April 28 (Reuters) – European digital payment service group Worldline on Tuesday reported quarterly revenues which slightly beat market expectations and said it had completed its divestment scheme with the sale of a 51% stake in its Australian payment business.
The divestment programme was aimed at slimming down Worldline’s cumbersome portfolio of businesses and helping it return to growth. Worldline is now worth only a fraction of the market value it had at its pandemic peak.
Since then the group has been hit by multiple profit warnings, governance shake-ups and media reports accusing it of concealing client fraud. It was also investigated by Belgian prosecutors over potential money laundering.
• Paris-listed company reported an 0.5% organic decline in quarterly revenues to 831 million euros ($972 million) versus 826 million expected by analysts polled by the company
• The group sold the stake in Australian ANZ Worldline Payment Solutions and of New Zealand under agreement valuing the entire enterprise at around 107 million euros
• The group’s share of net proceeds from the deal is 30 million euros
• The closing of the transaction is expected in the second half of 2026
• The company said that the combined net cash proceeds from all the announced divestments were expected to be between 590-640 million euros and should be received within this year
• Worldline confirmed its annual outlook, citing no material effects from geopolitical challenges in the period
• The company also said that its main division – merchant services – returned to growth for the first time since the end of 2024
($1 = 0.8551 euros)
(Reporting by Mateusz Rabiega; Editing by Matt Scuffham)
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