Barclays near deal to sell 80% of merchant acquiring unit, Sky says

Barclays (BCS) is nearing a deal to offload 80% of its merchant acquiring arm in the UK that will see it remaining as an investor in the business, Mark Kleinman of Sky News reports. Barclays and Brookfield (BAM) are in talks about a deal that would involve Barclays retaining a 20% stake in the division, sources tell Sky. Estimates of the value of Barclays’ merchant acquiring arm have varied, ranging from less than $1B to $2.5B, Sky notes. A Barclays spokesperson said: “As we confirmed at our February investor update, we are exploring a number of options for investment in our market-leading merchant acquiring business, including strategic partnerships.”