Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) Stock Has Average Target Price of $98.71

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the thirty-four ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eighteen have issued a hold recommendation and thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $98.76.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Global Payments in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Global Payments from $86.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Global Payments from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Global Payments from $76.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Global Payments from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 6th.

Global Payments Stock Up 4.4%

NYSE GPN opened at $92.04 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Global Payments has a 52 week low of $61.16 and a 52 week high of $102.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.69, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a fifty day moving average of $87.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $78.07.

Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The business services provider reported $3.58 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $3.58. Global Payments had a positive return on equity of 14.43% and a negative net margin of 11.21%. The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.26 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 36.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Global Payments will post 13.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Global Payments Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 10th. Global Payments’s dividend payout ratio is -21.93%.

Latest Global Payments News

Investors following GPN have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: After reports that private-equity firms Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and GTCR had dropped their pursuit, GPN fell sharply on Thursday. Friday’s rebound suggests some investors may be buying after the decline. A technical analysis article identifies roughly $81 as a possible support level, though that is not a guarantee of a reversal. Stock of the Day: Where is the Bottom for Global Payments?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein raised its price target for GPN but maintained a Hold rating, offering a more favorable valuation view without signaling a bullish change in its recommendation. Global Payments Stock Gets Price Target Increase from Sanford C. Bernstein
• Negative Sentiment: The reported end of takeover discussions removes the possibility of a deal premium that had supported investor expectations. The news triggered Thursday’s steep decline and remains the key near-term concern for GPN shareholders. CD&R, GTCR drop pursuit of Global Payments, sources say

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wallace Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Global Payments during the third quarter valued at $208,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Global Payments by 7.8% in the third quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 144,019 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $11,762,000 after purchasing an additional 10,464 shares during the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its position in Global Payments by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 224,226 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $18,313,000 after purchasing an additional 12,744 shares during the period. PEAK6 LLC raised its stake in shares of Global Payments by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter. PEAK6 LLC now owns 35,586 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,906,000 after buying an additional 5,531 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AlphaGrep UK Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Global Payments during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $217,000. 89.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Global Payments Company Profile

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.