Vantiv-Worldpay tops Berkery Noyes M&A list

Vantiv's $11.6 billion acquisition of U.K.-based Worldpay Group in August was the largest transaction in the financial technology and information sector during the third quarter of 2017, according to the latest report from investment bank Berkery Noyes.

The payments industry accounted for three of the 10 most notable transactions of the quarter on Berkery's list. Behind the Vantiv-Worldpay transaction, First Data's $750 million acquisition of CardConnect was ranked sixth, while FleetCor Technologies Inc.'s $675 million purchase of Cambridge Global Payments was 10th. Both of those acquisitions began in May.

The most active acquirer during the first three quarters of 2017 was Verisk Analytics with seven deals, three of which occurred in the third quarter. Of the company's deals, one occurred in the payments segment: its purchase of G2 Web Services for $112 million.

In other payments deals, Jack Henry & Associates, as part of the ProfitStars Lending Solutions Group, acquired Vanguard Software Group. Jack Henry acquired Vanguard for its expertise in underwriting, spreading and online decision making of commercial loans.

Others included Blackhawk Network Inc. acquiring Cash Star for $175 million in August to bolster gift card commerce, mobile payments and digital gifting. Also in August, Fiserv acquired Dovetail Systems, a provider of bank payments and liquidity management software. Financial details of that acquisition were not disclosed.