Key Points: Global Payments, a crucial intermediary between retailers and banks, trades well below competitors’ and its own historical multiples. The company hopes to turn things around by gaining a dominant share of the merchant acquisition market through the purchase of Worldpay and the introduction of a point-of-sale system. Global Payments could see upside from accelerating cash flow, substantial shareholder returns —and if that doesn’t work — a leveraged buyout is a possibility. Global Payments’ stock has been battered for so long, it might be easy for investors to overlook its tempting valuation and a burgeoning comeback story. A major restructuring in early 2025 sharpened Global Payments’ strategic focus . It has trimmed costs and shed assets. With the help of activist investor Elliott Management, the company is integrating its acquisition of Worldpay. Cash flow is expected to accelerate, providing funds for share repurchases and strengthening its balance sheet. These steps could boost its stock price, or it could catch the attention of private equity firms that have been eyeing the payments space for deals. Shares have hovered near multiyear lows for the past nine months following a more than 65% decline over the past five years. That poor performance has brought the forward earnings multiple down to just 4.9 times, well below its five-year average of roughly 15 times and a peak of 25 times. It also tr …
