Feb 13 (Reuters) - Banking and payments processing conglomerate Fidelity National Information Services Inc (FIS.N) took a $17.6 billion write-down on its merchant business as it unveiled plans on Monday to spin it off, undoing a $43 billion acquisition that went sour.
FIS built its merchant business, which processes transactions for companies, on the back of its $43 billion purchase of WorldPay four years ago.
"The pace of disruption in payments is rapidly accelerating, requiring increased investment in growth and a different capital allocation strategy for our merchant solutions business," FIS Chairman Jeffrey Goldstein said in a statement.
Charles Drucker, the former CEO of Worldpay, will lead the merchants business after it is spun out, FIS said.
Merchant solutions makes up about 30% of FIS' revenue, while its banking solutions arm constitutes about 46%, and capital market solutions the remainder.