Equifax to Acquire Mexico’s Círculo de Crédito in $750 Million Deal #

Equifax has signed an agreement to acquire Círculo de Crédito, which the company describes as Mexico’s fastest-growing credit bureau, in a deal valuing the business at $750 million on an enterprise basis.

The Atlanta-based credit reporting company announced the transaction on July 7, 2026. The $750 million enterprise value translates to a gross purchase price of $825 million. The difference reflects an estimated $75 million in cash Círculo de Crédito is expected to hold at closing, with no outstanding debt on its balance sheet.

The deal gives Equifax a presence in Mexico, the second-largest economy in Latin America and, by the company’s account, one of the fastest-growing credit markets in the world. Círculo de Crédito operates consumer and commercial credit bureau services and maintains a database of 2 billion tradelines covering 80 million validated identities. The bureau serves more than 1,700 customers across banking, retail, fintech, telecommunications, microfinance, and small-business lending. It also uses alternative data, including gig-economy earnings, utility payments, and telecom records, to assess creditworthiness beyond traditional metrics.

Círculo de Crédito posted estimated revenue of $134 million for the 12 months ended June 30, 2026, a 31% increase from the prior year, with adjusted EBITDA of $62 million. Equifax said it expects the bureau to sustain high double-digit revenue growth through the rest of 2026 and for the deal to add to its adjusted earnings per share in the first full year of ownership.

Equifax CEO Mark W. Begor cited financial inclusion as part of the rationale. More than a quarter of Mexico’s population lacks access to formal financial products, and nearly 44% do not hold a bank account, according to the company’s announcement. Begor said combining Equifax’s cloud-native capabilities and its patented EFX.AI technology with Círculo de Crédito’s local data assets would help expand credit access for Mexican consumers and businesses.

The acquisition is Equifax’s 17th bolt-on purchase over the past six years, bringing total acquisition spending over that period to nearly $5 billion. Círculo de Crédito’s trailing revenue represents about 2% of Equifax’s reported annual revenue of roughly $6.28 billion.

Closing is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

Source: Investing.com