Fiserv(FI) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total company Q4 adjusted revenue was $4.9 billion, flat year-over-year, with adjusted operating income of $1.7 billion, resulting in an adjusted operating margin of 34.9% [22] - Full year total company adjusted revenue reached $19.8 billion, up 4%, with adjusted operating income of $7.4 billion, resulting in an adjusted operating margin of 37.4%, a decrease of 200 basis points [22] - Total company organic revenue was roughly flat, down approximately 40 basis points in Q4, resulting in annual organic revenue growth of 3.8% [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Merchant Solutions grew 6% organically for the year, while Financial Solutions grew 2% [22] - Q4 adjusted earnings per share was $1.99, with annual adjusted earnings per share of $8.64, above the guidance range of $8.50-$8.60 [22] - Merchant Solutions organic revenue growth was 1% for the quarter, while adjusted revenue grew 2% [23] - Clover revenue grew 12% in Q4, 2 percentage points higher than guidance, with Clover volume growth of 6% on a reported basis [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Clover Capital grew 30% in 2025 in North America, indicating significant upside potential [11] - Internationally, the launch in Brazil was highly successful, with results tracking ahead of plan [11] - Canada experienced strong growth in 2025, expected to accelerate with a new strategic relationship with TD [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a client-first mindset, building a preeminent small business operating platform through Clover, and delivering operational excellence enabled by AI [7] - The One Fiserv plan is integrated into the 2026 strategy, emphasizing disciplined capital allocation and operational efficiency [6][18] - The company aims to leverage new technologies, especially AI, to capitalize on opportunities in embedded finance and stablecoins [20] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the multi-quarter path towards delivering strong, sustainable operating performance [4] - The company acknowledged that Q4 results were below expectations but emphasized the importance of investing in the franchise [5] - Management is confident in the strategy and ability to execute, highlighting the unique position in the financial ecosystem [19] Other Important Information - The company repurchased 3 million shares during the quarter for approximately $200 million and paid down over $1 billion in debt [29] - Project Elevate incurred $73 million of expenses in Q4, with ongoing one-time costs expected in 2026 [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you touch on whether the review of the business has accomplished everything needed? - Management feels great about the progress and is confident in the numbers going forward, with no new surprises [36] Question: Can you provide an update on digital payments and pricing actions? - Management noted sequential improvement in digital payments and good volume growth, particularly in debit processing [40][42] Question: How much of the expenses for One Fiserv are structural versus one-time? - Management indicated that expenses related to One Fiserv are largely baked in, with some increase expected as the project broadens [48] Question: What do you expect from the non-Clover part of SMB? - Management expects slight growth in the non-Clover SMB for next year, with Argentina no longer being a growth factor [54] Question: Can you discuss Clover yield and areas for durable value? - Management is optimistic about yield growth through vertical expansions and value-added services embedded in Clover [60]