Worldline, a French payment services company, surged 16% in Paris trading Monday afternoon following Reuters' reports that it is receiving preliminary acquisition interest from several private equity firms. This development comes as the company faces a declining share price, multiple profit warnings, and a change in leadership. Among the interested parties is Bain Capital, which is in the early stages of considering a possible takeover bid for Worldline.
Bain Capital, known for its investments in the payments industry, holds a 10% stake and a board seat in Nexi (BIT:NEXII), an Italian payments firm. The private equity firm is consulting with advisers on various approaches to potentially structure an offer for Worldline, which has recently seen its stock trading close to a record low.
The discussions are in the preliminary phase, with no certainty that they will lead to a formal offer. Sources close to the matter have requested anonymity due to the private nature of the conversations. When reached for comment by Reuters, a representative for Bain Capital chose not to speak on the matter. Similarly, Worldline has not provided any statements regarding the market speculation.
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