Global Payments’ Adjusted Revenue Grows 4% in Second Quarter Amid Unconfirmed Reports of $40 Billion Takeover
Key Facts
Global Payments shares closed at $85.72 on October 29, compared with $83.55 in the previous session, according to EL7 data. This followed a headline in a news feed about a possible $40 billion acquisition and a 12% jump in the stock, but the linked article could not be opened and the claims could not be verified through an open source. The available data therefore do not establish that the stock rose 12% in the October 29 session, nor do they confirm an offer, negotiations or the identity of a potential buyer. An initial version attributed the move to interest from strategic investors or private equity firms, but that explanation was not supported by available source material. The available information contains no verified details about the status of a potential deal or any next steps.
Previous closes show the stock ended the October 23 session at $82.82, then recorded $81.86 on October 26 and $81.43 on October 27, before rising to $83.55 on October 28 and $85.72 on October 29, according to EL7 data. This sequence puts the October 29 close above levels recorded on previous days, but on its own it does not establish the 12% daily change cited in the circulating headline. The data provided also do not include intraday trading levels for October 29, so the session high or low cannot be confirmed. The $85.72 close is the available figure for the latest session, with the previous day’s $83.55 close providing a direct comparison. No data were provided on a market index or competing stocks to assess the move against the broader market.
In its latest operating results available in the sources, Global Payments reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $3.32 billion under generally accepted accounting principles, along with adjusted net revenue of $3.16 billion. The company said adjusted net revenue rose about 4% on an organic basis, a measure it uses to present business growth after company adjustments. The available information provides no direct numerical comparison with revenue in the year-earlier quarter, so an annual growth rate cannot be attributed to the figures reported here. These results reflect reported revenue and performance on the adjusted measure in the second quarter, ahead of the next quarterly results. The company did not link these figures to the circulating acquisition reports.
Adjusted earnings per share were $3.46 in the second quarter, up 12%, according to the company’s announcement. That figure is different from the 12% share-price move cited in the acquisition headline: the former refers to second-quarter growth in adjusted earnings per share, while the reported price move for the session in question has not been verified. For its annual outlook, the company said it expects adjusted net revenue growth, on an organic, constant-currency basis, of between 4% and 5% in 2026. It also put its full-year adjusted earnings-per-share forecast at between $13.60 and $13.80. These forecasts provide context for management’s stated performance targets ahead of the third-quarter results, without confirming any development related to the acquisition.
The company said its revised annual outlook was partly linked to the continuing conflict in the Middle East and its effect on its travel-related business portfolio. In its statement, it said: "In light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on our travel portfolio." The statement did not quantify the financial impact or detail the affected business’s contribution to revenue, but it ties part of the outlook revision to travel conditions. This accompanies the company’s announced forecast for adjusted growth of between 4% and 5% for the year, based on its second-quarter results. The available sources contain no more recent update to these estimates or disclosure directly linking the conflict’s impact to any potential acquisition interest.
The circulating claims of a $40 billion deal come as global merger and acquisition activity totaled $993 billion in the third quarter of 2026, down 41% from the previous quarter, according to Reuters. It was the first time the total had fallen below $1 trillion since the second quarter of 2025. That figure provides background on global deal activity, but does not confirm an offer for Global Payments or explain any potential valuation of the company. In the context of the company’s transactions, the 2025 Worldpay deal valued the platform at $24.3 billion, while Global Payments agreed to sell its issuer solutions business to FIS in a transaction with an enterprise value of $13.5 billion, according to Bloomberg. These previous transactions provide context on the scale of the company’s business and deals, not evidence that a new transaction has been completed or agreed.
Global Payments is scheduled to report its third-quarter 2026 results on November 5 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time, according to its investor relations website. The anticipated release will provide an official update on the company’s performance and outlook following its second-quarter results and revised annual estimates. The available sources, however, specify no timing or next steps related to the acquisition reports and provide no company confirmation of them. The published operating figures and the latest stock close remain the confirmed information available ahead of that date.