Nielsen share sale to return $900m to investors

Thirty million shares are being sold by existing investors in the media and consumer research giant, priced at $30.25 a share.

No shares are being sold by the company in the offering and it will not receive any proceeds from the sale.

A group of six investment firms, including The Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, bought Nielsen in 2006 for $9.7bn.

An initial public offering (IPO) of Nielsen stock in January 2011 raised $1.9bn, including the proceeds of a simultaneous bond offering.

IPO shares were priced at $23 a share and 71 million were sold.