Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) Hits New 12-Month High Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Global Payments shares reached a 12-month high, trading as high as $102.17, after Barclays raised its price target from $89 to $97 but maintained an equal-weight rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: the consensus rating is Hold, with a $98.24 average price target; 13 analysts rate the stock Buy, 17 Hold, and three Sell.
• The company is integrating Visa’s IDX API into its AI-powered authentication platform, aiming to improve payment approvals and reduce false declines. Quarterly EPS and revenue matched estimates, while revenue grew 36.1% year over year.

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday after Barclays raised their price target on the stock from $89.00 to $97.00. Barclays currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Global Payments traded as high as $102.17 and last traded at $101.0150, with a volume of 238,848 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $97.77.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on GPN. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Global Payments from $76.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Global Payments in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. HC Wainwright assumed coverage on Global Payments in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Global Payments from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Global Payments from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $98.24.

More Global Payments News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Global Payments is integrating Visa’s IDX API into its AI-powered authentication platform. The company expects the technology to improve payment approvals and reduce false declines, potentially helping merchants complete more transactions and supporting growth. Global Payments Bets on AI and Visa to Win More Transactions
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target to $103 from $91, implying potential upside from the recently cited share price. Its rating remains neutral, so the higher target is a modestly favorable signal rather than a strong endorsement. Cantor Fitzgerald Issues Positive Forecast for Global Payments
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan also raised its target, to $100 from $95, while maintaining a neutral rating. The revision is constructive but points to limited upside at the cited share price.
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays lifted its target to $97 from $89 but kept an equal-weight rating. The new target is slightly below the recently cited share price, tempering the positive analyst revisions. Global Payments Given New $97 Price Target at Barclays

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Global Payments

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GPN. Gtcr LLC acquired a new position in shares of Global Payments in the 1st quarter valued at about $2,911,939,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Global Payments during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $848,344,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Global Payments by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,117,172 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $142,478,000 after purchasing an additional 23,293 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in Global Payments during the second quarter worth $138,781,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Global Payments during the second quarter valued at $120,036,000. 89.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Global Payments Trading Up 3.8%

The company's 50-day moving average is $86.83 and its 200 day moving average is $77.67. The company has a market cap of $26.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -22.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

Global Payments (NYSE:GPN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The business services provider reported $3.58 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $3.58. The company had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.18 billion. Global Payments had a positive return on equity of 13.80% and a negative net margin of 9.16%. Global Payments's quarterly revenue was up 36.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.26 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Global Payments Inc. will post 13.65 EPS for the current year.

Global Payments Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 10th. Global Payments's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -21.93%.

About Global Payments

Global Payments Inc is a payment technology and software company that helps businesses accept and manage payments. Its services support in-person, online and mobile transactions, along with point-of-sale systems and software for business operations.

The company also provides technology to financial institutions and other organizations that issue payment cards. Its services include card processing, account management and related digital tools.

Global Payments serves customers across a range of industries and operates internationally, with services available in many countries.

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