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

Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.04, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $1.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. Shift4 Payments had a return on equity of 38.24% and a net margin of 2.84%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 50.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.35 EPS. 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 Stock Performance

NYSE:FOUR opened at $44.05 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.95, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $61.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $71.74. Shift4 Payments has a twelve month low of $43.80 and a twelve month high of $108.50.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on FOUR. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $67.00 price target on shares of Shift4 Payments in a research note on Thursday. BTIG Research reduced their price target on Shift4 Payments from $105.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Freedom Capital lowered Shift4 Payments from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Shift4 Payments from $115.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Shift4 Payments from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.74.

Shift4 Payments News Roundup

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 Activity at Shift4 Payments

In related news, Director Nancy Disman sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.50, for a total value of $347,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 130,420 shares in the company, 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 Shift4 Payments stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.00, for a total transaction of $828,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 273,588 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,877,572. The trade was a 4.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 25.15% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in Shift4 Payments by 16.4% in the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 6,338,567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $628,215,000 after acquiring an additional 890,990 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in shares of Shift4 Payments by 3,048.9% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 872,453 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,938,000 after purchasing an additional 844,746 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in shares of Shift4 Payments by 97.2% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,655,485 shares of the company’s stock valued at $104,246,000 after buying an additional 816,155 shares in the last quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP lifted its position in Shift4 Payments by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 6,665,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $660,612,000 after buying an additional 745,650 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in Shift4 Payments by 311.7% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 793,116 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,943,000 after buying an additional 600,463 shares during the last quarter. 98.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.