Report: Barclays in Advanced Talks to Sell Stake in Payments Business

Group 1: Barclays and Brookfield Asset Management Negotiations - Barclays is in advanced talks to sell a stake in its payments business to Brookfield Asset Management, with a potential announcement this week, although no final agreement has been reached [1] - Barclays is exploring various options for investment in its merchant acquiring business, including strategic partnerships, as it sheds non-core businesses [1] - The discussions come amid a trend where Barclays and its European rivals are divesting non-core operations, including its German consumer finance division and a portfolio of Italian mortgages [1] Group 2: Brookfield Asset Management's Strategy and Investments - Brookfield Asset Management acquired Middle Eastern payments processor Network International Holdings in 2024 and appointed former Worldpay CEO Ron Kalifa as vice chair and head of financial infrastructure investments in 2023 [2][4] - In February 2024, Brookfield announced a commitment of $5 billion in investments within the technology-enabled payments space, which includes acquisitions of Network International and Magnati [5] - Brookfield's strategy focuses on identifying mature, high-quality companies that are integral to financial infrastructure, leveraging expertise in operational value creation [6]