Changes in US stocks | Final merger agreement reached with Coursera (COUR.US) Udemy (UDMY.US) rose more than 26%

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on Wednesday, as of press release, Udemy (UDMY.US) rose more than 26% to $6.8; Coursera (COUR.US) rose more than 6% to $8.45. According to the news, the online education platform Coursera and Udemy announced earlier that they have reached a final merger agreement, and Coursera will merge with Udemy through an all-stock transaction to create a larger comprehensive online learning platform.

Based on the closing prices of the two companies on December 16, the implied equity value of the merged company was approximately US$2.5 billion. According to the terms of the deal, Udemy shareholders will exchange 0.8 shares of Coursera common stock for each Udemy share, which is a 26% premium over Udemy's average closing price over the past 30 trading days.

Coursera said that after the transaction is completed, the merged company plans to implement a sizable share repurchase plan to further optimize the capital structure and give back to shareholders.

From a financial perspective, the merger will significantly strengthen the company's overall strength. On a post-merger basis, the new company's annualized revenue will exceed US$1.5 billion, and is expected to achieve an annual operating rate cost synergy of approximately US$115 million within 24 months of completion of the transaction.

Udemy CEO Hugo Sarrazin said in a statement that as a unified platform, the company will accelerate its product roadmap driven by artificial intelligence, expand global coverage with stronger market expansion capabilities, and unlock significant revenue and operational synergies to enhance long-term financial performance.

The deal has been unanimously approved by both Coursera and Udemy boards and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.