MasterCard to Buy Analytics Company for $600 Million -- Update

By Josh Beckerman 

MasterCard Inc. agreed to acquire Applied Predictive Technologies, an analytics software that helps companies gauge things like pricing, marketing and merchandising, for $600 million, a deal it says helps differentiate its services to merchants.

APT helps companies tailor investments and attempt to boost their earnings by using analytics to design, measure and calibrate marketing and merchandising.

MasterCard said the deal would complement its recent acquisition of London-based retail consulting and analytics firm 5One, which was announced in November.

APT's customers include companies across a number of industries and it has offices around the world.

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.

MasterCard, which has posted positive results recently as U.S. consumers continue to recover, is looking to expand into markets dominated by rival Visa Inc.

APT was founded in 1999. Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s merchant banking division invested $100 million in the company in 2013. It previously received financing from Accel-KKR.

Write to Josh Beckerman at [e-mail]

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