Getty Images has agreed to be bought by a private equity firm for about $2 billion (euro1.35 billion).
The Seattle seller of stock photography and video footage says a unit of Hellman & Friedman LLC agreed to pay $34 (euro22.90) per share in cash. The offer puts a premium of 39 percent over the stock's closing price Friday of $24.45 (euro16.47).
Getty values the deal at $2.4 billion (euro1.62 billion) including debt. Based on the company's 59.8 million shares outstanding at the end of the year, the cash offer is worth $2.03 billion (euro1.37 billion).
Getty put itself on the block at the end of January. Financing for private equity deals has become more expensive amid recent turmoil on the credit markets.
