Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) Sets New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $89.88 and last traded at $89.91, with a volume of 2725 shares. The stock had previously closed at $92.98.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $122.00 price objective (down from $155.00) on shares of Global Payments in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Stephens lowered shares of Global Payments from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $125.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, January 10th. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Global Payments in a research note on Wednesday. They issued an "in-line" rating and a $85.00 price objective for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on Global Payments from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Global Payments from $166.00 to $163.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $130.52.

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Global Payments Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $20.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.97. 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 fifty day simple moving average of $100.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.14.

Global Payments (NYSE:GPN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The business services provider reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.98 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.31 billion. Global Payments had a return on equity of 12.21% and a net margin of 15.54%. On average, analysts expect that Global Payments Inc. will post 11.89 EPS for the current year.

Global Payments Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. Global Payments's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.18%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Global Payments

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Global Payments during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Optiver Holding B.V. acquired a new position in Global Payments during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Global Payments in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. acquired a new stake in Global Payments during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Global Payments during the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. 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.