Global Payments’ planned acquisition of Worldpay was OK’d Monday (Oct. 20) by the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.“The CMA has cleared the anticipa ...

Core Insights - FIS's acquisition of Global Payments' Issuer Solutions business is progressing as planned, despite the need to refile information with the U.K. regulator [1][2] - The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, as previously announced [3] - The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) rejected the initial merger notice due to incomplete information, which has led to a pause in the statutory timetable for the review [3] Company Transactions - Global Payments sold its Issuer Solutions business to FIS for $13.5 billion while acquiring Worldpay for a net price of $22.7 billion [4] - FIS will divest its remaining stake in Worldpay to Global Payments for $6.6 billion, facilitating the monetization of its minority holding [4] Strategic Implications - FIS's CEO stated that the acquisition of Issuer Solutions is strategic and accretive, aimed at expanding FIS's payment product suite and replacing a non-cash generating stake with growing recurring revenues [5] - The recent transactions are reminiscent of significant mergers in 2019, highlighting a trend of large-scale consolidations in the payments industry [6] Regulatory Context - The CMA is also reviewing Global Payments' acquisition of Worldpay, with a phase 1 decision deadline set for November 11 [7]

Core Insights - Global Payments Inc (GPN) reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.10, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.03, with an 11% year-over-year increase [1][8] - Adjusted net revenues rose 2% year over year to $2.4 billion, slightly surpassing the consensus mark by 0.2% [1] - The strong performance was driven by growth in Merchant Solutions and Issuer Solutions, although elevated expenses partially offset the gains [1] GPN's Operating Performance - Adjusted operating income for the quarter was $1.1 billion, reflecting a 4.5% year-over-year increase [2] - Adjusted operating margin expanded by 130 basis points to 44.6% [2] - Total operating expenses increased by 2.3% year over year to $1.5 billion, primarily due to higher selling, general, and administrative expenses [2] Segmental Performances - **Merchant Solutions**: Adjusted revenues reached $1.8 billion, up 1.1% year over year, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.7% [3] - Adjusted operating income for this segment increased by 3.7% year over year to $917.3 million, beating the consensus estimate of $902.5 million [3] - **Issuer Solutions**: Adjusted revenues were $547.4 million, growing 4% year over year and surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1% [4] - Adjusted operating income improved by 8% year over year to $266.4 million, exceeding the consensus estimate of $255.7 million [4] GPN's Financial Position (As of June 30, 2025) - Cash and cash equivalents increased to $2.6 billion from $2.4 billion at the end of 2024 [5] - Total assets rose to $48.5 billion from $46.9 billion at the end of 2024 [5] - Long-term debt decreased to $14.2 billion from $15.1 billion at the end of 2024, with the current portion totaling $1.9 billion [5] - Total equity increased to $23.2 billion from $22.9 billion at the end of 2024 [5] Cash Flow and Capital Deployment - GPN generated operating cash flows of $818 million in the second quarter, up from $736.9 million a year ago [6] - The company repurchased shares worth $691.1 million in the first half of 2025 [9] - A quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share was declared, payable on September 26, 2025 [9] 2025 Outlook - GPN reaffirmed its 2025 guidance, expecting adjusted net revenue growth of 5% to 6% on a constant currency basis [10] - Adjusted EPS growth is anticipated to be between 10% and 11% in 2025 [10] - The company expects to convert nearly 90% of adjusted net income into adjusted free cash flow [10] - An increase of more than 50 basis points in the annual adjusted operating margin is also expected [10]

Core Insights - Global Payments (GPN) reported revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter ended June 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 1.6% and an EPS of $3.10 compared to $2.93 a year ago, with revenue meeting Zacks Consensus Estimate and an EPS surprise of +2.31% [1] Financial Performance - Non-GAAP Revenues for Merchant Solutions were $1.83 billion, slightly above the average estimate of $1.82 billion, reflecting a year-over-year change of +1.1% [4] - Non-GAAP Revenues for Issuer Solutions reached $547.37 million, exceeding the average estimate of $541.47 million, with a year-over-year increase of +4% [4] - Non-GAAP Revenues for Intersegment Elimination reported at $-17.86 million, compared to the average estimate of $-15.55 million, showing a year-over-year change of +19.2% [4] - Revenues for Merchant Solutions were $1.96 billion, slightly below the estimated $1.97 billion, representing a year-over-year decrease of -0.7% [4] Operating Income - Non-GAAP Operating Income for Corporate was reported at $-130.87 million, compared to the average estimate of $-127.02 million [4] - Non-GAAP Operating Income for Merchant Solutions was $917.26 million, exceeding the average estimate of $902.47 million [4] - Non-GAAP Operating Income for Issuer Solutions was $266.35 million, surpassing the average estimate of $255.74 million [4] - Operating Income for Merchant Solutions was $716.93 million, compared to the average estimate of $687.89 million [4] - Operating Income for Corporate was $-289.99 million, compared to the average estimate of $-205.89 million [4] Stock Performance - Shares of Global Payments have returned -2.8% over the past month, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has changed by +0.5% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Insights - Global Payments reported revenue of $2.2 billion for the quarter ended March 2025, reflecting a 1% increase year-over-year and matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with an EPS of $2.82, up from $2.59 in the previous year [1] - The company achieved an EPS surprise of +4.83%, exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.69 [1] Revenue Performance - Non-GAAP Revenues from Merchant Solutions reached $1.69 billion, slightly above the $1.68 billion estimate, marking a +0.5% year-over-year change [4] - Non-GAAP Revenues from Issuer Solutions were reported at $528.82 million, surpassing the $528.21 million estimate, with a +2.6% change compared to the previous year [4] - Revenues from Issuer Solutions totaled $620.73 million, exceeding the $607.50 million estimate, representing a +3% year-over-year increase [4] - Revenues from Merchant Solutions were $1.81 billion, slightly below the $1.82 billion estimate, indicating a -1.4% year-over-year change [4] Operating Income Analysis - Non-GAAP Operating Income for Merchant Solutions was $808.95 million, above the $802.11 million estimate [4] - Non-GAAP Operating Income for Issuer Solutions was $244.94 million, slightly below the $246.04 million estimate [4] - Operating Income for Merchant Solutions was reported at $614.10 million, exceeding the $599.26 million estimate [4] - Operating Income for Corporate was -$256.53 million, worse than the -$215.98 million estimate [4]

Core Viewpoint - Global Payments (GPN) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $2.68 per share, reflecting a 3.5% increase year-over-year, with revenues projected at $2.2 billion, a 0.7% increase compared to the previous year [1]. Earnings Estimates - Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate has been revised downward by 2.2%, indicating a collective reassessment by analysts [2]. - Changes in earnings estimates are crucial for predicting investor reactions, as empirical studies show a strong correlation between earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock performance [3]. Revenue Projections - Analysts estimate 'Non-GAAP Revenues - Merchant Solutions' at $1.68 billion, a year-over-year change of +0.1% [5]. - 'Non-GAAP Revenues - Issuer Solutions' is projected to reach $528.21 million, indicating a +2.4% change year-over-year [5]. - The average estimate for 'Revenues - Issuer Solutions' is $607.50 million, suggesting a +0.8% change year-over-year [5]. Geographic Revenue Insights - 'Revenues - Merchant Solutions' is estimated at $1.82 billion, reflecting a -0.5% change year-over-year [6]. - 'Geographic Revenue - Europe' is forecasted to be $399.04 million, indicating a +3.7% change year-over-year [6]. - 'Geographic Revenue - Americas' is expected to reach $1.95 billion, showing a -1.4% change from the prior year [6]. - 'Geographic Revenue - Asia Pacific' is projected at $60.09 million, indicating a -0.4% change year-over-year [7]. Operating Income Estimates - The consensus for 'Non-GAAP Operating Income - Merchant Solutions' stands at $802.11 million, compared to $790.41 million reported in the same quarter last year [7]. - 'Non-GAAP Operating Income - Issuer Solutions' is estimated at $246.04 million, up from $241.40 million in the previous year [8]. - 'Operating Income - Merchant Solutions' is expected to be $599.26 million, compared to $580.44 million reported last year [8]. - 'Operating Income - Issuer Solutions' is projected at $109.78 million, compared to $106.10 million in the same quarter last year [9]. Stock Performance - Shares of Global Payments have declined by -23.4% over the past month, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.7% change [9].