Brokerages Set Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) Target Price at $138.55

Shares of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation and sixteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $138.55.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on GPN shares. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Global Payments from $126.00 to $122.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Global Payments from $156.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Stephens cut their price objective on shares of Global Payments from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Global Payments from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price target on Global Payments from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Global Payments Stock Performance

Shares of GPN opened at $112.42 on Friday. Global Payments has a 1 year low of $91.60 and a 1 year high of $141.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $113.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.51. The firm has a market cap of $28.61 billion, a PE ratio of 21.17, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.00.

Global Payments Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.89%. Global Payments’s payout ratio is 18.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Global Payments

In other Global Payments news, Director Robert H. B. Baldwin, Jr. purchased 5,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $116.00 per share, with a total value of $672,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 42,738 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,957,608. This trade represents a 15.70 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.98% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cromwell Holdings LLC bought a new position in Global Payments during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Global Payments in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Global Payments in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its stake in shares of Global Payments by 59.6% in the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 383 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP raised its holdings in Global Payments by 134.4% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 511 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.76% of the company’s stock.

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.