CMA Considers Brink's Divestment Undertakings for NCR Atleos Acquisition as Phase 1 Deadline Nears
The Competition and Markets Authority opened its Phase 1 inquiry into the anticipated acquisition by The Brink's Company of NCR Atleos Corporation on 26 August 2026, and on 30 September 2026 provisionally found the deal may substantially lessen competition, meaning it would be referred to a Phase 2 investigation unless acceptable remedies were offered. Brink's responded by proposing to divest its NoteMachine/TestLink UK ATM businesses, and a CMA news release dated 8 October 2026, titled 'CMA considers proposals to address concerns over cash machine deal', says the CMA is now considering accepting that specific divestment offer in lieu of a Phase 2 reference. The CMA's Phase 1 decision deadline is 22 October 2026.
Why this matters
A CMA inquiry into a cash machine deal signals regulatory attention on retail financial infrastructure at a time when ATM network consolidation has drawn sustained scrutiny. The snippet reference to remedies consideration suggests the process may be moving toward resolution, but the corpus provides no detail to assess whether structural or behavioural remedies are in play.
On the Ground
The inquiry activates competition law advice, merger control filings, and potential remedies negotiation work. A trainee would be expected to monitor the CMA case page for timetable updates, draft summaries of any published issues letters, and assist with third-party response submissions.
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