Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) Price Target Raised to $52.00 at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Key Points

• Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target on Shift4 to $52 (from $50) and maintains a "market perform" rating, implying roughly a 16.6% upside from current levels.
• Shift4 posted Q1 revenue of $1.12B, up ~49% year‑over‑year and above consensus, but missed EPS at $0.97 versus $0.99; management raised FY2026 EPS guidance to $5.50–$5.70, ahead of Street estimates.
• Analysts and investors note structural concerns despite strong growth — net margin is only ~2.8% and debt/equity is ~4.7 — and the consensus remains a "Hold" with a $72.38 average price target amid mixed ratings.

Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $50.00 to $52.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "market perform" rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods' price target would indicate a potential upside of 16.62% from the company's current price.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of Shift4 Payments from $115.00 to $101.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore set a $50.00 target price on shares of Shift4 Payments in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Benchmark reduced their target price on shares of Shift4 Payments from $100.00 to $67.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 2nd. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Shift4 Payments from $104.00 to $82.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Shift4 Payments from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Shift4 Payments has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $72.38.

Shift4 Payments Stock Performance

Shares of FOUR opened at $44.59 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $45.82 and a 200-day moving average of $58.68. Shift4 Payments has a one year low of $39.90 and a one year high of $108.50. The company has a market cap of $3.62 billion, a PE ratio of 42.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.66, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.66.

Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.02). Shift4 Payments had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 39.27%. The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.09 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.07 EPS. The business's revenue was up 49.0% on a year-over-year basis. Shift4 Payments has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.500-5.700 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Shift4 Payments will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Shift4 Payments

In related news, major shareholder Jared Isaacman acquired 43,827 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $45.75 per share, with a total value of $2,005,085.25. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 1,410,727 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,540,760.25. This trade represents a 3.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 385,757 shares of company stock worth $17,666,153. Corporate insiders own 25.15% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Shift4 Payments

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of FOUR. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in shares of Shift4 Payments during the third quarter valued at $77,303,000. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Shift4 Payments by 16.4% during the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 6,338,567 shares of the company's stock valued at $628,215,000 after acquiring an additional 890,990 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of Shift4 Payments by 3,048.9% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 872,453 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,938,000 after acquiring an additional 844,746 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Shift4 Payments during the fourth quarter valued at $51,635,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of Shift4 Payments by 97.2% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,655,485 shares of the company's stock worth $104,246,000 after buying an additional 816,155 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.87% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Shift4 Payments

Here are the key news stories impacting Shift4 Payments this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and growth: Q1 revenue of $1.12B topped consensus (~$1.09B) and rose ~49% year‑over‑year, showing strong top‑line momentum that supports medium‑term growth expectations. MarketBeat: Listen to Conference Call
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY2026 EPS guide: Management set full‑year EPS guidance of $5.50–$5.70, above consensus (~$5.39), which signals confidence in the company’s forward earnings power. Seeking Alpha: Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: BTIG reaffirmed a "buy" and set a $70 price target, reflecting analyst optimism and upside vs. current levels. Benzinga: BTIG Reaffirmed Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call color: Analysts and earnings transcripts highlight robust volume and product demand but note some headwinds (pricing, mix, or cost items) that require watching in coming quarters. TipRanks: Shift4 Signals Robust Growth
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss and profitability concerns: Reported Q1 EPS $0.97 missed consensus $0.99 and declined from $1.07 a year ago, which spooked investors focused on near‑term profitability and margins. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Margin/financial structure flags: Despite high ROE, net margin is low (~2.8%) and leverage is elevated (debt/equity ~4.7), raising risk that revenue growth may not quickly translate to sustained EPS expansion. MarketBeat: Listen to Conference Call

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.

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