Core Viewpoint - Ashford Hospitality Trust has fully paid off its strategic financing, which was crucial for recovery from the COVID pandemic [1][2]. Company Summary - Ashford Hospitality Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily invests in upper upscale, full-service hotels [2]. - The complete elimination of corporate-level debt strengthens the company and aligns with its "GRO AHT" initiative, aimed at maximizing asset performance and increasing shareholder value [2].

Core Viewpoints - PayPoint Group delivered a positive quarter with strong performance from key seasonal businesses, maintaining confidence in meeting FY25 expectations and achieving £100m EBITDA by the end of FY26 [2][3] - The company's resilience, investment in capabilities, and growing opportunities to deliver value-add solutions underpin its confidence in achieving long-term growth targets [3] Shopping Division - Shopping divisional net revenue decreased by 2.0% to £16.1 million, driven by lower consumer spending and a challenging environment for UK consumers [4][11] - PayPoint estate continued to grow, with site growth to 20,092 and enhanced propositions for retailers [4][13] - Card payments net revenue decreased by 5.7% to £7.8 million, with a reduction in the Handepay EVO/Lloyds Cardnet estate to 19,220 as the company transitioned to a new acquirer [13] - Card processed value decreased by 5.9% overall to £1.7 billion, with the Handepay EVO estate down 1.8% and the Lloyds Cardnet estate down 11.4% [13] E-commerce Division - E-commerce divisional net revenue increased strongly by 32.0% to £4.1 million, driven by a 36.8% increase in parcel transactions to 35.8 million [5][12] - Collect+ network increased to 13,930 sites, reflecting strong positioning in Out of Home (OOH) fulfilment and a market shift towards OOH delivery [5][13] - The company is making progress in engaging with Chinese and South Asian marketplaces, with services expected to go live in the final quarter [5] Payments & Banking Division - Payments & Banking divisional net revenue increased by 0.8% to £14.0 million, with underlying net revenue from the MultiPay platform increasing by 4.7% to £1.8 million [6][12] - Local Banking initiatives are progressing, with the first High St bank on track for consumer deposits launch at the end of Q4 FY25 [6] - Over £373 million of consumer deposits have been processed for neobanks through the company's extensive network [6] - The legacy energy sector business remains resilient, with key contract renewals including Scottish Power [6] Love2shop Division - Love2shop divisional net revenue increased by 1.3% to £18.8 million, with billings ahead of last year and a strong pipeline for Q4 FY25 [8][14] - Highstreetvouchers.com billings were 9.2% ahead of plan, with a strategic partnership with InComm Payments delivering an incremental £1.7m of billings [8] - Park Christmas Savings delivered final billings of £162.2m, consistent with the previous year, with early indications for the 2025 prepayments saving season being encouraging [8] Financial Highlights - Group net revenue increased by 1.9% to £53.0 million, driven by strong performances in E-commerce and Love2shop divisions [10] - The Group had net corporate debt of £108.9 million, expected to reduce to below £100 million by 31 March 2025 [15] - An increased interim dividend of 19.4 pence per share was declared, up 2.1% from the prior half year [16] - The Group commenced a three-year share buyback programme, returning at least £20 million to shareholders over the next 12 months [17] Strategic Initiatives - The company is leveraging data and analytics to enhance retailer engagement and identify performance trends in the PayPoint and card merchant networks [4] - New initiatives include the launch of a Merchant App, targeted marketing campaigns, and an AI-driven statement reader to enhance the merchant sales experience [4] - The company is expanding its FMCG pipeline, with consumer brand campaigns planned for the next 6-12 months, and has lent over £16m through its YouLend Business Finance product [4] - The company is working on initiatives with SF Express to enable services in Chinese communities across the UK [5]

Core Viewpoint - PayPoint Plc has announced the reinvestment of the first installment of its interim cash dividend through the Share Incentive Plan, allowing Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibilities (PDMRs) to purchase ordinary shares at a price of £7.62 each on 20 December 2024 [4][13]. Group 1: Transaction Details - The transaction involves the purchase of ordinary shares of 1/3 pence each under the PayPoint Plc Share Incentive Plan [12]. - The purchase price for the shares was set at £7.62 [12]. - The total volume of shares purchased by various PDMRs includes 78, 76, 61, 53, 35, 20, 31, 33, 25, 26, 18, and 9 shares, with an aggregate total of 595.12, 579.86, 465.41, 404.37, 267.04, 152.59, 236.52, 251.78, 190.74, 198.37, 137.33, and 68.67 in total value respectively [12]. Group 2: Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibilities - The PDMRs involved in the transaction include Katy Wilde, Josephine Toolan, Christopher Paul, Simon Coles, Anthony Sappor, Nicholas Williams, Nicholas Wiles, Benjamin Ford, Mark Latham, Tanya Murphy, Stephen O’Neill, and Rob Harding [5][11]. - The notification was made in accordance with the UK Market Abuse Regulation [4].

Core Viewpoint - Growth investors are increasingly focused on identifying stocks with above-average financial growth, which can lead to solid returns, but finding such stocks can be challenging due to inherent risks and volatility [1] Group 1: Company Overview - Paymentus (PAY) is highlighted as a recommended growth stock, possessing a favorable Growth Score and a top Zacks Rank [2] - The company has a historical EPS growth rate of 135.6%, with projected EPS growth of 53.1% this year, surpassing the industry average of 42.1% [5] Group 2: Financial Metrics - The asset utilization ratio for Paymentus is 1.48, indicating that the company generates $1.48 in sales for every dollar in assets, compared to the industry average of 0.86, showcasing superior efficiency [6] - Paymentus is expected to achieve a sales growth of 35.5% this year, significantly higher than the industry average of 4.2% [7] Group 3: Earnings Estimates - The current-year earnings estimates for Paymentus have been revised upward, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by 21.9% over the past month, indicating positive momentum [9] - Paymentus has earned a Growth Score of B and holds a Zacks Rank 2 due to favorable earnings estimate revisions, suggesting it is a solid choice for growth investors [10][12]

Core Viewpoint - Paymentus (PAY) is experiencing solid improvement in earnings estimates, which is likely to drive its stock price higher due to positive short-term price momentum [1][2]. Earnings Estimates - Current quarter earnings are expected to be $0.12 per share, reflecting a +9.09% change from the previous year [4]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter has increased by 12.5% over the last 30 days, with two estimates moving higher and no negative revisions [4]. - For the full year, Paymentus is projected to earn $0.49 per share, indicating a year-over-year change of +53.13% [5]. - The consensus estimate for the full year has risen by 21.88% due to two upward revisions and no negative changes [5]. Zacks Rank - Paymentus has achieved a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating favorable estimate revisions that suggest strong investment potential [6]. - Stocks with Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) have historically outperformed the S&P 500 [6]. Stock Performance - The stock has gained 43.8% over the past four weeks, driven by solid estimate revisions and positive earnings growth prospects [7].

Group 1: Momentum Investing Overview - Momentum investing involves following a stock's recent trend, with the aim of buying high and selling higher, capitalizing on established price movements [1] - The Zacks Momentum Style Score helps investors identify which metrics are effective for assessing momentum in stocks [2] Group 2: Company Analysis - Paymentus (PAY) - Paymentus currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating strong potential for outperformance [3][4] - Over the past week, shares of Paymentus have increased by 23.84%, while the Zacks Internet - Software and Services industry has decreased by 2.74% [7] - In the last month, Paymentus shares have risen by 43.8%, significantly outperforming the industry's 1.57% [7] - Over the past quarter, Paymentus shares have increased by 63.12%, and over the last year, they have risen by 126.8%, compared to the S&P 500's increases of 6.16% and 32.62%, respectively [8] Group 3: Trading Volume and Earnings Outlook - The average 20-day trading volume for Paymentus is 455,991 shares, which serves as a bullish indicator when combined with rising stock prices [9] - In terms of earnings outlook, there have been two upward revisions in earnings estimates for the current fiscal year, raising the consensus estimate from $0.42 to $0.49 [11] - For the next fiscal year, one estimate has increased, with no downward revisions noted [11] - Given these factors, Paymentus is positioned as a strong buy with a Momentum Score of B, making it a noteworthy investment option [12]

Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Paymentus (PAY) , which belongs to the Zacks Internet - Software and Services industry, could be a great candidate to consider. This electronic bill payment services has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 29.17%. Fo ...

Paymentus (PAY) shares ended the last trading session 8.3% higher at $25.49. The jump came on an impressive volume with a higher-than-average number of shares changing hands in the session. This compares to the stock's 7.8% gain over the past four weeks. Paymentus is benefiting from strong demand for its advanced payment platform, and successful onboarding of large enterprise clients across various sectors. This electronic bill payment services is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.10 per share in it ...

Stock Performance and Financials - Paymentus Holdings Inc experienced a significant stock price decrease of 5 00% currently trading at $19 78 per share with a volume of 99 361 shares and a turnover rate of 0 08% The price fluctuation amplitude is 4 80% [1] - The company achieved $197 million in revenue with a net profit of $9 36 million translating to an earnings per share of $0 08 The gross profit stood at $54 98 million and the price-to-earnings ratio is noted at 76 23 times [1] Institutional Ratings - Regarding institutional ratings 17% of the six participating brokerage firms recommend a buy while 83% suggest holding with no sell recommendations [2] Sector Performance - The software services sector where Paymentus operates saw an overall increase of 0 02% Prominent gainers in this sector include Agora Huichuan Securities and Banzai International Inc C/Wts 14/12/2028 (To Pur Com) [3] - Active stocks such as Microalgo Inc Treasure Global Inc and Agora had turnover rates of 185 67% 117 61% and 79 83% respectively Notable volatile stocks include Agora Banzai International Inc C/Wts 14/12/2028 (To Pur Com) and Wag Group Co C/Wts 30/07/2027 (To Pur Com) with amplitude fluctuations of 90 18% 72 84% and 55 42% respectively [3] Business Overview - Paymentus Holdings Inc specializes in providing secure electronic billing and payment services through its SaaS technology platform It caters to billing entities and financial institutions integrating with core financial and operational systems of billing companies [4] - The platform supports multiple payment channels including online mobile IVR call center chatbots and voice assistants facilitating transactions via credit cards debit cards checks and digital wallets The company's revenue is generated from transaction fees calculated as a percentage of the transaction value or as a specified fee per transaction [4]

For those looking to find strong Business Services stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Paymentus (PAY) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Business Services peers, we might be able to answer that question. Paymentus is one of 317 individual stocks in the Business Services sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #7 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank ga ...