The lone analyst with a sell rating on Fiserv Inc. ahead of the company’s crushing stock selloff says the writing was on the wall for months. For a large chunk of Wall Street, the fintech’s massive earnings miss was a surprise: Nearly 80 per cent of the analysts covering Fiserv had buy-equivalent ratings as of earlier this week. But Dominic Ball, a 26-year-old analyst at Rothschild & Co Redburn, had slapped a sell-rating on the company in April.On Wednesday, his skepticism was rewarded when the company’s sh ...

Core Viewpoint - Fiserv's stock price collapse is primarily attributed to management failures, including poor pricing strategies, overpromising growth, and a sluggish corporate culture in responding to customer needs [2][3][4]. Financial Performance - The new CEO Mike Lyons revised the adjusted EPS forecast for the year from $10.15-$10.30 to $8.50-$8.60, a reduction of over 16%. Revenue growth expectations were cut by more than half, from 10% to 3.5%-4% [2]. - In Q3, Fiserv's revenue grew only about 1% year-over-year to $4.92 billion, falling short of the expected $5.36 billion by over 8%. The adjusted EPS was $2.04, nearly 23% below the anticipated $2.64 [2]. Management Issues - The crisis reflects a failure of management rather than a technical failure, with the previous CEO setting overly aggressive growth targets and implementing a pricing strategy that led to significant customer attrition [3][9]. - Lyons acknowledged that the challenges faced were largely self-inflicted, stemming from short-term focused initiatives that compromised the company's ability to deliver products to customers [9][10]. Customer Reactions - Customers expressed dissatisfaction with the high fees associated with Clover's payment terminal system, leading many to switch to cheaper alternatives like Square or Toast [7][8]. - Analysts raised concerns about the sustainability of Clover's revenue growth, noting that its revenue growth was outpacing the growth in payment volume, which typically should align [8]. Analyst Reactions - Analysts reacted swiftly to Fiserv's poor performance, with BTIG describing the financial results as "astonishingly bad" and other analysts expressing disbelief at the magnitude of the earnings miss and guidance cut [11]. - Mizuho's analyst maintained a cautiously optimistic outlook, comparing the situation to a medical emergency that could lead to recovery if managed properly [11]. Strategic Changes - Fiserv announced several remedial measures, including reversing pricing changes for Clover, launching a new technology strategy, and making significant leadership adjustments [11][13]. - The company appointed a new CFO and introduced new board members to help steer the organization through this crisis [12][13]. Market Implications - The situation serves as a warning that even entrenched companies in the digital economy can collapse due to management missteps, especially in a competitive landscape with decreasing investor tolerance [4][13].

Core Viewpoint - Fiserv's stock plummeted 44%, marking the largest single-day drop in nearly 40 years, primarily due to the new CEO's withdrawal of previous earnings guidance, revealing deeper management failures such as pricing strategy missteps and a sluggish response to customer needs [1][3][4]. Financial Performance - The adjusted earnings per share (EPS) forecast was revised down from $10.15-$10.30 to $8.50-$8.60, a reduction of over 16%. Revenue growth expectations were cut by more than half, from 10% to 3.5%-4% [3][5]. - Q3 revenue grew only about 1% year-over-year to $4.92 billion, falling short of the expected $5.36 billion by over 8%. The adjusted EPS was $2.04, nearly 23% below the anticipated $2.64 [5]. Management Issues - The crisis is attributed to management failures rather than technical failures, with the previous CEO setting overly aggressive growth targets and implementing a pricing strategy that led to significant customer attrition [5][6]. - The new CEO, Mike Lyons, acknowledged that the challenges faced were largely self-inflicted, stemming from short-term focused strategies that compromised product delivery capabilities [7]. Customer Response and Pricing Strategy - Customers expressed dissatisfaction with high fees associated with Clover, leading many to switch to cheaper alternatives like Square or Toast. This pricing strategy, initially aimed at boosting revenue, ultimately harmed long-term competitiveness [6][9]. - Analysts noted that Clover's revenue growth was outpacing the growth in payment processing volume, indicating potential issues with the product's value proposition [6]. Analyst Reactions - Analysts reacted swiftly, with BTIG describing the financial results as "astonishingly poor" and William Blair stating that the performance was shocking enough to warrant a reevaluation of recommendations for Fiserv [9]. - Some analysts maintained a cautiously optimistic view, suggesting that recovery is possible if the company can navigate through its current challenges [9]. Leadership Changes - Fiserv announced significant leadership changes, including the appointment of a new COO and CFO, as well as new board members, in an effort to stabilize the company and address the ongoing crisis [10].

本周三，美国金融科技行业遭遇了一场近年来最为震撼的"血案"：金融科技巨头Fiserv股价暴跌约44%，创公司上市将近四十 年来最大单日跌幅，市值蒸发约300亿美元。 Fiserv的股价崩盘表面上看源于新任CEO Mike Lyons撤回此前业绩指引，但实质上暴露的是管理失败：定价策略失误、过度 承诺增长，以及对客户需求反应迟钝的企业文化。 今年1月加入Fiserv并于5月正式接任CEO的Lyons周三披露财报时宣布，将全年调整后每股收益（EPS）预期从10.15美元至 10.30 美元下调至8.50 美元至8.60 美元，下调幅度超过16%。营收增长预期砍掉过半，从10%降至3.5%~4%。 Fiserv的三季度业绩也远逊华尔街预期：营收同比仅增长约1%至49.2亿美元，较预期53.6亿美元低逾8%，调整后EPS为2.04美 元，较预期的2.64美元低近23%。 Fiserv的这场危机并非技术上失败，而是管理层失职的集中体现。在离职担任特朗普政府职务前，前CEO Frank Bisignano为公 司设定了过于激进的增长目标，同时，他在旗舰产品Clover上推行的收费策略引发客户大规模流失。这带给投资者一个警 ...