Verisign SC 13G/A: An amendment to the SC 13G filing

[Verisign-News]

VERISIGN INC/CA

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[Helmuts]

The document published is a Schedule 13G filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for VeriSign, Inc. made by BlackRock, Inc. Schedule 13G is used by entities or individuals who own more than 5% of a company's shares but do not seek to exert control over the company and are filing under a less restrictive set of rules than a Schedule 13D.

Key Points of the Filing:

1. Issuer Details:
   • Issuer: VeriSign, Inc., a company providing domain name registry services.
   • Principal Address: 12061 Bluemont Way, Reston, VA 20190.
2. Filer Details:
   • Filing Entity: BlackRock, Inc., a large asset management company.
   • Address: 50 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001.
   • Citizenship: Incorporated in Delaware.
3. Ownership Information:
   • Total Shares Owned: 8,537,969 shares.
   • Percent of Class: Represents 8.7% of VeriSign’s outstanding common stock.
   • Voting Power:
     • Sole Voting Power: 7,820,846 shares.
     • Shared Voting Power: None.
   • Dispositive Power:
     • Sole Power to Dispose: 8,537,969 shares.
     • Shared Dispositive Power: None.
4. Filing Justification:
   • BlackRock filed under Rule 13d-1(b), indicating they are a "parent holding company or control person" and not aiming to control the issuer.
   • This type of filing is typical for institutional investors like BlackRock when reporting passive investments.
5. Ownership Explanation:
   • BlackRock states that various persons have the right to receive dividends or proceeds from sales of the reported shares, but no single individual has more than 5% of the total outstanding shares.
6. Exhibits:
   • Exhibit A lists the subsidiaries of BlackRock involved in holding the shares, such as BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock Fund Advisors.
   • Exhibit B is a power of attorney authorizing certain individuals within BlackRock to execute filings on behalf of the company.
7. Certification:
   • The signatory, Spencer Fleming, certifies that the securities were acquired in the ordinary course of business and not for the purpose of influencing control of VeriSign.

This filing provides insight into BlackRock's significant but passive investment in VeriSign, Inc., signaling institutional confidence without an intent to manage or alter the company’s operations.