Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Freedom Capital

Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) was downgraded by Freedom Capital from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on shares of Shift4 Payments from $112.00 to $98.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Susquehanna cut their price objective on Shift4 Payments from $115.00 to $101.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Shift4 Payments from $77.00 to $55.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. UBS Group lowered their target price on Shift4 Payments from $115.00 to $100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Shift4 Payments from $72.00 to $60.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.74.

Shift4 Payments Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:FOUR opened at $44.05 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $61.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $71.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.90 billion, a PE ratio of 41.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.38. Shift4 Payments has a 12 month low of $43.80 and a 12 month high of $108.50.

Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.19 billion during 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 50.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.35 EPS. Shift4 Payments has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.500-5.700 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Shift4 Payments will post 3.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Shift4 Payments

In other Shift4 Payments news, Director Nancy Disman sold 5,000 shares of the company’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 transaction, the director directly owned 130,420 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,064,190. This represents a 3.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO David Taylor Lauber sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,877,572. This trade represents 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 owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Shift4 Payments

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Shift4 Payments by 410.9% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 281 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Shift4 Payments by 100.0% during the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 434 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Shift4 Payments by 148.1% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 526 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. Vestcor Inc acquired a new position in shares of Shift4 Payments in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Shift4 Payments by 282.2% in the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 477 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

More 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

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.