Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) Shares Gap Up Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $69.77, but opened at $79.55. Global Payments shares last traded at $79.2030, with a volume of 4,083,219 shares traded.

The business services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $0.02. Global Payments had a return on equity of 12.66% and a net margin of 19.68%.The company had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.32 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.85 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Global Payments has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.800-14.000 EPS.

Global Payments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. Global Payments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.04%.

More Global Payments News

Here are the key news stories impacting Global Payments this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on EPS and showed margin strength (Merchant Solutions); EPS was $3.18 vs. $3.16 consensus, supporting confidence in earnings power. Business Wire: Q4 and Full‑Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY‑2026 guidance to $13.80–$14.00 EPS (above Street), which signals double‑digit profit growth and drove much of the rally. Fool: Why GPN Stock Jumped
• Positive Sentiment: Large shareholder return: company unveiled a multi‑billion dollar buyback (reported as ~$2.5B by coverage), signaling confidence and reducing float. Benzinga: $2.5B Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared ($0.25 per share, record March 9), adding steady shareholder yield and signaling cash‑flow confidence.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management framed a strategic pivot around the Worldpay platform and growth initiatives; tone was upbeat but execution risk remains as integration and growth plans proceed. TipRanks: Worldpay Growth Pivot
• Neutral Sentiment: Several bullish analyst/market commentaries label GPN as undervalued or offering multi‑bagger potential—useful for sentiment but dependent on sustained execution. Seeking Alpha: Undervalued Thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry note: payments players face elevated tech and operating costs even as cross‑border and e‑commerce trends support long‑term growth. Zacks: Payments Industry Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue growth was modest (≈1.4% YoY) and management flagged higher costs; investors should watch margin trends as technology and integration spending can pressure profitability. Zacks: Q4 — Costs Temper Results

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on GPN shares. Stephens cut their price objective on Global Payments from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Global Payments from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of Global Payments from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Citigroup raised shares of Global Payments to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Global Payments from $85.00 to $75.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $91.75.

Insider Transactions at Global Payments

In other news, EVP David M. Sheffield sold 2,016 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.41, for a total transaction of $164,122.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 14,438 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,175,397.58. This represents a 12.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Robert H. B. Baldwin, Jr. purchased 10,392 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $81.42 per share, for a total transaction of $846,116.64. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 59,303 shares in the company, valued at $4,828,450.26. This trade represents a 21.25% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.01% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Global Payments

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Global Payments by 0.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,542,460 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,955,908,000 after buying an additional 149,441 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Global Payments by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 11,409,697 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $883,111,000 after acquiring an additional 500,887 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Global Payments by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,349,876 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $610,633,000 after acquiring an additional 499,695 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Global Payments by 13.8% in the 2nd quarter. Glenview Capital Management LLC now owns 4,316,892 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $345,524,000 after acquiring an additional 523,209 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Global Payments in the 4th quarter valued at about $276,014,000. 89.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Global Payments Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $76.05 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.41. The firm has a market cap of $19.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.41, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.76.

Global Payments Company Profile

Global Payments Inc (NYSE: GPN) is a worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions that enables commerce for merchants, issuers and enterprises. The company develops and operates payment processing networks, point-of-sale systems and cloud-based software that facilitate electronic transactions across in-store, online and mobile channels. Its services span merchant acquiring, payment gateway services, omnichannel commerce platforms, and solutions for recurring and subscription billing.

Global Payments offers a range of products and services including integrated payment terminals and point-of-sale software, e-commerce and gateway technologies, fraud prevention and tokenization tools, and business analytics and reporting.