Shift4 Payments Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:FOUR)

Shift4 Payments, Inc. (NYSE:FOUR) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 6,948 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 120% compared to the average volume of 3,155 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on FOUR. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Shift4 Payments from $115.00 to $101.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Shift4 Payments from $95.00 to $83.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Shift4 Payments from $112.00 to $98.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Shift4 Payments from $127.00 to $96.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $104.00 price objective on Shift4 Payments in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $90.26.

Insider Buying and Selling at Shift4 Payments

In related news, Director Nancy Disman sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.50, for a total transaction of $347,500.00. Following the sale, the director owned 130,420 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,064,190. This represents a 3.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO David Taylor Lauber sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.00, for a total value of $828,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 273,588 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,877,572. This represents a 4.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 25.15% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Shift4 Payments by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 6,778,925 shares of the company’s stock valued at $426,869,000 after purchasing an additional 621,797 shares in the last quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP lifted its stake in Shift4 Payments by 12.6% in the second quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 6,665,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $660,612,000 after purchasing an additional 745,650 shares during the last quarter. Darlington Partners Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Shift4 Payments by 2.1% in the third quarter. Darlington Partners Capital Management LP now owns 5,071,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $392,552,000 after purchasing an additional 105,320 shares during the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its position in Shift4 Payments by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 2,643,829 shares of the company’s stock valued at $166,482,000 after buying an additional 188,594 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in shares of Shift4 Payments by 25.6% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 2,056,056 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,139,000 after buying an additional 419,132 shares during the last quarter. 98.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Shift4 Payments Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FOUR opened at $57.07 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $61.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.79, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.63. Shift4 Payments has a one year low of $52.65 and a one year high of $108.50.

About Shift4 Payments

Shift4 Payments is a U.S.-based provider of integrated payment processing and technology solutions, serving merchants across the hospitality, retail, e-commerce, gaming and lodging industries. The company’s platform enables businesses to accept in-store, online and mobile payments through a combination of point-of-sale hardware, payment gateway services and back-office software. By centralizing transaction processing and reporting, Shift4 aims to simplify payments, enhance security and streamline operations for its merchant customers.

The company’s core offerings include encrypted point-of-sale terminals, cloud-based payment gateways, and developer-friendly APIs for online and mobile checkouts.