Corpay in talks over possible takeover of UK's Alpha Group

Corpay in talks over possible takeover of UK's Alpha Group

Business payments firm Corpay Inc (CPAY) has entered talks with Alpha Group International (ALPH) regarding a potential cash offer for the UK-based financial services provider, according to a Reuters report [1]. The announcement comes as UK companies have witnessed a surge in M&A activity, with private equity firms expecting increased deal activity in 2025.

Alpha Group, which provides fintech and consultancy services to clients internationally, reported a 10% jump in its full-year underlying pretax profit to £47.4 million ($62.96 million) in March. Shares of Alpha have seen significant gains, rising as much as 6.4% to 2,920 pence on Friday and up more than 17% year-to-date as of Thursday's close.

Corpay, which offers tools for businesses to make payments to vendors, is legally required to make a firm offer for Alpha or walk away by May 30. The company's shares were up 2.1% by 1638 GMT on Friday.

The potential acquisition follows a recent partnership between Corpay and Mastercard, where the latter took a 3% stake in Corpay's cross-border payments business. This partnership aims to enhance both companies' capabilities in the cross-border payments space and addresses the growing demand for complex corporate payment solutions [2].

The partnership is expected to provide Corpay with a significant commercial opportunity, as it continues to build its presence in the corporate payments sector. Mastercard's investment in Corpay also underscores the potential of the cross-border payments market, which is experiencing increased demand due to trade uncertainties.

As the macroeconomic environment remains uncertain, the partnership between Corpay and Mastercard aims to offer financial institutions and their corporate customers end-to-end cross-border payment options, including card and account-to-account solutions. This partnership represents a strategic move for both companies to strengthen their positions in the corporate payments space.

References:
[1] Reuters. (2025). Corpay in talks over possible takeover of UK's Alpha Group. Retrieved from https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2025:newsml_L4N3RA20Y:0-corpay-in-talks-over-possible-takeover-of-uk-s-alpha-group/
[2] Daniel Webber. (2025). Exclusive: Mastercard takes Corpay cross-border payments stake in high-value partnership. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielwebber/2025/04/29/exclusive-mastercard-takes-corpay-cross-border-payments-stake-in-high-value-partnership/