Nov. 6, 2025
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Shift4, a payment-processing company, reported third-quarter earnings that exceeded estimates today and has authorized a $1 billion share buyback.
Third-quarter adjusted earnings per share were $1.47, just over the $1.46 consensus estimate compiled by Zacks Investment Research.
The buyback is part of Shift4’s strategy of getting the most out of its cash, Chief Executive Taylor Lauber said in the statement.
“… capital allocation is a core competency of our business. This forces us to prioritize where the next dollar is spent, and with urgency, as the free cash flow of the business improves each quarter. Nothing has changed with regard to this philosophy. New products and geographies present themselves often, M&A opportunities come and go, and our own equity fluctuates.”
Shift4 processes credit-card payments at hotels, restaurants, stadiums and other venues. It is moving into other businesses, such as tax-free shopping, and expanding globally.
That expansion helped offset a decline in part of the company’s business.
“In Q3 and early Q4 we experienced modestly worsening same-store sales from our
restaurant and hotel customers” Lauber said in the statement. Same-store sales measure revenue at operations that have been open for at least 12 months, excluding discontinued or new revenue sources.
In short, Shift4 does well when the economy is growing and people are out and about and making lots of transactions.
Lauber noted that the company is “not immune to consumer spending levels” but its expansion into new businesses and global growth “affords us more resiliency during periods of economic uncertainty.”
The Upper Saucon Township-based company uses an unusual format for its earnings release. I’ve seen tens of thousands of such reports over the years and this one is different.
Still, regardless of how it’s presented, the news was received well by investors. Shift4 shares have not done well in 2025, but as of 8:49 a.m. today, they were up $4.32 to $71.50 in early trading. Trading before regular market hours can be volatile.
The shares (NYSE:FOUR) ended 2024 at $103.78, and as of the close yesterday, were at $67.16, down 35%.
The company has a market capitalization of about $6 billion, so a $1 billion stock buyback is a big deal.
Shift4 has been busy in 2025. Founder Jared Isaacman, who may be the next leader of NASA, stepped down as chief executive in favor of Lauber. The company completed the $2.5 billion acquisition of Global Blue, a Swiss firm that handles duty-free shopping, payments and currency conversions.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 