Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.04, Briefing.com reports. Shift4 Payments had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 40.19%. The business had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.35 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 50.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Shift4 Payments updated its FY 2026 guidance to 5.500-5.700 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Shift4 Payments’ conference call:

• Shift4 reported record 2025 results with nearly $2.0B of Gross Revenue Less Network Fees (46% YoY), $970M Adjusted EBITDA (49% margin) and $500M of adjusted free cash flow.
• Global Blue integration is on track and Shift4 is piloting an all‑in‑one payments/DCC/tax‑free terminal with plans to launch in 15 countries in 2026 to cross‑sell payments and DCC into luxury retail and SMBs.
• Management guided 2026 growth and profitability targets — volumes $240–260B, GRLNF $2.5–2.6B, Adjusted EBITDA $1.165–1.215B (~47% margin) — indicating continued expansion and margin retention.
• Corporate and capital‑structure improvements were completed — founder B/C shares collapsed to Class A, future TRA benefits (~$440M) were transferred to the company, and management has repurchased 7.7M shares with $500M remaining under the buyback authorization.
• Management warned of near‑term headwinds — softer SMB same‑store sales, weather disruption, FX exposure and Asia travel tensions — and expects adjusted free cash flow conversion to moderate to ~42% in 2026 due to higher interest expense, lower interest income and Global Blue seasonality.

Shift4 Payments Price Performance

FOUR stock traded down $4.36 on Friday, reaching $44.05. 6,828,443 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,424,992. The firm has a market cap of $3.90 billion, a PE ratio of 20.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.63. Shift4 Payments has a twelve month low of $43.80 and a twelve month high of $108.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $61.50 and a 200-day moving average of $72.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27.

Insider Transactions at Shift4 Payments

In other Shift4 Payments news, Director Nancy Disman sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.50, for a total value of $347,500.00. Following the sale, the director owned 130,420 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,064,190. This represents a 3.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO David Taylor Lauber sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.00, for a total transaction of $828,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 273,588 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,877,572. This trade represents a 4.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 25.15% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Shift4 Payments

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Marex Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of Shift4 Payments by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. Marex Group plc now owns 3,487 shares of the company’s stock worth $220,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in Shift4 Payments by 5.6% during the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,049 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Shift4 Payments by 100.0% during the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 434 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. Glenmede Investment Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Shift4 Payments by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Investment Management LP now owns 4,565 shares of the company’s stock valued at $353,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Shift4 Payments by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,317 shares of the company’s stock valued at $527,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Shift4 Payments

Here are the key news stories impacting Shift4 Payments this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat consensus — Shift4 reported $1.60 EPS vs. ~$1.56 expected, demonstrating underlying earnings strength. MarketBeat Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue rose year‑over‑year (~+50.6% to $610M), indicating continued top‑line expansion despite other issues. Yahoo: Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript is available for detail on management’s commentary and segmentation of results; useful for investors digging into drivers. Seeking Alpha Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarter snapshot and analyst commentary pieces summarize key metrics (ROE, margins, segment notes) if you want a quick read. WTOP Earnings Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance disappointed — management set EPS of $5.50–$5.70 (roughly flat to slightly below consensus) and revenue guidance of $2.5–$2.6B, materially below the ~$3.9B street expectation; this guidance shortfall is the primary negative catalyst. Seeking Alpha: Guidance Miss / 52‑Week Low
• Negative Sentiment: Reports show profits plunged (~65% in the headline coverage) and the stock hit multi‑year/52‑week lows, signaling investor concern on margins and near‑term profitability. Yahoo: Profits Plunge
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts quickly cut targets—Wells Fargo lowered its target to $55 (equal weight) and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed to $60 (market perform)—which can reinforce selling pressure. Benzinga: Wells Fargo Cut Benzinga: KBW Cut

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on FOUR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Shift4 Payments from $95.00 to $83.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Shift4 Payments from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $100.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Shift4 Payments from $115.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Shift4 Payments from $72.00 to $60.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Shift4 Payments in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $84.74.

Shift4 Payments Company Profile

Shift4 Payments is a U.S.-based provider of integrated payment processing and technology solutions, serving merchants across the hospitality, retail, e-commerce, gaming and lodging industries. The company’s platform enables businesses to accept in-store, online and mobile payments through a combination of point-of-sale hardware, payment gateway services and back-office software. By centralizing transaction processing and reporting, Shift4 aims to simplify payments, enhance security and streamline operations for its merchant customers.

The company’s core offerings include encrypted point-of-sale terminals, cloud-based payment gateways, and developer-friendly APIs for online and mobile checkouts.