CVC Capital is reportedly considering a €9 billion ($10.54 billion) bid for Italian payments company Nexi, according to the Financial Times article from April 28, 2026.
CVC Capital is a global private equity firm that invests in companies across sectors including finance, healthcare, and technology. The report says the firm is in early discussions about a possible offer to take Nexi private. It is based on information from undisclosed sources familiar with the matter.
CVC has previously explored acquiring Nexi on two occasions, the report noted. At the same time, we may not eventually see a formal bid, as this move might appear too politically sensitive. Neither Nexi nor CVC provided their official comments on the report. However, other important stakeholders clarified their perspective on the subject.
On April 29, Reuters reported that Italy’s state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) does not intend to sell its roughly 19% stake in Nexi, according to sources familiar with the matter. CDP holds the stake through its unit CDP Equity. The sources said CDP considers its holding strategic and has no plans to divest. One of the sources also said there had been no contact between CDP and CVC regarding the matter.
The report added that any CVC offer for Nexi, which has €6 billion ($7.02 billion) in debt, would depend on support from the Italian government. Italy’s “golden power” rules allow the government to block or set conditions on foreign corporate takeovers in strategic sectors, including energy, telecoms, and banking. Therefore, Nexi might reportedly split off its digital banking division to avoid veto.
Nexi shares fell sharply on 5 March 2026, dropping by more than 20% in a single session, and hitting their lowest level since 2020. The decline followed the company’s 2025 results that appeared below expectations and updated three-year plan with a flat 2026 revenue growth outlook.
Based on reports by Financial Times & Reuters
