Global Payments downgraded by Raymond James amid market concerns
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 6 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy GPN?
Global Payments Inc's stock fell as it hit a 20-day low, reflecting broader market weakness with the Nasdaq-100 down 1.31% and S&P 500 down 1.06%.
The decline follows a downgrade by Raymond James, which lowered its rating from Outperform to Market Perform, citing weakened growth expectations in the payments sector. Analysts noted a significant decline in the average NTM P/E for the industry, indicating a cautious outlook on future growth and earnings quality.
This downgrade may impact investor confidence and stock performance, as the payments industry faces challenges in organic revenue growth, which is expected to be significantly lower than in previous years.
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Analyst Views on GPN
Wall Street analysts forecast GPN stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
10 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 67.300
Low
75.00
Averages
102.82
High
135.00
Current: 67.300
Low
75.00
Averages
102.82
High
135.00
About GPN
Global Payments Inc. is a payment technology and software company that powers commerce for businesses of all sizes worldwide. The Company helps businesses grow by delivering solutions that enable payment acceptance, smarter operations and client experiences - online, in store and everywhere in between. Through its Merchant Solutions business, it provides payments technology and software solutions globally to primarily small- and-medium sized businesses and select mid-market and enterprise customers. Its comprehensive offerings include authorization, settlement and funding services, customer support, chargeback resolution, reconciliation and dispute management services, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security services, consolidated billing and reporting. Its Worldpay is a payments technology and solutions company. It serves various industries, including restaurants, retail, services, sports and entertainment, K-12 education, higher education, and property management.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Global Payments Report Reveals U.S. Payment Trends
- Plastic Payments Dominate: In 2025, direct credit card usage accounted for 49% of online spending and 71% of in-store spending in the U.S., indicating a strong reliance on traditional card payments, although this is projected to decline to 43% and 64% by 2030, respectively.
- Rise of Digital Wallets: By 2030, U.S. spending through digital wallets is expected to reach $4.1 trillion, representing a 64% increase from 2025, highlighting a significant shift towards digital payment methods, particularly among younger consumers, with 39% already using digital wallets.
- Younger Consumers Lead Change: Among consumers aged 18 to 34, 41% and 39% use digital wallets for online payments, indicating that Gen Z's preference for mobile payments will drive the evolution of payment methods, compelling merchants to adapt to remain competitive.
- Global Payment Trends: Globally, digital wallets accounted for 56% of online spending and 33% of in-store spending in 2025, with even higher rates of 77% and 62% in the APAC region, reflecting significant regional differences in payment preferences.
See More
Visa Launches Six AI Tools to Streamline Dispute Resolution
- Dispute Resolution Innovation: Visa has launched six new tools designed to leverage artificial intelligence to streamline the credit card dispute process, which is expected to significantly reduce costs and complexities for merchants, issuers, and acquirers while enhancing overall customer experience.
- Surge in Dispute Volume: In 2025, Visa processed over 106 million charge disputes globally, marking a 35% increase since 2019, highlighting the urgent need for efficient processing tools that enhance the company's competitive edge in the market.
- Merchant Support Features: Three of the new tools focus on merchants, enabling them to proactively manage disputes before escalation by providing generative AI responses and detailed order insights, thereby reducing disputes arising from unfamiliar charges and improving customer satisfaction.
- Comprehensive Automation Platform: The other three tools support issuers and acquirers by utilizing predictive AI models for case analysis and establishing an integrated dispute management platform, aiming to shift from reactive to proactive management, thereby enhancing processing efficiency.
See More
Global Payments Restructures Strategy and Market Outlook
- Market Share Expansion: Global Payments aims to dominate the merchant acquisition market through the acquisition of Worldpay, which is expected to accelerate cash flow and provide substantial returns to shareholders, thereby enhancing the company's position in the competitive payments industry.
- Financial Restructuring: The company undertook a major restructuring in early 2025, cutting costs and shedding assets, with expectations to boost free cash flow to $5 billion by 2028, further strengthening financial stability and supporting future shareholder return plans.
- Technological Innovation: Global Payments launched a new all-in-one point-of-sale system called Genius, aimed at enhancing brand recognition and customer loyalty, with analysts predicting this will drive greater success in future market promotions.
- Acquisition Integration: With the support of activist investor Elliott Management, Global Payments is integrating the Worldpay acquisition, expected to achieve $600 million in cost savings and enhance operational leverage, further strengthening its competitive edge in the market.
See More
Raymond James Downgrades Payment Firms Ratings
- Rating Downgrade: Raymond James has downgraded Fiserv, Global Payments, and Shift4 Payments, reflecting a reassessment of overall growth expectations in the payments and fintech sectors, indicating weakened market confidence in these companies.
- P/E Compression: Analysts noted that the average NTM P/E for the payments industry has declined by approximately 45% to around 11x, highlighting an increased market focus on the durability of organic growth and earnings quality.
- Organic Growth Forecast: By 2026, organic revenue growth in the payments sector is expected to be about 55% lower than in 2022, exacerbating the market's recalibration of valuations and reflecting a cautious outlook on future growth.
- Impact of Downgrades: Raymond James lowered its ratings for Fiserv and Global Payments from Outperform to Market Perform, and for Shift4 Payments from Strong Buy to Outperform, which may influence investor confidence and stock performance for these companies.
See More
Olympia Financial Group Sells Payment Subsidiary
- Transaction Overview: Olympia Financial Group has agreed to sell its wholly owned subsidiary, Olympia Currency and Global Payments (OCGPI), to Shift Connect, although the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, indicating a strategic shift for the company.
- Business Impact: OCGPI, a boutique foreign exchange and global payments firm, specializes in providing customized currency exchange and cross-border payment services to individuals and small- to mid-sized businesses across Canada, and is expected to gain access to more currencies and banking relationships under Shift Connect's ownership.
- Operational Stability: Olympia stated that there will be no immediate changes to day-to-day operations, ensuring stability for clients and employees during the transition period while laying the groundwork for OCGPI's next phase of growth.
- Market Outlook: Shift Connect focuses on digital payments and financial technology, and this acquisition is expected to further strengthen its position in the domestic financial services market, with the transaction anticipated to complete on or before March 31, 2026, subject to Bank of Canada approval.
See More
Global Payments Partners with IRS to Enhance Digital Tax Payments
- Digital Payment Partnership: Global Payments announced that its Link2Gov business has been selected by the IRS as the preferred digital payment provider, aiming to enhance taxpayer experience and support the modernization of electronic payments by March 2025.
- Convenient Payment Services: Link2Gov's Pay1040.com service will offer flexible and secure federal income tax payment options for the 2026 tax season, meeting consumer expectations for convenient payments and likely increasing electronic payment adoption among taxpayers.
- Historical Performance: As an authorized IRS payment platform, Link2Gov facilitated millions of payments on behalf of the IRS last year, highlighting its significance and impact in the realm of government electronic payments.
- Commitment to Tech Investment: Global Payments emphasizes that its commitment to innovative payment solutions reflects a broader digital transformation strategy, which is not just about technology but also about empowering taxpayers with greater choice and security.
See More
Global Payments Report Reveals U.S. Payment Trends
- Plastic Payments Dominate: In 2025, direct credit card usage accounted for 49% of online spending and 71% of in-store spending in the U.S., indicating a strong reliance on traditional card payments, although this is projected to decline to 43% and 64% by 2030, respectively.
- Rise of Digital Wallets: By 2030, U.S. spending through digital wallets is expected to reach $4.1 trillion, representing a 64% increase from 2025, highlighting a significant shift towards digital payment methods, particularly among younger consumers, with 39% already using digital wallets.
- Younger Consumers Lead Change: Among consumers aged 18 to 34, 41% and 39% use digital wallets for online payments, indicating that Gen Z's preference for mobile payments will drive the evolution of payment methods, compelling merchants to adapt to remain competitive.
- Global Payment Trends: Globally, digital wallets accounted for 56% of online spending and 33% of in-store spending in 2025, with even higher rates of 77% and 62% in the APAC region, reflecting significant regional differences in payment preferences.
See More
Visa Launches Six AI Tools to Streamline Dispute Resolution
- Dispute Resolution Innovation: Visa has launched six new tools designed to leverage artificial intelligence to streamline the credit card dispute process, which is expected to significantly reduce costs and complexities for merchants, issuers, and acquirers while enhancing overall customer experience.
- Surge in Dispute Volume: In 2025, Visa processed over 106 million charge disputes globally, marking a 35% increase since 2019, highlighting the urgent need for efficient processing tools that enhance the company's competitive edge in the market.
- Merchant Support Features: Three of the new tools focus on merchants, enabling them to proactively manage disputes before escalation by providing generative AI responses and detailed order insights, thereby reducing disputes arising from unfamiliar charges and improving customer satisfaction.
- Comprehensive Automation Platform: The other three tools support issuers and acquirers by utilizing predictive AI models for case analysis and establishing an integrated dispute management platform, aiming to shift from reactive to proactive management, thereby enhancing processing efficiency.
See More
Global Payments Restructures Strategy and Market Outlook
- Market Share Expansion: Global Payments aims to dominate the merchant acquisition market through the acquisition of Worldpay, which is expected to accelerate cash flow and provide substantial returns to shareholders, thereby enhancing the company's position in the competitive payments industry.
- Financial Restructuring: The company undertook a major restructuring in early 2025, cutting costs and shedding assets, with expectations to boost free cash flow to $5 billion by 2028, further strengthening financial stability and supporting future shareholder return plans.
- Technological Innovation: Global Payments launched a new all-in-one point-of-sale system called Genius, aimed at enhancing brand recognition and customer loyalty, with analysts predicting this will drive greater success in future market promotions.
- Acquisition Integration: With the support of activist investor Elliott Management, Global Payments is integrating the Worldpay acquisition, expected to achieve $600 million in cost savings and enhance operational leverage, further strengthening its competitive edge in the market.
See More
Raymond James Downgrades Payment Firms Ratings
- Rating Downgrade: Raymond James has downgraded Fiserv, Global Payments, and Shift4 Payments, reflecting a reassessment of overall growth expectations in the payments and fintech sectors, indicating weakened market confidence in these companies.
- P/E Compression: Analysts noted that the average NTM P/E for the payments industry has declined by approximately 45% to around 11x, highlighting an increased market focus on the durability of organic growth and earnings quality.
- Organic Growth Forecast: By 2026, organic revenue growth in the payments sector is expected to be about 55% lower than in 2022, exacerbating the market's recalibration of valuations and reflecting a cautious outlook on future growth.
- Impact of Downgrades: Raymond James lowered its ratings for Fiserv and Global Payments from Outperform to Market Perform, and for Shift4 Payments from Strong Buy to Outperform, which may influence investor confidence and stock performance for these companies.
See More
Olympia Financial Group Sells Payment Subsidiary
- Transaction Overview: Olympia Financial Group has agreed to sell its wholly owned subsidiary, Olympia Currency and Global Payments (OCGPI), to Shift Connect, although the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, indicating a strategic shift for the company.
- Business Impact: OCGPI, a boutique foreign exchange and global payments firm, specializes in providing customized currency exchange and cross-border payment services to individuals and small- to mid-sized businesses across Canada, and is expected to gain access to more currencies and banking relationships under Shift Connect's ownership.
- Operational Stability: Olympia stated that there will be no immediate changes to day-to-day operations, ensuring stability for clients and employees during the transition period while laying the groundwork for OCGPI's next phase of growth.
- Market Outlook: Shift Connect focuses on digital payments and financial technology, and this acquisition is expected to further strengthen its position in the domestic financial services market, with the transaction anticipated to complete on or before March 31, 2026, subject to Bank of Canada approval.
See More
Global Payments Partners with IRS to Enhance Digital Tax Payments
- Digital Payment Partnership: Global Payments announced that its Link2Gov business has been selected by the IRS as the preferred digital payment provider, aiming to enhance taxpayer experience and support the modernization of electronic payments by March 2025.
- Convenient Payment Services: Link2Gov's Pay1040.com service will offer flexible and secure federal income tax payment options for the 2026 tax season, meeting consumer expectations for convenient payments and likely increasing electronic payment adoption among taxpayers.
- Historical Performance: As an authorized IRS payment platform, Link2Gov facilitated millions of payments on behalf of the IRS last year, highlighting its significance and impact in the realm of government electronic payments.
- Commitment to Tech Investment: Global Payments emphasizes that its commitment to innovative payment solutions reflects a broader digital transformation strategy, which is not just about technology but also about empowering taxpayers with greater choice and security.
See More
