PayPal Holdings ( PYPL ) has had better days, to say the least. The transactions and payments processing company is facing competitive pressures across its operating segments, and its just-released results put a stamp to those pressures. Adding to the woes is a leadershipAnalyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own op ...

Market Overview - Stocks opened higher but experienced a significant plunge, ultimately closing down with the S&P 500 down about 0.9% and the Nasdaq down about 1.4% [6][7] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average also closed down about 0.4% while the Russell 2000 managed to close positive, up 0.3% [7] Sector Performance - The information technology sector was the biggest underperformer, down more than 2%, despite strong performance from companies like Palantir [8] - The energy sector saw a rise of more than 3% due to an increase in crude prices [9] Company Highlights - Palantir was a notable gainer, finishing the day up about 6.8% after a revenue forecast for fiscal 2026 that exceeded Wall Street expectations, projecting a 61% annual revenue increase [10] - Amgen reported a fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $5.29, beating estimates of $4.71, indicating strong performance from its top drugs [12] - Walmart's stock closed up about 3%, marking a 14% increase year-to-date, attributed to its digital transformation and technology integration [14][15] Homebuilders - Homebuilders' stocks rose nearly 6% in the session, with the homebuilding index up about 2.5%, as they seek to develop affordable housing solutions [16] Notable Decliners - PayPal shares fell more than 20% following the announcement of a new CEO after a failed turnaround plan [17] - Novo Nordisk shares dropped over 14% after the company projected a sales decline of 5% to 13%, exceeding analyst expectations of a 1.4% decline [19] Earnings Reports - Silicon Labs stock surged about 39% in aftermarket trading due to reports of advanced talks with Texas Instruments [21] - Chubb's fourth-quarter net premiums came in at $13.13 billion, slightly above street estimates, while its combined ratio was 81.2%, below the expected 84% [27][28]

LEAWOOD, Kan., Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Euronet (NASDAQ: EEFT), a global leader in payments processing and cross-border transactions, announced today it will release its fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings results prior to the market opening on Thursday, February 12, 2026. Euronet will hold a conference call on the same day at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results. The conference call and accompanying slide show presentation will be accessible via webcast by following the link posted ...

U.S. stocks are struggling, hitting a one-week low around midday amid souring sentiment on software companies. Microsoft, one of the "Magnificent 7" megacap tech companies with considerable weight in major stock indexes, tumbled despite beating earnings and revenue forecasts in its fiscal second quarter as investors focused on slower-than-expected growth in its cloud computing business and higher-than-expected spending on data centers and other AI infrastructure. Shares in the Redmond, Washington-based ...

Core Insights - DXC Technology has announced a strategic partnership with Euronet Worldwide to enhance issuing, revolving credit, and payment capabilities for financial institutions globally [1][5] - The collaboration aims to integrate DXC's Hogan core banking platform, which manages over 300 million deposit accounts and $5 trillion in deposits, with Euronet's Ren platform for modern issuing and payment solutions [2][5] Company Overview - DXC Technology is a leading enterprise technology partner that provides software, services, and solutions to global enterprises, focusing on modernizing and securing complex technology environments [6] - Euronet Worldwide is a global leader in payment processing and cross-border transactions, offering a wide range of services including money transfers, credit and debit processing, and ATM services across more than 200 countries [7] Partnership Objectives - The partnership will enable mutual clients to adopt pre-integrated issuing and payment solutions that support various credit and debit programs, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing time to market for new products [3][4] - The collaboration is designed to help banks and fintechs modernize their payment infrastructures, allowing them to compete effectively and expand their market offerings [5][6] Market Context - As competition in financial services intensifies, issuing and payments have become critical growth areas for banks, prompting investments in modern capabilities to meet rising consumer expectations for speed and flexibility [4][5] - The partnership is positioned to address the fragmented nature of current issuing and payment processes, enabling faster deployment and scalability for financial institutions [5][6]

Core Insights - Euronet has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CrediaBank's merchant acquiring business, enhancing its position in Greece's payments market [1][3] - The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2026, pending regulatory approvals [2] - The combined operations are projected to process over $22 billion annually and serve more than 240,000 merchants [3] Merchant Acquiring Expansion - The merger will integrate CrediaBank's merchant portfolio with Euronet's existing operations, strengthening Euronet's market leadership in Greece [3] - This partnership aims to enhance service quality and expand product offerings through Euronet's technology and CrediaBank's branch network [4] Strategic Partnership - Euronet will establish a long-term strategic partnership with CrediaBank for exclusive sales distribution through the bank's branches [5] - The agreement is designed to diversify Euronet's revenue mix and provide multiple customer touchpoints in both digital and physical payment environments [6] Digital Wallet Initiative - Euronet and CrediaBank plan to launch a modern account-to-account consumer digital wallet, integrating national instant payment rails and loyalty services [7] - This initiative aligns with the growing trend towards cardless payment models in Europe [7] Financial Services Provision - Euronet will provide CrediaBank with issuing services for credit, debit, and prepaid cards, and will manage the bank's ATMs [9] - This collaboration will enable CrediaBank to offer Euronet's proprietary technology products, enhancing its service capabilities [9] Company Background - CrediaBank is the fifth largest bank in Greece, serving approximately 300,000 active customers through 65 branches [12] - Euronet is a global leader in payments processing, operating in over 200 countries with a comprehensive range of financial services [13][14]

Core Insights - Artificial Intelligence is transforming the commerce sector by evolving from a research tool to an active participant in transactions, enabling AI agents to independently complete purchases for consumers and businesses [1][5] Group 1: AI in Consumer Transactions - AI is being utilized to assist consumers in various tasks, such as preparing weekly dinner plans, suggesting recipes, and creating shopping lists based on past purchases and preferences [3] - Consumers can instruct AI agents to plan vacations, research travel options, secure reservations, and make purchases aligned with their style and budget [7] - The concept of agentic commerce is gaining traction, with 15% of businesses very familiar and 72% somewhat familiar with it, indicating a growing awareness of AI's capabilities in making purchases without repeated authorizations [6] Group 2: AI in Business Operations - Businesses initially adopted AI for customer service and back-office operations, focusing on cost reduction and improved engagement through natural language tools [5] - AI agents can manage supplies, renew or cancel subscriptions, oversee maintenance, and process payments, enhancing operational efficiency and security through tokenized purchases [4] - The shift towards AI as an autonomous agent for consumers is becoming more pronounced, indicating a significant evolution in how businesses leverage AI technology [5][8]

Core Insights - FIS stockholders have alleged that the company and its executives made materially false or misleading statements regarding the 2019 acquisition of Worldpay, which led to an artificial inflation of FIS shares [3] - The lawsuit claims that when these misstatements were revealed, the stock price of FIS suffered significantly, with shares dropping approximately 36% from $104.13 on August 3, 2022, to $66 on February 13, 2023 [4] Acquisition Details - In 2019, FIS agreed to acquire Worldpay for $35 billion, which amounted to about $43 billion when including debt [5] - The acquisition was part of a strategy to create a larger banking and payments entity, emphasizing the importance of scale in the rapidly changing industry [6] Settlement Agreement - FIS has agreed to pay $210 million to settle the lawsuit, with an expected recovery of about 42 cents per damaged share, which may be reduced to 32 cents after accounting for legal fees and expenses [7] - The defendants, including FIS CEO Stephanie Ferris and former CEO Gary Norcross, have denied all allegations of wrongdoing and any liability related to the lawsuit [7]

Core Insights - Euronet has been awarded Mastercard's Excellence in Agility award for credit issuance, highlighting the impact of its acquisition of CoreCard which has enhanced its issuing capabilities and accelerated the deployment of Mastercard credit programs [1][2] Company Achievements - The Mastercard Engage Excellence Awards recognize organizations that demonstrate exceptional speed, creativity, and impact in the payments industry, underscoring Euronet's competitive edge [2] - Euronet's issuing platform allows financial institutions to modernize credit portfolios without lengthy transformation projects, supporting a variety of credit products on a single architecture [3][4] Operational Efficiency - The unified approach of Euronet's platform enables faster transition from project initiation to production while ensuring compliance and operational rigor expected by banks and FinTechs [4] - Euronet's agility extends beyond initial implementation, allowing for rapid integration of new features and adaptations to market needs post-launch [5][6] Product Launches - Euronet successfully brought a commercial credit program with specialized loyalty and rewards capabilities to market in approximately two months, a significantly shorter timeline compared to traditional environments [7] - Additional Mastercard-powered programs launched during the same period include secured revolving credit, BNPL-enabled credit, consumer and commercial credit, and advanced loyalty models such as crypto rewards [7] Global Presence - Euronet operates a vast global payments network with 57,534 ATMs, approximately 592,000 EFT point-of-sale terminals, and a money transfer network serving 199 countries and territories [8]

Group 1 - Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) is recognized as one of the best SaaS stocks trading at a discount [1] - TD Cowen maintains a Buy rating with a $91 share price target, calling Block a "Best Idea for 2026" due to expected mid-teen percentage growth in gross profit [2] - RBC Capital expressed optimism after Block's Investor Day, maintaining a $90 share price target and an Outperform rating, highlighting the potential of Block's Proto mining business [3] Group 2 - UBS also kept a Buy rating and a $90 share price target, citing confidence in growth from Square and CashApp, and noted that Block has expanded to 26 revenue streams generating $100 million in gross profit, a significant increase from five revenue streams in 2020 [4]