Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.04 EPS

Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.04, Briefing.com reports. Shift4 Payments had a return on equity of 40.19% and a net margin of 5.02%.The firm had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.35 EPS. The firm’s 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 Trading Down 9.0%

FOUR traded down $4.36 on Friday, hitting $44.05. The company had a trading volume of 6,828,443 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,424,992. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $61.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $72.01. Shift4 Payments has a 1 year low of $43.80 and a 1 year high of $108.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The firm has a market cap of $3.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.68, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.63.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Shift4 Payments in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Shift4 Payments in a research note on Thursday. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $67.00 price objective on shares of Shift4 Payments in a report on Thursday. BTIG Research lowered their target price on Shift4 Payments from $105.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Shift4 Payments from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $100.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Shift4 Payments has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.74.

Key Shift4 Payments News

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

Insider Transactions at Shift4 Payments

In other Shift4 Payments news, Director Nancy Disman sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 $9,064,190. The trade was a 3.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO David Taylor Lauber sold 12,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.00, for a total value of $828,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 273,588 shares in the company, 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 owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Shift4 Payments

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its stake in Shift4 Payments by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 6,778,925 shares of the company’s stock worth $426,869,000 after acquiring an additional 621,797 shares in the last quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP increased its stake in Shift4 Payments by 12.6% during the second quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 6,665,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $660,612,000 after purchasing an additional 745,650 shares during the period. Darlington Partners Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Shift4 Payments by 2.1% during the third quarter. Darlington Partners Capital Management LP now owns 5,071,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $392,552,000 after purchasing an additional 105,320 shares in the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Shift4 Payments by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 2,643,829 shares of the company’s stock valued at $166,482,000 after purchasing an additional 188,594 shares during the period. Finally, Spyglass Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Shift4 Payments by 36.7% in the fourth quarter. Spyglass Capital Management LLC now owns 1,697,920 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,918,000 after purchasing an additional 455,707 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

About Shift4 Payments

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.