Experian in Brazil deal

The credit-checking giant Experian yesterday displayed its appetite for fast-growing Latin American markets, spending $1.5bn (£938m) to buy the 29.6 per cent of the Brazilian credit bureau Serasa that it does not already own.

Experian bought its original 70 per cent stake five years ago for just $1.2bn. The sellers – as before – are a group of South American and European banks including Santander and HSBC. Experian's shares rose by 40p to 1,087p.