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M&A Overview
M&A activity within the payments space is off to a slow start as we enter the fourth quarter of the year. In the past two weeks, deals within the merchant acquiring industry have been at a standstill with no notable new acquisition announcements. This is due in part from several factors, including year-end strategy planning, budgetary constraints, and the overall economic and political environment.
While M&A activity is sluggish so far, this will likely not hold out for the remainder of the quarter. As seen in recent years, deal activity generally remains strong in the months of November and December as companies strive towards meeting year-end objectives and revenue goals. With more than ninety M&A deals so far this year, the payments industry is on pace to match prior years in terms of deal count. Given the industry’s historical resilience to outside factors, we can expect a continuation of deals to occur in the coming months. In addition, public payment firms will be releasing their quarterly reports in the coming weeks which will outline their financial projections as well as strategic initiatives for the remainder of the year.