Private investment firm CVC Capital Partners is evaluating a potential €9bn ($10.5bn) bid for Italian payments group Nexi, as it revisits a target it has previously explored acquiring, according to a report by Reuters.
Discussions remain at a preliminary stage, with no certainty that a formal offer will emerge. Any transaction would likely hinge on support from Italian authorities, given the strategic sensitivity of the payments sector and the government’s “golden powers” framework governing such deals.
Nexi has been under pressure following a sharp decline in its share price, which recently hit record lows after a strategic update failed to reassure investors. The group is also navigating structural shifts in the payments landscape, where technological disruption and new entrants are intensifying competition for established players.
The company carries approximately €6bn in debt, a factor that would shape any potential buyout structure. One scenario under consideration could involve carving out Nexi’s digital banking solutions unit and transferring it to a state-backed investor such as Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, although support for such a move appears uncertain.
Leadership changes have also recently taken place at Nexi, with Bernardo Mingrone succeeding Paolo Bertoluzzo as chief executive earlier this year.
Neither CVC nor Nexi has publicly commented on the potential transaction.
