Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Raises Stake in Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) by 42.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,308 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 390 shares during the quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Global Payments were worth $145,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Global Payments during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Global Payments in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Global Payments in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. LRI Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Global Payments by 94.4% during the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 517 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Global Payments by 177.5% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 469 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.76% of the company’s stock.

Global Payments Price Performance

GPN stock opened at $100.09 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $108.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.04. Global Payments Inc. has a 1 year low of $91.60 and a 1 year high of $140.38.

Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The business services provider reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.98 by ($0.14). Global Payments had a net margin of 15.54% and a return on equity of 12.21%. The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.31 billion. Analysts anticipate that Global Payments Inc. will post 11.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Global Payments Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. Global Payments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Global Payments news, Director Robert H. B. Baldwin, Jr. bought 5,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $116.00 per share, for a total transaction of $672,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 42,738 shares in the company, valued at $4,957,608. This trade represents a 15.70 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on GPN shares. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Global Payments from $156.00 to $149.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Global Payments from $138.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $122.00 price objective (down from $155.00) on shares of Global Payments in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Global Payments from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Global Payments from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.33.

About Global Payments

Global Payments Inc provides payment technology and software solutions for card, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through two segments, Merchant Solutions and Issuer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization, settlement and funding, customer support, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security, and consolidated billing and reporting services.