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Global Payments Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 18 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 8 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter GAAP EPS fell; adjusted rose: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.92 for the quarter, against $2.25 a year earlier. Adjusted EPS was $3.18, up 11% in constant currency. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS grew 11%: Full-year adjusted EPS was $12.22, against $11.02 in 2024. GAAP diluted EPS was $5.78, against $6.16 in the prior year. Source
  • Adjusted revenue up 6% in constant currency: Fourth-quarter adjusted net revenue was $2.32 billion, up 1% reported and 6% in constant currency excluding dispositions. Full-year adjusted net revenue was $9.32 billion, up 2%. Source
  • Merchant growth exited 2025 near 6%: Whipple said Merchant Solutions exited 2025 at slightly more than 6% growth. Fourth-quarter Merchant Solutions adjusted revenue was $1.78 billion, up 0.4%. Source
  • Management on Genius rollout pace: Management said it is pleased with the pace of the Genius rollout and sees commercial traction from its go-to-market investments. Source
  • Acquisition and transformation charges in SG&A: Fourth-quarter SG&A adjustments included $174.2 million of acquisition, integration and separation expenses, and $129.8 million of business transformation charges. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell to $2.66 billion: Net cash from operating activities was $2.66 billion for 2025, against $3.06 billion in 2024. Capital expenditures were $617.8 million, down from $674.9 million. Source
  • Company repositioned as pure-play merchant provider: The release says the completed Worldpay acquisition and Issuer Solutions divestiture reposition the company as a leading pure-play merchant solutions provider. Source

“We significantly advanced our agenda to reposition our business as a unified, streamlined operating company, while delivering strong financial results that were consistent with the commitments we established at the outset of the year.”

Cameron Bready, chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted net revenue, constant currency excluding dispositions Source2026approximately 5%New
Adjusted operating margin Source2026expansion of approximately 150 basis pointsNew
Adjusted EPS Source2026$13.80 to $14.00, growth of 13% to 15%New
GAAP revenue growth Source2026approximately 75%New
GAAP diluted EPS growth Source2026(30)% to (32)%New
Capital returned through repurchases and dividends Source2026over $2 billionNew
Share repurchase authorization Sourcenot stated$2.5 billionNew
Accelerated share repurchase Sourceimmediate$550 millionNew
Capital return to shareholders through 2027 Sourcethrough end of 2027$7.5 billionKept
Quarterly dividend Sourcepayable March 30, 2026$0.25 per shareKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: 2026 guidance was given for the new Global Payments. The prior release covered 2025 expectations only. Source
  • New: Worldpay acquisition closed; the prior release had expected closing in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Ended: Issuer Solutions ended as a business of Global Payments at closing of its sale. Source
  • New: Jennifer Bozeman Whyte named chief accounting officer effective March 1, 2026. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter GAAP EPS fell; adjusted rose: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.92 for the quarter, against $2.25 a year earlier. Adjusted EPS was $3.18, up 11% in constant currency. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS grew 11%: Full-year adjusted EPS was $12.22, against $11.02 in 2024. GAAP diluted EPS was $5.78, against $6.16 in the prior year. Source
  • Adjusted revenue up 6% in constant currency: Fourth-quarter adjusted net revenue was $2.32 billion, up 1% reported and 6% in constant currency excluding dispositions. Full-year adjusted net revenue was $9.32 billion, up 2%. Source
  • GAAP revenue excludes divested unit: GAAP revenue was $1.90 billion for the quarter and $7.71 billion for the year, against $7.74 billion in 2024. GAAP figures leave out Issuer Solutions as discontinued operations. Source

Segments: Merchant and Issuer Solutions

  • Merchant growth exited 2025 near 6%: Whipple said Merchant Solutions exited 2025 at slightly more than 6% growth. Fourth-quarter Merchant Solutions adjusted revenue was $1.78 billion, up 0.4%. Source
  • Merchant adjusted operating income rose 2.8%: Merchant Solutions fourth-quarter adjusted operating income was $877.1 million, against $852.9 million a year earlier. GAAP segment operating income was $653.8 million. Source
  • Issuer Solutions revenue rose 5.1%: Issuer Solutions non-GAAP revenue was $557.1 million in the fourth quarter, up 5.1%. Its adjusted operating income was $267.8 million, against $253.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Corporate GAAP loss was larger: Corporate GAAP operating loss was $406.3 million in the fourth quarter, against $198.1 million a year earlier. On an adjusted basis the corporate loss was $108.1 million, against $102.3 million. Source

“Looking ahead, the new Global Payments has an enhanced financial profile with meaningful scale and strong cash flow generation, and we are confident in our ability to deliver sustained, long-term value for our shareholders.”

Josh Whipple, chief financial officer

Genius platform and customers

  • Management on Genius rollout pace: Management said it is pleased with the pace of the Genius rollout and sees commercial traction from its go-to-market investments. Source
  • Genius launched in second quarter 2025: Bready called the Genius platform launch in the second quarter of 2025 a cornerstone of the company's transformation. Source
  • Scale across more than 175 countries: The release describes the company as managing trillions in payments volume and billions of transactions across its reach in more than 175 countries. Source

Costs, charges and margins

  • Cost of service rose 10.2% in quarter: Fourth-quarter cost of service was $557.3 million, up 10.2%. Full-year cost of service was $2.11 billion, up 3.9%. Source
  • SG&A rose 15.5% in quarter: Selling, general and administrative expense was $1.09 billion in the fourth quarter, up 15.5%, and $4.12 billion for the year, up 3.0%. Source
  • Acquisition and transformation charges in SG&A: Fourth-quarter SG&A adjustments included $174.2 million of acquisition, integration and separation expenses, and $129.8 million of business transformation charges. Source
  • Adjusted operating margin up 97 basis points: Full-year adjusted operating margin was 44.2%. Fourth-quarter adjusted operating margin was 44.7%, up 80 basis points. Source
  • Adjusted operating income up 3.3%: Fourth-quarter adjusted operating income was $1.04 billion, up 3.3%. Full-year adjusted operating income was $4.12 billion, up 4.0%. Source
  • Full-year transformation charges of $406.2 million: Full-year SG&A adjustments included business transformation charges of $406.2 million, including a noncash write-down, excluded from adjusted results. Source

“continue to expect to return $7.5 billion of capital to shareholders through the end of 2027, consistent with targets we established at our 2024 investor conference.”

Cameron Bready, chief executive officer

Cash flow, balance sheet and capital

  • Operating cash flow fell to $2.66 billion: Net cash from operating activities was $2.66 billion for 2025, against $3.06 billion in 2024. Capital expenditures were $617.8 million, down from $674.9 million. Source
  • Cash balance rose to $8.34 billion: Cash and cash equivalents were $8.34 billion at December 31, 2025, against $2.36 billion a year earlier. Long-term debt was $19.54 billion at year end. Source
  • Debt proceeds and repayments in 2025: Proceeds from long-term debt were $12.30 billion in 2025, against $9.64 billion in 2024. Repayments of long-term debt were $7.21 billion, against $8.33 billion. Source
  • Business sale proceeds exceeded acquisition spend: Net cash from sales of businesses was $713.1 million in 2025, while business combinations and acquisitions used $352.1 million. Source
  • Investment balanced against capital returns: Whipple said the company balanced investment with capital returns and net leverage reduction. Repurchases of common stock totaled $1.19 billion in 2025. Source
  • Free cash flow and returns named central: Bready said free cash flow creation and return of capital remain central to the company's investment thesis. Source

Transactions, integration and leadership

  • Worldpay acquisition called pivotal: Bready called the Worldpay acquisition a pivotal moment in the company's evolution, and said integration is under way. Source
  • Company repositioned as pure-play merchant provider: The release says the completed Worldpay acquisition and Issuer Solutions divestiture reposition the company as a leading pure-play merchant solutions provider. Source
  • Issuer Solutions reported as discontinued: Issuer Solutions has been accounted for as discontinued operations since the second quarter of 2025, following its announced divestiture to Fidelity National Information Services. Source
  • New chief accounting officer named: Jennifer Bozeman Whyte, CPA, was named chief accounting officer and principal accounting officer, effective March 1, 2026. Source
  • Integration of businesses continues: Bready said the company is integrating its businesses while pursuing consistent, durable growth and an unrelenting focus on clients. Source

Basis for 2026 figures

  • 2025 supplemental base for 2026: The 2026 adjusted net revenue growth and margin expansion are measured against 2025 supplemental combined information that includes Worldpay and excludes Issuer Solutions. Source
  • Financial profile of the new company: Whipple said the new company has an enhanced financial profile with meaningful scale and cash flow generation. Source
  • Adjusted measures include discontinued operations: Adjusted results reflect total company performance, including discontinued operations, while GAAP revenue excludes them. Source

Coming up, as management said on 18 February 2026

  • Accelerated repurchase executed immediately: Management said it is entering an accelerated share repurchase agreement to repurchase $550 million of shares immediately. Source
  • Dividend payment dated March 30, 2026: The Board approved a $0.25 per share dividend payable March 30, 2026, to holders of record on March 9, 2026. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the Worldpay acquisition and Issuer Solutions sale closed well ahead of the schedule it had given. Source
  • Not stated: Management said 2025 results were consistent with the commitments set at the outset of the year. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.