Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Barclays nears deal to offload UK payments business to Brookfield - report

(Sharecast News) - Barclays is reportedly closing in on a £650m deal to offload control of its UK payments business to the Canadian investment giant Brookfield Asset Management after months of negotiations. According to Sky News, the two companies are in the final stages of talks about a transaction that will initially see Brookfield acquiring 10% of the UK bank's merchant acquiring division.

Three years after the deal completes, Brookfield would then acquire a further 80% of the unit, leaving Barclays as a 10% shareholder.

Sources told Sky that unusually, the agreement being finalised would see Barclays injecting £400m into the payments division in order to fund investment in returning it to sustainable growth.

Barclays would also provide roughly £250m of regulatory capital required to secure approval for the deal, they added.

According to Sky, a deal could be announced as early as next week, although it is more likely to be publicly confirmed later this month.

Barclays announced in February 2024 that it was exploring a sale or partnership for the merchant acquiring division.

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

GSK gets preliminary nod for two respiratory drugs in Europe
(Sharecast News) - GSK said on Friday afternoon that two of its respiratory medicines had received positive opinions from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, bringing the company closer to potential approvals across severe asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Shore Capital hails improved US biotech funding environment for hVIVO
(Sharecast News) - Shares in AIM-listed hVIVO were continuing their recent surge on the back of encouraging signs from the US biotech market, which broker Shore Capital said has created a "much more favourable environment" for the company.
Weir to buy remaining 50% stake in Chile JV ESEL for £56m
(Sharecast News) - Weir said on Friday that it has agreed to buy the remaining 50% share of its Chile-based joint venture ESEL for a sterling equivalent purchase price of £56m.
Jefferies downgrades Whitbread, upgrades IHG
(Sharecast News) - Jefferies downgraded Whitbread to 'hold' from 'buy' on Friday as it applied the reverse upgrade to InterContinental Hotels.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.