expertise in the large and fast-growing mobile ad market," said Jim
Zarley, chief executive officer of ValueClick. "We see great traffic and
revenue synergies between ValueClick and Greystripe, and we're looking
forward to working closely with the Greystripe team to take full
advantage of the opportunities that this combination offers."
"All of us at Greystripe are proud of our accomplishments, and joining
ValueClick positions us to accelerate our rapid growth in mobile brand
advertising," said Michael Chang, chief executive officer of Greystripe.
"We are thrilled to continue to serve our major brand clients as a
mobile rich media leader while leveraging ValueClick's breadth and depth
in online marketing."
Under the terms of the transaction, ValueClick has acquired Greystripe
for approximately $70 million in cash. Greystripe's management team and
employee base have been retained by ValueClick, and the business will be
run as a wholly-owned subsidiary within ValueClick Media. For the
remainder of 2011, Greystripe is expected to contribute to ValueClick's
consolidated results approximately $24-$26 million in revenue and $2-$3
million in adjusted-EBITDA2. ValueClick anticipates that
Greystripe will be accretive on an adjusted-EBITDA multiple-basis in
2012. Montgomery & Co. acted as financial advisor to Greystripe.
Steamboat Ventures, Monitor Ventures, Peacock Equity, and Incubic
Venture Capital were investors in Greystripe.
ValueClick Announces Preliminary First Quarter
Financial Results
ValueClick today also announced preliminary results for the first
quarter ended March 31, 2011; the Company generated first quarter
revenue of $116.5 million and adjusted-EBITDA of $35.1 million, which
exceeded the high-end of the guidance ranges management provided on
February 15, 2011. Year-over-year revenue growth in the Company's
Affiliate Marketing, Media, and Owned & Operated Websites segments was
above the previously-issued guidance ranges, while year-over-year
revenue growth in the Company's Technology segment was in-line with the
previously issued guidance range. The results of operations of
Greystripe are not included in the Company's first quarter results, but
will be included in the Company's second quarter results beginning on
the date of acquisition.
The Company has not yet fully completed certain quarter-end accounting
procedures, including but not limited to the completion of its income
tax provision. As such, figures released today are preliminary.
ValueClick will host a conference call and announce final first quarter
financial results and second quarter guidance on Tuesday, May 3, as
previously announced. The Company will also provide more detail on the
Greystripe acquisition during the call.
ValueClick Announces Stock Repurchases
ValueClick today also announced that it repurchased approximately 2.2
million shares of its common stock in the first quarter of 2011 and an
additional 0.4 million shares in April 2011, for an aggregate cost of
$37.7 million. As of today, ValueClick has $62.3 million remaining
authorization under its stock repurchase program.
About ValueClick
ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCLK) is one of the world's largest integrated
online marketing services companies, offering comprehensive and scalable
solutions to deliver cost-effective customer acquisition for advertisers
and transparent revenue streams for publishers. ValueClick's
performance-based solutions allow its customers to reach their potential
through multiple online marketing channels, including affiliate
marketing, display
advertising, ad
serving and related technologies, and comparison
shopping. ValueClick's brands include Commission Junction,
ValueClick Media, Mediaplex, Smarter.com, CouponMountain.com,
Investopedia.com, and PriceRunner. For more information, please visit www.valueclick.com.
About Greystripe
Greystripe is the largest brand-focused mobile advertising network in
the US by reach. Greystripe delivers the highest engagement and most
sophisticated targeting for brand marketers, the maximum revenue for
publishers and app developers, and the best ad experience for users.
Greystripe's proprietary advertising platform serves billions of rich
media impressions to over 30 million users of touch-driven devices
through more than 3,500 application titles and mobile websites across
all major mobile platforms.
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risk that market
demand for on-line advertising in general, and performance based on-line
advertising in particular, will not grow as rapidly as predicted, and
the risk that legislation and governmental regulation could negatively
impact the Company's performance. Actual results may differ materially
from the results predicted, and reported results should not be
considered an indication of future performance. Important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied in the forward-looking statements are detailed under "Risk
Factors" and elsewhere in filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission made from time to time by ValueClick, including, but not
limited to: its annual report on Form 10-K filed on February 28, 2011;
recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q; and other current reports on Form
8-K.
ValueClick undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions
to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances
after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events.
1 Source: eMarketer.
2 Adjusted-EBITDA is defined as GAAP (Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles) net income from continuing operations before
interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, and stock-based
compensation expenses. Please see the attached schedule for a
reconciliation of GAAP net income to adjusted-EBITDA, and a discussion
of why the Company believes adjusted-EBITDA is a useful financial
measure to investors and how Company management uses this financial
measure.

ValueClick, Inc.
Gary J. Fuges, CFA
1-818-575-4677
Source: ValueClick, Inc.
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