Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) Stock Price Crosses Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemShares of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN – Get Free Report) crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $86.34 and traded as high as $101.32. Global Payments shares last traded at $97.02, with a volume of 16,726,122 shares.
Key Global Payments News
Here are the key news stories impacting Global Payments this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Reports described a potential buyout targeting approximately $40 billion of enterprise value. The size of the possible transaction raised expectations that any offer could include a meaningful premium to GPN’s unaffected trading price. GTCR is reportedly Global Payments’ largest shareholder, which could strengthen the potential buyer group’s position. Financial Times article
- Positive Sentiment: The takeover reports arrive ahead of Global Payments’ scheduled third-quarter 2026 earnings release on November 5, giving investors a near-term catalyst that could provide more insight into operating performance, Worldpay integration and potential strategic interest in the company. Quiver Quantitative article
- Neutral Sentiment: The reported discussions are ongoing and may not result in a transaction. No definitive offer, financing terms or purchase price has been announced, so the recent rally remains driven primarily by takeover speculation rather than confirmed fundamentals. PYMNTS article
- Neutral Sentiment: Before the buyout reports, investor attention was focused on expected earnings growth and whether Global Payments can capture value from its January 2026 Worldpay acquisition. The company’s latest reported quarter beat EPS expectations modestly, with revenue broadly in line with estimates. Zacks article
- Negative Sentiment: Potential risks include rising technology and inflation-related costs, integration execution following the Worldpay acquisition, and the possibility that no deal materializes. Reported analyst targets also vary widely, underscoring uncertainty around GPN’s standalone valuation. Zacks industry analysis
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Global Payments from $82.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. KeyCorp raised shares of Global Payments from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Argus set a $110.00 price target on shares of Global Payments and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $120.00 price target on shares of Global Payments in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Barclays set a $89.00 price target on shares of Global Payments and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Global Payments has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $95.87.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on GPN
Global Payments Stock Up 13.2%
The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market cap of $25.67 billion, a PE ratio of -32.56, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.80. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $86.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $76.99.
Global Payments (NYSE:GPN – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The business services provider reported $3.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.44 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.16 billion. Global Payments had a negative net margin of 9.16% and a positive return on equity of 13.80%. Global Payments’s revenue for the quarter was up 68.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.10 earnings per share. Global Payments has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.600-13.800 EPS. Research analysts expect that Global Payments Inc. will post 13.64 EPS for the current year.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Global Payments
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Gtcr LLC purchased a new stake in Global Payments during the 1st quarter worth $2,911,939,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Global Payments in the 2nd quarter valued at $848,344,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Global Payments in the 2nd quarter valued at $138,781,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Global Payments in the second quarter valued at about $120,036,000. Finally, Davis Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Global Payments in the second quarter valued at about $107,752,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.76% of the company’s stock.
Global Payments Company Profile
Global Payments Inc (NYSE:GPN) is a financial technology and payments company that provides software and payment solutions to businesses, financial institutions and other organizations. Its services help merchants accept payments through credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets and other electronic methods across in-store, online and mobile channels.
The company offers payment processing, point-of-sale technology, commerce management software, payment security and reporting tools. Its solutions are used in industries including retail, restaurants, hospitality, healthcare, education and government.