FRANKFURT, April 7 (Reuters) - German payments processor Wirecard AG is looking to expand into the U.S. market over the next 12 to 16 months either through organic business development or through possible merger and acquisition deals, its chief executive said on Thursday.
Chief Executive Markus Braun said he expected to make a "strong move" into the United States, the last frontier in Wirecard's global expansion plans, and that it was in initial talks on potential deals but these remain in their early stages.
He was speaking to investors on a conference call following publication of its 2015 results and annual report on Thursday. Wirecard shares, which had earlier traded in positive territory, dipped to 33.65 euros, off 0.8 percent after the remarks.
Earlier, the company reported a 32 percent jump in full-year profit after tax and proposed a 7.7 percent increase to its annual dividend, lifting a share price that has been battered by a sustained attack from short-sellers.
(Reporting By Eric Auchard; Editing by Jonathan Gould)